Youth Violence in Educational Settings TJBS 2021, 16(1): 85-100 | 85 The Journal of Behavioral Science (TJBS) Original Article Pathways, Situations, and Factors Associated with Youth Violence in Educational Settings Kantita Sripa 1* , Sorat Glubwila 2 , and Phonraphee Thummaphan 3 Author Affiliation Abstract 1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Science, Royal Police Cadet Academy, Thailand. 2 Associate Professor, Social Science Faculty, Royal Police Cadet Academy, Thailand. 3 Lecturer, Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education, Thammasat University, Thailand. *Corresponding author email: kantitas@yahoo.com This qualitative research aimed to understand the pathways of youth violence in educational settings in Thailand, both on and off the school grounds, to study situation and patterns of youth violence, and to elaborate on factors associated with such violence. This study employed a life-history approach, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and observations at six schools. The key informants were 6 administrators, 30 teachers, 30 students, and 30 parents. The results found that there are two pathways of youth violence: one in which some youths are caught in a cycle of violence; and the other in which they have reached a turning point and were able to stop being violent, with support from adults, and by having clear goals for their future. As for the situation and patterns of youth violence, typically the children and youth in this study easily resorted to violence. Generally, male youngsters are more violent than females, and they tend to use violence outside of school. They think that carrying a weapon is normal behavior. They feel that the laws are not fair, which causes them to prefer taking revenge. There are six relevant dimensions of violent factors, including youths, family, friends, schools, the community, or society, and one’s culture, beliefs, and values. Each dimension can contribute to violent behavior and is related to the others. The findings have implications for youth behavior promotion and modification by involving various social groups, using socialization focused on appropriate psycho-social development, managing environment for stimulating positive behaviors, as well as cultivating good models, values and cultures for children and youth. Article Information Received: 27.03.20 Revised: 08.10.20 Accepted: 12.10.20 Keywords physical fighting, adolescent, school violence Youth violence has been a social problem in Thailand and other countries for a long time and, unfortunately, the situation nowadays is getting worse. According to a survey on violence in schools around the world, violence has increased significantly. It was also found that a great number of young people in Thailand are bullied; this country is second in the world, with 600,000 victims annually, and the proportion of students bullied by their classmates is about 40%, second only to Japan. The Director General of the Department of Mental Health in Thailand (Department of Mental Health, 2018) has pointed out that students who are bullied have a high tendency to become aggressive and resort to violence to solve their problems. Also, most bullied children are quite stressed and depressed. The bullied ones often have difficulty blending in, and they may end up assaulting others or hurting or killing themselves. Moreover, according to data of Child Watch in 2012 (Compassion Thailand, 2015), certain conditions tend to increase the rate of youth violence. For instance, about 34 percent of Thai youth regularly carry weapons, and they regularly witness violence in school and/or at home. Additionally, violence broadcast on various media, including television and the internet, can lead to an imitation of violent behavior. According to the research study conducted by the Thai Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection (2011), the risk factors of violence are age, the parents’marital status, the parents’ relationship, their level of education, occupation, The Journal of Behavioral Science Copyright © Behavioral Science Research Institute 2021, Vol. 16, Issue 1, 85-100 ISSN: 1906-4675 (Print), 2651-2246 (Online)