The Relation of Severity and Type of Community Violence Exposure to Emotional Distress and Problem Behaviors Among Urban African American Adolescents

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 432-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Goldner ◽  
Israel M. Gross ◽  
Maryse H. Richards ◽  
Brian L. Ragsdale
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Community Violence ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Severity level and type of exposure to community violence were examined to determine their effect on emotional distress and problem behaviors among 234 low-income urban African American early adolescents. There were 4 violence exposure scales developed from a principal component analysis of the Richters and Martinez (1993) exposure to violence scale: moderate and severe witnessing and moderate and severe victimization. Regression analyses indicated that moderate victimization was the most consistent predictor of emotional distress and behavioral problems, whereas moderate witnessing did not relate to any of the dependent variables. Severe victimization predicted depression and delinquency, whereas severe witnessing predicted posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and delinquency. Witnessing and victimization scales based on severity of exposure better represented the experience than combining all data into a single exposure or simply witnessing and victimization scales.

Violence exposure, posttraumatic stress, and affect variability among African American Youth: A time sampling approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Kyle Deane ◽  
Maryse Richards ◽  
Catherine DeCarlo Santiago
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Community Violence ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Affective State ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Sampling Approach

Abstract The current study examines the immediate and short-term impact of daily exposure to community violence on same-day and next-day levels of posttraumatic stress symptomatology and various affective states (i.e., dysphoria, hostility, and anxiety), in a sample of 268 African American adolescents living in urban, low-income, high-violence neighborhoods (Mage = 11.65; 59% female). In addition, the moderating role of affective state variability on this relationship was examined. This study utilized experience sampling method and a daily sampling approach, which contributes a more robust investigation of the short-term effects of violence exposure in youth. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that community violence exposure was positively associated with same-day and next-day symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Violence exposure also exhibited an immediate effect on dysphoria, anxiety, and hostility levels. Youth variability in dysphoria exacerbated the effect of violence exposure on concurrent or next-day posttraumatic stress, dysphoria, and hostility. Moreover, variability in anxiety and hostility exacerbated the experience of next-day hostility. The clinical implications relating to these findings, such as the importance of implementing screening for posttraumatic stress following exposure, the incorporation of preventative treatments among those at risk of exposure, and the targeting of emotion regulation in treatments with adolescents, are discussed.

Adolescents’ Internalizing Behaviors after Extreme Violence Exposure: A Comparison of Race and Gender for African American and Asian American Youth

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Yi Chen
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Community Violence ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Internalizing Behaviors ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Asian American Adolescents ◽  
Minority Adolescents ◽  
And Gender

This study compares African American and Asian American adolescents in their rates of extreme community violence exposure and consequent internalizing behaviors. Using information from a national longitudinal survey this study found substantial violence exposure rates for both groups. Also, gender differences in exposure rates and adolescent reports of internalizing behaviors after violence exposure were detected. Male African American adolescents had the highest exposure rate, while female Asian American adolescents reported the highest level of internalizing behaviors. These findings suggest further research is needed to better understand the effect of violence exposure on various ethnic minority adolescents. Moreover, social workers and other professionals involved in adolescent services could use these results to improve outreach methods to vulnerable adolescents.

scholarly journals Future Orientation as a Protective Factor for African American Adolescents Exposed to Community Violence

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 734-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna So ◽  
Noni K. Gaylord-Harden ◽  
Dexter R. Voisin ◽  
Darrick Scott
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Community Violence ◽  
Violence Exposure ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Externalizing Behaviors ◽  
Future Orientation ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

For African American youth disproportionately exposed to community violence and the associated risk of externalizing behaviors, developmental assets that reduce the risk for externalizing behaviors and enhance adaptive coping should be explored. In a sample of 572 African American adolescents ( Mage = 15.85; SD = 1.42), the current study explored whether future orientation or gender buffered the impact of community violence exposure on externalizing behaviors. The current study also examined the interaction between future orientation, gender, and violence-specific coping strategies to determine their association with externalizing behaviors. Future orientation moderated the relationship between violence exposure and delinquent, but not aggressive, behaviors. Future orientation interacted differently with coping for males and females to predict externalizing behaviors. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

The Relationship Between Violence Exposure and Academic Achievement in African American Adolescents Is Moderated by Emotion Regulation

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinetra L. King ◽  
Sylvie Mrug
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
African American ◽  
Community Violence ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Exposure To Community Violence ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Compared with other ethnic groups, African American adolescents are exposed to higher levels of family and community violence, which contribute to poorer academic achievement. This study examines whether emotion regulation moderates the effects of exposure to family and community violence on academic achievement among low-income African American adolescents. Eighty African American adolescents ([Formula: see text] age 12.89 years, 50% male) reported on their exposure to violence. Emotion regulation was obtained from parent reports and academic achievement was assessed with grades in core academic subjects at baseline and 2 years later. Results revealed that witnessing home violence predicted poorer achievement over time, as did exposure to community violence for youth with poor emotion regulation. Thus, well-developed emotion regulation skills may protect African American adolescents from the negative effects of witnessing community violence on academic achievement.

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