Trends in adolescent violence victimization pre-, intra-, and post-COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, 2012-2023: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Journal: Psychiatry research

Volume: 348

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Precision Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Regulatory Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Health Unit Eni, Maputo, Mozambique; Health Unit Eni, San Donato Milanese, Italy. Research Centre on Health Services and Quality of Life, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France. Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: dntpfls@naver.com. Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Precision Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Regulatory Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: yonkkang@gmail.com.

Abstract summary 

Adolescent violence victimization is a major public health concern, but research has been limited by short durations and small samples, restricting long-term understanding. This study examined its trends and vulnerabilities in South Korea, focusing on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.Data were collected from 740,687 nationally representative samples (7-12th grade adolescents) through the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey from 2012 to 2023. Violence victimization was defined as treatment at a hospital in the past 12 months due to physical, mental, or property victimization. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the data were categorized into pre-(2012-2019), intra-(2020-2022), and post-(2023) pandemic periods, and analyzed using weighted regression models.A total of 740,687 participants (379,021 boys [51.17 %]) were included in this analysis from 2012 to 2023. The overall prevalence of adolescent violence victimization significantly declined from 2.91 % [95 % CI, 2.77-3.04] to 1.94 % [1.86-2.02] in pre-pandemic, then decreased to 1.13 % [1.03-1.24] during the early intra-pandemic, before rising to 2.29 % [2.12-2.46] in the post-pandemic. Vulnerable subgroups included students in 7-9th grades, those with depressive symptoms, attendees of all-boys schools, residents of facilities, current substance users, all exhibiting greater susceptibility to violence victimization.This study identified a U-shaped trend in adolescent violence victimization in South Korea throughout the pandemic. Relative risk was associated with school and living environments, psychosocial factors, and substance use. Findings highlight the need for a systemic approach to interventions, addressing both individual vulnerabilities and structural factors to strengthen prevention.

Authors & Co-authors:  Park Seoyoung S Kim Kyeongeun K Kim Minji M Jung Hyeongyu H Son Yejun Y Park Jaeyu J Pizzol Damiano D Fond Guillaume G Boyer Laurent L Sánchez Guillermo F López GFL Woo Selin S Yon Dong Keon DK

Study Outcome 

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Citations : 
Authors :  12
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116429
SSN : 1872-7123
Study Population
Boys
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
Adolescent victimization;South Korea;Trend;Victimization;Violence
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Systemic Review
Country of Study
Publication Country
Ireland