Weapons are rare during acts of physical violence, say youths who were surveyed from two rural communities in Alberta.
In the first phase of a study led by Judith Kulig of the University of Lethbridge, youths said if a weapon was seen, it was usually a bat or wooden post used for intimidation. These were then dropped as the young men scuffled in fist fights. Occasionally a knife would be pulled, the youths told the researchers.
Kulig and two other professors are examining how rural youths view violence. The initial survey of 52 teenagers in two communities will be used to make up a questionnaire for wider distribution, Kulig told a conference in Saskatoon Oct. 21 that explored the many sides of rural peoples’ health.
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The youths who were interviewed said alcohol is a common factor in fights that often break out at parties. Kulig said the teens reported that violence among boys is usually physical and resolved once the fight is over. Fights were usually sparked by jealousy over girlfriends or a sports rivalry with a neighbouring community.
Violence between girls is usually psychological and nasty rumours continue in schools and other settings. In cases where girls had physical fights, witnesses said they were meaner and involved hair pulling and scratching. As well, the girls tended to carry on the grudge afterward.
The teens saw the psychological violence as more hurtful because, as one said, “you could get over the bruises.”
While most young people saw their school as a safe place and were aware that witnesses to violence who are passive silently condone such events, Kulig said there were gaps in their ability to deal with the issue.
The teens still rank each other in a social pecking order and those who were different in some way – new to town, dressed differently – would be picked on. Girls viewed as sexually promiscuous were special targets. Two self-confessed bullies said they enjoyed the power it gave them because others would shrink from them in the school hallways or offer to do their homework.
While the teenagers were aware of community agencies that could help with their problems, few used them.
Kulig summed up the rural teens’ attitude as “violence is an issue but violence is commonplace in all society and their community was no different.”
She suggested education programs to help bullies, victims and witnesses, but the main solution would be to create activity centres to give teens something to do.
Kulig said throughout the interviews it was obvious the teenagers were bored. They felt the community was run by and for senior citizens and that youths’ needs were not being met. Often the teens would say they couldn’t wait to leave their community, Kulig said.
