Journal List > J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs > v.24(4) > 1058325

Sung and Lee: Effects of Violence Victimization on Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: Analysis of Mediating Effects of Self-concept

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to clarify mediating effects of self-concept on mental health of children and adolescents who fell victim to violence.

Methods

A survey was conducted on 4th, 5th, and 6th graders from 2 elementary schools and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students from 3 middle schools (n=2,391). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and AMOS.

Results

The mean scores of mental health and self-concept in the subjects were 4.5 and 184.9 respectively. The rate of poor mental health in students who had fallen victim to violence was more than twice as high as that in students who had never experienced it. The self-concept of students who experienced violence had a tendency to decline. Violence experience and self-concept accounted for 47.7%(43.0% for boys and 53.4% for girls) of the changes in mental health. The indirect mediating effects of self-concept were significant.

Conclusion

Based on the findings, the following is suggested. Schools should offer a self-concept improvement program for students with a distorted self-concept caused by falling victim to violence. It could help such adolescents have a positive self image and improve their mental health.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1-A
Path diagram explaining mediating effects of self concept of total students.
jkachn-24-407-g001
Figure 1-B
Path diagram explaining mediating effects of self concept of boys.
jkachn-24-407-g002
Figure 1-C
Path diagram explaining mediating effects of self concept of girls.
jkachn-24-407-g003
Table 1
Mental Health and Self-concept by General Characteristics (N=2,391)
jkachn-24-407-i001

a>b>c: Scheffé test.

No-response excluded.

Table 2
Comparison of Characteristics by Violence Experience of Participants
jkachn-24-407-i002

PI=private institute.

Table 3
Mental Health according to Violence Experience
jkachn-24-407-i003
Table 4
Direct, Indirect, and Total Effects in Mental Health Path Model
jkachn-24-407-i004

PI=private institute.

Notes

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (KRF 03-2011-0257).

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