A Cross-National Examination of School Violence and Nonattendance Due to School Violence in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China: A Rasch Model Approach

ABSTRACT

This study examined the similarities and differences between three distinct Chinese societies (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China) regarding the contribution of gender and grade level to school violence, the ranking orders of perpetration and victimization behavior, and the correlates of school nonattendance due to violence. A cross-national random sample of 2,582 junior high school students was obtained. The results of Rasch analyzes revealed that verbal violence is most frequent. Male students are most likely to be aggressive and victimized. Grade-level differences in school violence were shown to be weak or insignificant. School nonattendance is generally associated with being kicked, punched, socially excluded, blackmailed, threatened, or sexually kissed without consent. The results were similar across societies. The findings imply that the contextual differences between Chinese societies may not account for different effects of gender and grade level on school violence, behavioral patterns of school violence, and correlates of school nonattendance.

KEYWORDS:

• School violence
• bullying
• Taiwan
• Hong Kong
• China
• school nonattendance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the General Research Fund, The Research Grants Council, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong (Project Number 14617415); and by the Departmental Initiative Schemes, Department of Social Work, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Notes on contributors

Ji-Kang Chen

Ji-Kang Chen, PhD, is an associate professor at the Department of Social Work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His major research interests include cross-cultural research on interpersonal violence and mental health. He has been awarded several research grants and has published primarily on the topics of school violence.

Li-Ming Chen

Li-Ming Chen, PhD, is an associate professor at the Institution of Education, National Sun Yat-Sen University. His major research interests include school bullying.