Witnessing Violence Among High School Students in Thailand

The goal of this study was to explore the levels of witnessing violence among Thai youths and to examine whether a Western model of witnessing violence that relates to personal and family characteristics, peer relationships, own violence, violence in the family, violence in the school, and in the community, is appropriate for the Thai reality. The random sample consisted of 2,897 youths: 1,107 (38.2%) males and 1,722 (59.4%) females. Results indicated that witnessing violence rates among the Thai youths are high, but in general, quite similar to those reported in the west. The most frequently witnessed violent act was hitting and punching in school. Peer characteristics and their advice were the most related factor to witnessing violence followed by own violence activities, violence in the family, and the surrounding subsystems, supporting the similarities of the Thai reality to the Western one. No significant differences were indicated between the rural and inner-city settings. The results were interpreted in light of the cultural characteristics of Thailand.