ArticlePloS one2026
Individual, community, and societal drivers of adolescent peer violence in Asella, Ethiopia: A school-based cross-sectional study utilizing the socio-ecological model.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdolescent peer violence is a critical public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries. However, existing research in sub-Saharan Africa often focuses disproportionately on intimate partner violence or male-centered aggression, leaving a significant data gap regarding broader peer-to-peer dynamics in rapidly urbanizing Ethiopian settings. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for evidence that integrates psychosocial traits with environmental influences. This study addresses these gaps by utilizing the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM)-a framework that examines the interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors-to investigate peer violence in Asella, Ethiopia. We specifically explore the role of General Self-Efficacy (GSE), defined as an individual's belief in their ability to perform across a variety of situations, as a potential driver of behavior. Our objective was to determine the magnitude of violence victimization and perpetration and to identify multi-level risk factors among school-going adolescents.
methodsA school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 542 adolescents (response rate = 99.5%) using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Magnitude was assessed through standardized behavioral scales, and psychological resilience was measured using the General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale. Multivariable binary logistic regression was utilized to identify independent predictors across the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) levels.
resultsThe prevalence of violence victimization was 41.6% (95% CI: 37.3-45.9%) and perpetration was 33.8% (95% CI: 29.7-38.1%). Based on bullying roles, 15.0% were "Bully-Victims," who reported the lowest mean self-efficacy score (25.5 ± 3.6). Multivariable analysis revealed that low self-efficacy (≤28) was the strongest predictor for victimization (AOR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.95-4.26), while witnessing community violence was the primary driver for perpetration (AOR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.77-3.59). Male gender and belonging to the lowest wealth quartile significantly increased the odds for both outcomes.
conclusionsAdolescent violence in Asella is a multi-dimensional public health issue driven by a cycle of low individual agency and environmental normalization of aggression. Strategies to mitigate this burden must move beyond the individual level. We recommend a comprehensive response that integrates school-based self-efficacy enhancement, community-level peace-building initiatives to reduce the impact of witnessed violence, and societal-level poverty alleviation. Such a multi-level approach is essential to disrupt the interplay between psychological vulnerability and environmental risk.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.