Family: cornerstone for young people to be victims of violence in the university stage

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Violence is a pervasive issue that wreaks havoc within communities, with the family serving as a cornerstone for the development of individuals, thereby influencing their behavior within society. Objectives To determine the association between a history of family violence and being a victim of violence among university students. Methodology This is a cross-sectional, prospective study that included university students of both sexes. Family function was measured using the Family APGAR test, while the dependent variable was experiencing any type of violence during the university stage. Results A total of 1148 participants were included, with an average age of 20.47 (±3.3) years, 63.9% were women, 94.9% were cisgender, and 77.3% were heterosexual; 45.3% of participants identified with family dysfunction, 45.3% had witnessed a violent act in their family, and 46% of participants experienced violence at university. When evaluating factors associated with experiencing violence, a positive association (OR/CI95%) was identified for attending a private school (1.4/1.1-1.9), alcohol consumption (2.4/1.7-3.5), having family disfunction (1.5/1.2-1.9) living in a family with violence (2.3/1.8-2.9), knowing friends who experienced partner violence (2.1/1.6-2.7) or family violence (1.9/1.4-2.5). Conversely, a negative association was found for being heterosexual (0.6/0.4-0.8), never witnessing sexual (0.3-0.2-2.5), physical (0.5/0.4-0.65), or psychological (0.3/0.2-0.4) violence in the family, nor experiencing violence during childhood (0.4/0.3-0.5), middle school (0.4/0.3-0.5), or high school (0.4/0.3-0.5) (p < 0.001), likewise, not exercising physical, psychological, sexual, digital or other types of violence during college presents OR = 0 (p < 0.001) in each of these items. Conclusions The social environment, alcohol consumption, a history of witnessing violence in family and friends, as well as the perpetration of violence are associated with receiving violence. Key messages • Evidence indicates the importance of the family for the development of its members, since, just by witnessing behaviors, they favor the development of social roles. • The first contact physician must return to his essence, focusing on the care of the patient in a comprehensive manner, including the environment in which he develops.