School violent victimization and recent alcohol use and episodic heavy drinking among youth.

School violent victimization is a serious public health problem among youth. The current study investigated the association between youth alcohol use and school violent victimization among middle school and high school students (N=54,361). The PRIDE national survey for Grades 6-12 was administered to youth in their classrooms. Results indicated that 38.3% of students were involved in school violent victimization. School violent victimization differed significantly based on sex, race, and grade level. Logistic regression analyses indicated that school violent victimization was directly related to elevated alcohol use in the past 12 months and episodic heavy drinking among youth. Findings from this study may be beneficial to school nurses in creating bullying and substance abuse prevention programs for students. Recommendations for future research are included.