ACADEMIC STRESS AND SCHOOL VIOLENCE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
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This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examined the association between academic stress and violent behaviors among ninth-grade students in public secondary schools in Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected from 90 educators and 90 students across 45 public sector schools in Jhang, Sargodha, and Chiniot. Educators completed structured questionnaires on perceived causes of student academic stress and observed violent behaviors, while students completed self-report measures and participated in semi-structured interviews. Descriptive results showed that homework load (M = 4.19, SD = 0.79) and examination pressure (M = 3.97, SD = 0.97) were the most strongly rated academic stressors. Abusive language (M = 3.74, SD = 0.99), emotional abuse (M = 3.44, SD = 0.96), and slapping (M = 3.17, SD = 0.93) were the most frequently reported violent behaviors. Educator-rated academic stress was strongly and positively correlated with educator-rated violent behavior, r(88) = .71, p < .001. In a cross-sectional linear regression model, academic stress significantly predicted violent behavior, B = 0.77, SE = 0.08, beta = .71, t(88) = 9.43, p < .001, R² = .50. Student self-reports showed a weaker but significant stress-violence association, r(88) = .29, p = .005. Qualitative findings identified oppressive workload, examination and parental pressure, punitive teacher behavior, absence of co-curricular outlets, and stress-induced aggression as central themes. The findings suggest that reducing excessive academic pressure, improving classroom management, and strengthening school-based support systems may help reduce violence-related behaviors in secondary schools. Causal claims should be avoided because the design was cross-sectional.
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