NCJ Number
178445
Journal
International Review of Victimology Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 1998 Pages: 29-48
Date Published
1998
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between exposure to violence and victimization in the home and adolescent coping strategies, psychological trauma symptoms, and self-reported violent behavior.
Abstract
Data were collected from a sample of 3,734 adolescents in grades 9 through 12. Both males and females reported high rates of exposure to violence and victimization in their homes. High levels of exposure to violence at home were associated with adolescents using more adaptive (e.g., going to church) and more maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., using alcohol or drugs) compared to adolescents who were not exposed to significant degrees of violence in the home. For both males and females, exposure to violence in the home was also related to higher levels of psychological trauma symptoms, including anger, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Average scores for violent behavior among adolescents in the high exposure group were more than three times higher for girls and two times higher for boys than scores for adolescents in the low exposure group. As expected, females endorsed more internalizing and interpersonal coping strategies, and males endorsed more instrumental coping strategies. This study demonstrates the significant impact of exposure to violence and victimization in the home on adolescents' ability to cope with significant stress, their experience of psychological trauma symptoms, and their own violent behavior. 5 tables and 59 references