“Every Thought and Dream a Nightmare”: Violence and Trauma Among Formerly Imprisoned Gang Members

2021 ◽  
pp. 009385482110400
Author(s):  
Shytierra Gaston ◽  
Faraneh Shamserad ◽  
Beth M. Huebner
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Exposure ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Gang Members ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Direct Involvement ◽  
Cumulative Violence ◽  
Consequences Of Violence ◽  
The Continuum

Persons involved in gangs disproportionately participate in violence, as both victims and perpetrators. However, much remains unknown about the prevalence and consequences of violence exposure among adult gang members, particularly among those who have been incarcerated. We draw on semi-structured interviews with formerly imprisoned gang members to provide a contextualized account of the continuum of violence before, during, and after prison and illuminate the consequences of cumulative violence exposure among an understudied subgroup at greatest risk for violence. Findings show that adult gang members experience frequent and ongoing exposure to serious violence, as both victims and perpetrators, before, during, and after prison, and directly and vicariously. Although direct involvement in violence dissipated after prison, exposure to vicarious victimization was substantial and ongoing. In addition, respondents reported physiological and psychological consequences related to their chronic exposure to violence and trauma, including nightmares, anxiety, fear, anger, and hypervigilance.

Direct and Indirect Violence Exposure: Relations to Depression for Economically Disadvantaged Ethnic Minority Mid-Adolescents

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathan Dushyant Shukla ◽  
Margit Wiesner
Keyword(s):  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Witnessing Violence ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Cumulative Violence

Exposure to violence remains a considerable public health problem for adolescents in the United States. This cross-sectional study examined relative associations between exposure to violence in 3 different contexts (home, school, community) and depressive symptoms, using data from 233 11th-graders (predominantly economically disadvantaged Hispanic and African American students). Analyses examined the effects of victimization and witnessing violence in each context and those of cumulative violence exposure across contexts on depression, controlling for other risk factors. Both victimization and witnessing violence at home significantly predicted depression. Violence exposure in school and neighborhood was unrelated to the outcome. Witnessing violence was slightly more effective in predicting depression than victimization. Cumulative violence exposure was significantly related to depression in a linear fashion.

scholarly journals Intergenerational Impact of Violence Exposure: Emotional-Behavioural and School Difficulties in Children Aged 5–17

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ladan Hashemi ◽  
Janet Fanslow ◽  
Pauline Gulliver ◽  
Tracey McIntosh
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Parental Exposure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cumulative Violence ◽  
The Impact

Background and Objectives: The intergenerational impacts of parental exposure to violence during childhood and adulthood have largely been investigated separately. This limits our understanding of how cumulative violence exposure over a lifespan elevates the risk of subsequent generation's maladjustment. To address this, we examined if parental exposure to violence during childhood and during adulthood was associated with increased emotional-behavioural and school difficulties among the children of these parents. Further, we examined if parental exposure to cumulative violence increased the odds of their children experiencing difficulties.Participants and Setting: 705 participants (354 mothers and 351 fathers) from the 2019 New Zealand Family Violence Survey, a population-based study conducted in New Zealand between March 2017 and March 2019.Methods: Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to ascertain the impact of parental exposure to violence on children's outcomes after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics. The impact of parental cumulative violence exposure on children's outcomes was also explored.Results: Findings indicated that children of parents who had histories of exposure to violence during childhood were at increased risk for experiencing emotional-behavioural or school difficulties. However, where parents reported a history of childhood abuse but not adult experience of violence, their children had similar odds of experiencing difficulties as the children of parents who had not been exposed to any violence in their lifetime. Children of parents who had been exposed to violence only during adulthood were at higher risk of experiencing emotional-behavioural difficulties compared with children of parents with no violence exposure. Children of parents with histories of exposure to violence during both childhood and adulthood had the highest prevalence of experiencing emotional/behavioural and school difficulties.Conclusion: These findings highlight the intergenerational impacts of violence exposure and the complex intersections between parents' and children's life experiences. Our findings suggest the need for violence prevention initiatives to foster the development of safe, stable and nurturing relationships and to expand services for parents already exposed to violence to build resilience and to break the inter-generational cycle of disadvantage.

scholarly journals The effect of gender norms on the association between violence and hope among girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Stark ◽  
K. Asghar ◽  
S. Meyer ◽  
G. Yu ◽  
T. Bakemore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Future Orientation ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

Background.Girls at early stages of adolescence are vulnerable to violence victimization in humanitarian contexts, but few studies examine factors that affect girls’ hope in these settings. We assessed attitudes toward traditional gender norms as an effect modifier of the relationship between violence exposure and future orientation in displaced girls.Methods.Secondary analysis, using multivariable regression of cross-sectional data from girls ages 10–14 in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Key variables of interest were attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV), Children's Hope Scale (CHS) score, and exposure to physical, emotional, and sexual violence within the last 12 months. Additional covariates included age, educational status, and territory.Results.The interaction of exposure to violence and attitudes toward IPV magnified the association between violence exposure and lower CHS score for physical violence (β = −0.09, p = 0.040) and unwanted sexual touching (β = −0.20, p = 0.003) among girls age 10–14, when adjusting for other covariates. The interaction of exposure to violence and attitudes toward IPV magnified the association between violence exposure and lower CHS score for forced sex (β = −0.22, p = 0.016) among girls age 13–14, when adjusting for covariates. Findings for emotional violence, any form of sexual violence, and coerced sex trended toward lower CHS scores for girls who reported higher acceptance of IPV, but did not reach significance.Conclusions.Findings support the utility of gender norms-transformative programming in increasing resilience of girls who have experienced sexual violence in humanitarian contexts.

