An Investigation into Causes of Violence at Secondary Schools in Da Nang, Vietnam

Abstract

Provide an overview of violence at secondary schools in Da Nang city, Viet Nam, and an analysis of its causes. An online questionnaire is a cross-sectional study on 978 secondary school students (from grades 6 to 9) from March to April 2021. The rate of school violence (during last year) was: 73.9% students experienced bullying; those experienced from 1-2 times were 19.1% while others experienced from 3-5 times (accounted for 20.9%), from 6-10 times (accounted for 27.5%), and over ten times (accounted for 6.4%). The rate of students suffering from mental violence was the highest, with 76.4%. There were no significant differences between factors like genders, grades, schools, and violence, or being bullied. Regarding causes of bullying, students' inability to control impulsiveness, hot-temper, and witnesses of violence were significant causes. There should be joint efforts between schools and families regarding concerns about victims or witnesses of violence. From a psychological-educational perspective, such activities as school counseling, problem-solving skills, and self-defense coaching should be organized to help students deal with school bullying. Further research could be conducted on the correlation between academic pressure and bullying, family relationships and violent incidents, etc. It is also recommended that families support their children emotionally and share with them about issues in life to recognize and prevent school bullying timely.