OBJECTIVES: To describe age and gender specific time trends in adolescent violence across 19 countries over 28 years. METHODS: The paper presents analysis of eight cycles of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study from 1994-2022, involving 789,531 children aged 11, 13, and 15. Indicators of violence included physical fighting, school bullying and cyberbullying (from 2018). Log-binomial regression models were used to test for linear temporal trends, with Generalized Estimating Equations used to account for clustering by country. RESULTS: School bullying perpetration and victimization declined over time in each age/gender group in most countries. Similar declines were reported for frequent physical fighting among boys (all ages) and girls (age 15 only). The prevalence of violent behaviour was almost universally higher in boys in the early cycles than in girls, but this gender difference attenuated over time. For cyberbullying, significant increases were observed since 2018 in all groups except age 15 girls in most countries. CONCLUSION: This analysis of a large cross-national dataset suggests a decline in traditional forms of adolescent violence. However, the increases in cyberbullying warrant further monitoring.

• Keywords
• adolescent health, bullying, cyberbullying, fighting, violence,
• MeSH
• Adolescent Behavior * MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Cyberbullying statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Violence * trends   statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Crime Victims statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Sex Factors MeSH
• Bullying * statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Schools MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe epidemiology   MeSH
• North America epidemiology   MeSH

-Societal gender inequality relates to gender differences in adolescent substance use.-The gender gap in adolescent substance use is larger in countries with higher levels of gender inequality.-Girls in these countries were less likely to get drunk, use alcohol or smoke cigarettes than boys.

• Keywords
• Alcohol use, Drunkenness, Gender, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, Health inequalities, Tobacco use,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH