Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Experienced by Survivors of School Violence in South Africa: Sex and Age Differences

Abstract

The study investigated sex and age differences in the experiences of posttraumatic stress disorder by survivors of school violence in urban and rural schools in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa. One hundred and thirty five survivors of school violence (males =57, females =78, age range: 10 year or younger, 11–15 years, and 16 year or older) described their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using a numeric measures of PTSD on a 37 items scale. The survivors were learners in primary (n=73) as well as secondary schools (n=62). The study found that survivors experienced three forms of violence, namely: verbal, physical, and sexual in nature. The sex of survivors was not a significant factor in either the forms of violence or the PTSD symptoms experienced. Age differences were significant for four of the six PTSD symptom categories.

Keywords:

• Age
• posttraumatic stress
• school violence
• South Africa
• sex
• quantitative
• experience