Associations between socioeconomic deprivation and witnessing family violence among Swedish adolescents: findings from a population-based school survey

Aim: Exposure to family violence is a significant public health concern, linked to negative outcomes in both childhood and adulthood. This study investigates the prevalence of family violence witnessed by adolescents in Sweden and explores its association with socioeconomic factors. Methods: Data from the population-based survey Life and Health in Youth conducted in 2023 was used, including 3704 adolescents aged 15–18 years. It examines three forms of family violence: threats of violence, abusive language and physical/sexual violence. Results: The findings reveal that 19% of adolescents reported having witnessed at least one type of family violence, with girls reporting higher rates than boys. Socioeconomic deprivation, particularly perceived family economic stress, was strongly correlated with witnessing family violence. Adolescents who experienced economic stress were more often reporting exposure to threats of violence (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) = 2.84) and multi-type victimisation (adjOR = 2.81). These results indicate that socioeconomic factors are important to consider when supporting adolescents in vulnerable situations. Conclusions: One in five adolescents reported having witnessed any type of family violence. This study provides insights into the association between socioeconomic deprivation and adolescent exposure to family violence within the Swedish context. Adolescents with these experiences should be recognised by professionals in the health sector, welfare services and educational system due to their particularly vulnerable situation.