Adolescents' Experiences of Parental Violence in Danish and Finnish Families: A Comparative Perspective

• NCJ Number: 237642
• Journal: Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: 2011 Pages: 173-197
• Author(s): Noora Ellonen; Juha Kaariainen; Heikki Sariola; Karin Helweg-Larsen; Helmer Boving Larsen
• Date Published: 2011
• Length: 25 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

The authors compare the prevalence and a number of background factors of adolescents' experiences of parental violence between Denmark and Finland based on school surveys conducted among ninth-grade students.

Abstract

International comparative analyses enable the identification of specific, national criminal problems and the assessment of the effects of national prevention strategies. The authors compare the prevalence and a number of background factors of adolescents' experiences of parental violence between Denmark and Finland based on school surveys conducted among ninth-grade students in 2008: these were The Danish Youth Health Survey with 3,943 respondents and The Finnish Child Victim Survey with 5,762 respondents. Experiences of parental violence include being exposed to maternal or paternal violence or being witness to violence against the mother or father at home. Overall, the prevalence of adolescents' experiences of parental psychological aggression and physical violence is relatively similar in Denmark and Finland. However, marked gender differences exist. Finnish girls more frequently report experiences of psychological aggression and physical violence than Danish girls, whereas Danish boys more frequently report experiences of psychological aggression than Finnish boys. Having witnessed physical violence against the mother or father and having been exposed to parental violence are both more frequently reported by Finnish than Danish youth. In both countries, experiencing parental violence is more correlated to a number of family-associated factors, such as inter-parental fighting, little confidentiality between the youth and parents, and poor supervision of the youth, than to traditional socio-economic factors. The study article provides evidence on the context-related nature of violence experiences. (Published Abstract)