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Witnessing Community Violence (witnessing + community_violence)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Psychology60%

Selected Abstracts

Witnessing Community Violence and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Detained Adolescents

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2007
Dexter R. Voisin PhD
This study examines whether witnessing community violence, in the 12 months prior to juvenile detention, is related and health-related outcomes in the 2 months prior to being detained among 550 youth. Participants answered survey questions using audio-computer assisted self-interviewing procedures, which assessed demographic, problem, and drug and sexual risk behaviors. Multiple logistic regression analyses, controlling for significant covariates, indicated that adolescents, in the last 12 months, who reported witnessing community violence, relative to their peer witnessing no violence, were in the last 2 months prior to being detained, twice more likely to have suicidal threats, 2 times more likely to use marijuana and alcohol, 2 times more likely to get high on alcohol or other drugs during sexual intercourse, and 2 times more likely to have sex with a partner who was high on alcohol or other drugs. Finding suggest that detained youth, many of whom may not access traditional helath care, should be offered prevention and intervention services dring detention, which provides a critical window of opportunity for needed services. [source]

Prospective effects of violence exposure across multiple contexts on early adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 8 2010
Sylvie Mrug
Background:, Violence exposure within each setting of community, school, or home has been linked with internalizing and externalizing problems. Although many children experience violence in multiple contexts, the effects of such cross-contextual exposure have not been studied. This study addresses this gap by examining independent and interactive effects of witnessing violence and victimization in the community, home, and school on subsequent internalizing and externalizing problems in early adolescence. Methods:, A community sample of 603 boys and girls (78% African American, 20% Caucasian) participated in a longitudinal study of youth violence. During two assessments 16 months apart, adolescents reported on witnessing violence and victimization in the community, school, and home, and their internalizing and externalizing problems. Results:, Multiple regressions tested the independent and interactive effects of witnessing violence or victimization across contexts on subsequent adjustment, after controlling for initial levels of internalizing and externalizing problems and demographic covariates. Witnessing violence at school predicted anxiety and depression; witnessing at home was related to anxiety and aggression; and witnessing community violence predicted delinquency. Victimization at home was related to subsequent anxiety, depression, and aggression; victimization at school predicted anxiety; and victimization in the community was not independently related to any outcomes. Finally, witnessing violence at home was associated with more anxiety, delinquency, and aggression only if adolescents reported no exposure to community violence. Conclusions:, Violence exposure at home and school had the strongest independent effects on internalizing and externalizing outcomes. Witnessing community violence attenuated the effects of witnessing home violence on anxiety and externalizing problems, perhaps due to desensitization or different norms or expectations regarding violence. However, no comparable attenuation effects were observed for victimization across contexts. [source]

Aggressive behavior in response to violence exposure: is it adaptive for middle-school children?,

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 8 2008
Suzanne Salzinger
The role of aggression in adaptation to family and community violence was examined in a sample of 667 inner-city schoolchildren studied annually over three years in middle school. Regression analyses indicated that the association between Year 1 exposure to family and community violence and Year 2 aggression was mediated by aggression occurring contemporaneously with Year 1 exposure. Cognitive justification of aggression and friends' delinquency made small independent contributions to prediction of Year 2 aggression, delinquency, and externalizing behaviors. Year 2 aggression mediated the association between Year 1 community violence victimization and Year 3 negative adaptation (internalizing problems, anxiety, and depression). Year 2 aggression also mediated the negative association between Year 1 witnessing community violence and Year 3 positive adaptation (self-esteem). Cognitive justification of aggression and friends' delinquency made independent contributions to Year 3 negative adaptation. The pattern of relations among variables infrequently varied by gender. Implications for intervention are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Witnessing Community Violence and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Detained Adolescents

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2007
Dexter R. Voisin PhD
This study examines whether witnessing community violence, in the 12 months prior to juvenile detention, is related and health-related outcomes in the 2 months prior to being detained among 550 youth. Participants answered survey questions using audio-computer assisted self-interviewing procedures, which assessed demographic, problem, and drug and sexual risk behaviors. Multiple logistic regression analyses, controlling for significant covariates, indicated that adolescents, in the last 12 months, who reported witnessing community violence, relative to their peer witnessing no violence, were in the last 2 months prior to being detained, twice more likely to have suicidal threats, 2 times more likely to use marijuana and alcohol, 2 times more likely to get high on alcohol or other drugs during sexual intercourse, and 2 times more likely to have sex with a partner who was high on alcohol or other drugs. Finding suggest that detained youth, many of whom may not access traditional helath care, should be offered prevention and intervention services dring detention, which provides a critical window of opportunity for needed services. [source]

Prospective effects of violence exposure across multiple contexts on early adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 8 2010
Sylvie Mrug
Background:, Violence exposure within each setting of community, school, or home has been linked with internalizing and externalizing problems. Although many children experience violence in multiple contexts, the effects of such cross-contextual exposure have not been studied. This study addresses this gap by examining independent and interactive effects of witnessing violence and victimization in the community, home, and school on subsequent internalizing and externalizing problems in early adolescence. Methods:, A community sample of 603 boys and girls (78% African American, 20% Caucasian) participated in a longitudinal study of youth violence. During two assessments 16 months apart, adolescents reported on witnessing violence and victimization in the community, school, and home, and their internalizing and externalizing problems. Results:, Multiple regressions tested the independent and interactive effects of witnessing violence or victimization across contexts on subsequent adjustment, after controlling for initial levels of internalizing and externalizing problems and demographic covariates. Witnessing violence at school predicted anxiety and depression; witnessing at home was related to anxiety and aggression; and witnessing community violence predicted delinquency. Victimization at home was related to subsequent anxiety, depression, and aggression; victimization at school predicted anxiety; and victimization in the community was not independently related to any outcomes. Finally, witnessing violence at home was associated with more anxiety, delinquency, and aggression only if adolescents reported no exposure to community violence. Conclusions:, Violence exposure at home and school had the strongest independent effects on internalizing and externalizing outcomes. Witnessing community violence attenuated the effects of witnessing home violence on anxiety and externalizing problems, perhaps due to desensitization or different norms or expectations regarding violence. However, no comparable attenuation effects were observed for victimization across contexts. [source]