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Table 1 Description of individual-level exposure variables

From: Primary school students’ mental health in Uganda and its association with school violence, connectedness, and school characteristics: a cross-sectional study

Variable name

Items

Coding

Violence school staff past week

Emotional violence

Coded 1 if answered yes about past week experience to any of the items; coded 0 if answered no to all items

Cursed, insulted, shouted at or humiliated you? Referred to your skin colour/gender/religion/tribe or health problems you have in a hurtful way? Stopped you from being with other children to make you feel bad or lonely? Tried to embarrass you because you were an orphan or without a parent? Embarrassed you because you were unable to buy things? Stole or broke or ruined your belongings? Threatened you with bad marks that you didn’t deserve? Accused you of witchcraft?

Physical violence

Hurt you or caused pain to you? Slapped you with a hand on your face or head as punishment? Slapped you with a hand on your arm or hand? Twisted your ear as punishment? Twisted your arm as punishment? Pulled your hair as punishment? Hit you by throwing an object at you? Hit you with a closed fist? Hit you with a stick? Caned you? Kicked you? Knocked you on the head as punishment? Made you dig, slash a field, or do other labour as punishment? Hit your fingers or hands with an object as punishment? Crushed your fingers or hands as punishment? Made you stand/kneel in a way that hurts to punish you? Made you stay outside for example in the heat or rain to punish you? Burnt you as punishment? Taken your food away from you as punishment? Forced you to do something that was dangerous? Choked you? Tied you up with a rope or belt at school? Tried to cut you purposefully with a sharp object? Severely beat you up?

Sexual violence

Teased you or made sexual comments about your breasts, genitals, buttocks or other body parts? Touched your body in a sexual way or in a way that made you uncomfortable? Showed you pictures, magazines, or movies of people or children doing sexual things? Made you take your clothes off when it was not for a medical reason? Opened or took their own clothes off in front of you when they should not have done so? Kiss you when you didn’t want to be kissed? Make you touch their genitals, breasts or buttocks when you didn’t want to? Touch your genitals, breasts or buttocks when you didn’t want them to? Give you money/things to do sexual things? Involve you in making sexual pictures or videos? Threaten or pressure you to have sex or do sexual things with them? Actually make you have sex with them by threatening or pressuring you, or by making you afraid of what they might do? Make you have sex with them by physically forcing you (have sex with you)?

Violence peers (male and/or female student) past week

Emotional violence

Coded 1 if answered yes about past week experience to any of the items; coded 0 if answered no to all items

Insulted you, or called you rude or hurtful names? Accused you of witchcraft?

Physical violence

Locked you out or made you stay outside? Not given you food? Twisted your arm or any other body part, slapped you, pushed you or thrown something at you? Punched you, kicked you, or hit you with a closed fist? Hit you with an object, such as a stick or a cane, or whipped you? Cut you with a sharp object or burnt you?

Sexual violence

Disturbed or bothered you by making sexual comments about you? Kissed you, when you did not want them to? Touched your genitals or breasts when you did not want them to, or in a way that made you uncomfortable? Threaten or pressure you to make you do something sexual with them? Make you have sex with them, because they threatened or pressured you? Had sex with you, by physically forcing you?

Involvement in making up rules

Have you ever been involved in making up rules for how students should behave at your school?

0 = no

1 = yes

Consideration of students’ views

In your school, are students’ views about how to improve the school taken seriously by adults who work at the school? Would you say all the time, most of the time, sometimes, or never?

0 = all the time

1 = most of the time

2 = sometimes

3 = never

School connectedness

I feel that my teachers care about me; I feel safe in school; I feel like I belong at school; I like to spend time at school

each question:

1 = all the time

2 = most of the time

3 = sometimes

4 = never

summary measure:

0 = high

1 = medium

2 = low

Connectedness to peers

I feel close to students at my school

0 = all the time

1 = most of the time

2 = sometimes

3 = never