scholarly journals Legislation regarding social protection of children and youth in Sweden with particular emphasis on protection from abuse and neglect

Temida ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slobodan Savic ◽  
Djordje Alempijevic
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Current Problem ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Professional Contact ◽  
A Current ◽  
Consequences Of Violence

Protection of children from abuse and neglect is a current problem in the world. The consequences of violence against children are very important because they can leave behind permanent bodily injuries up to severe invalidity, as well as psychological consequences which very often lead to transmission of violence into next generations. In most extreme cases death occurs as a consequence of abuse and neglect. In this paper authors present legislation which regulate social protection of children and youth in Sweden, with special emphasis on protection from abuse and neglect. Sweden is a country in which social care of most vulnerable groups including children, was always at the top of priorities. Authors made comparative analysis of Swedish and domestic (Serbian) laws regarding protection of children from violence, with particular emphasis on mandatory report of these cases from professionals who are in regular professional contact with children. Authors will also put emphasis on duties of medical doctors in the system of protection of children and youth from abuse and neglect.

Media violence exposure in aggressive and control adolescents: differences in self- and parent-reported exposure to violence on television and in video games

2005 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Kronenberger ◽  
Vincent P. Mathews ◽  
David W. Dunn ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Elisabeth A. Wood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Media Violence ◽  
And Control

scholarly journals Family conflict mediates the relationship between past violence and wellbeing among female refugees

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Okenwa Emegwa ◽  
F Saboonchi
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Total Effect ◽  
Family Conflicts ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Refugee Women ◽  
Syrian Refugee ◽  
Past Exposure

Abstract Background Past exposure to violence has been suggested to have a lasting effect on subjective well being (SWB). Similarly, family conflict is another known predictor of SWB. Research shows that refugee women exposed to gender based violence (GBV) before resettlement may also face post-resettlement family conflicts due to socio-cultural factors, changes in social network and migration-based shifting gender roles. This study examines the role of family conflict as a likely mediator between past exposure to violence and SWB among Syrian refugee women in Sweden. Methods A total of 452 women out of a random sample of 1215 Syrian refugee women in Sweden responded to a questionnaire survey in Arabic. Variables include Past violence i.e. exposure to any of torture, physical or sexual violence preflight or during flight before arriving Sweden; Post-resettlement distressing family conflicts i.e. feeling disrespected or unimportant in the family or distressing conflicts; SWB was measured by WHO-5 wellbeing index. Maximum likelihood estimation with Robust standard errors and bias corrected bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals for all estimates. Results Total effect of past violence on SWB was significant (Estimate = -6.63; CI= -12.73 - -0.46). Similarly, family conflicts were associated with decreased SWB (Estimate = -3.80; CI= -5.17 - -2.40), and past violence exposure increased family conflicts (Estimate = 0.57; 0.13 - 1.08). The total effect of violence exposure on decreased SWB was decomposed into a direct and an indirect effect (mediated via family conflicts). The indirect effect via family conflicts was significant (M= -2.19; C1= -4.30 - 0.59), while decomposing rendered the direct effect non-significant (Estimate= -4.44, CI= -10.51 - 1.52). Conclusions Post-resettlement distressing family conflicts mediate the effect of prior exposure to violence on reduced SWB among refugee women. Key messages Past violence exposure reduces refugee women’s SWB via aggravated family conflicts implying the need for family targeted interventions to improve SWB of female refugees previously exposed to violence. Strategies to improve subjective wellbeing among female refugees should include screening for and addressing all forms of previous and ongoing GBV.

scholarly journals Bridging the Response to Mass Shootings and Urban Violence: Exposure to Violence in New Haven, Connecticut

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 374-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alycia Santilli ◽  
Kathleen O’Connor Duffany ◽  
Amy Carroll-Scott ◽  
Jordan Thomas ◽  
Ann Greene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Urban Violence ◽  
New Haven ◽  
Mass Shootings

Violence Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress, and Subjective Well-Being in a Sample of Russian Adults: A Facebook-Based Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 1476-1491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Bogolyubova ◽  
Roman Tikhonov ◽  
Victor Ivanov ◽  
Polina Panicheva ◽  
Yanina Ledovaya
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Physical Assault ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Stress Symptoms

Exposure to violence has been shown to negatively affect mental health and well-being. The goal of this Facebook-based study was to describe the rates of exposure to violence in a sample of Russian adults and to assess the impact of these experiences on subjective well-being and victimization-related psychological distress. Three types of victimization were assessed: physical assault by a stranger, physical assault by someone known to victim, and nonconsensual sexual experiences. The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to assess subjective well-being, and Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD) was employed as an indicator of victimization-related psychological distress. Data were obtained from 6,724 Russian-speaking Facebook users. Significant levels of lifetime victimization were reported by the study participants. Lifetime physical assault by a stranger, physical assault by someone known to victim, and sexual assault were reported by 56.9%, 64.2%, and 54.1% of respondents, respectively. Respondents exposed to violence were more likely to report posttraumatic stress symptoms and lower levels of subjective well-being. Participants who were exposed to at least one type of violence were more likely to experience symptoms of traumatic stress ( U = 1,794,250.50, p < .001, d = 0.35). Exposure to multiple forms of violence was associated with more severe traumatic stress symptoms ( rs = .257, p < .001). Well-being scores were significantly lower among participants exposed to violence ( t = 8.37, p < .001, d = 0.31). The study demonstrated that violence exposure is associated with reduced well-being among Russian adults. Our findings highlight the negative impact of violence exposure on subjective well-being and underscore the necessity to develop programs addressing violence exposure in Russian populations.

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