Associations of Violence Perpetration, Victimization, and Exposure to Instruction in Skill Building and Conflict Resolution Among Female and Male Youth in Colombia, 2018

Abstract

Background: In Colombia, almost half of youth aged 18-24 experienced some form of physical, emotional, or sexual violence before age 18. When examining interventions intended to reduce violence, those addressing skill building and conflict resolution resulted in positive outcomes. In Colombia, skill building instruction is supported through a government mandated citizenship education program.Objective: We examined associations between physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence exposure, perpetration of physical and/or sexual violence, and exposure to instruction in skill building and conflict resolution.Participants and setting: Participants were male and female Colombian youth aged 13-24 who completed the nationally representative 2018 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS).Methods: Bivariate logistic regression models examined associations between violence perpetration and covariates, types of instruction and violence victimization. Final multivariable logistic regression models examined associations between all variables of interest, controlling for covariates.Results: Violence exposures and victimization in childhood were associated with increased risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence. In one sample, associations between exposure to instruction in violence avoidance and physical and/or sexual violence perpetration retained significance (full multivariable model, (aOR: 5.7, p=0.010,95% CI [1.5, 21.4]). In another, exposure to instruction in anger management (OR: 0.5, p=0.032, 95% CI [0.3, 0.9]) and instruction in bullying avoidance (OR: 0.4, p=0.020, 95% CI [0.2, 0.9]) were associated with increased odds of physical and/or sexual violence perpetration (bivariate level).Conclusions: Further investigation into the content of instruction and potential adverse effects of instruction that is not trauma-informed, particularly among youth who experience sexual violence, is needed.

Keywords: social skill building, conflict resolution, Violence against children, Colombia, violence perpetration