Impact of Violence on Problem Behavior Among Adolescents: Risk Factors Among an Urban Sample

• NCJ Number: 193229
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2002 Pages: 74-93
• Author(s): Zina T. McGee; Spencer R. Baker
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines the effect of exposure of violence on problem behavior among African American middle and high school students.

Abstract

The sample included 306 African American students in the State of Virginia who were given self-administered questionnaires. Emphasis was placed on the extent to which lower income African American adolescents developed problem behavior, both internalizing and externalizing, as a result of community violence and victimization experiences. Findings suggested a linkage between victimization and development of internalizing (self-rejection, depression) and externalizing (offenses) problem behavior among youth exposed to danger. Results indicated that 71 percent of the variance in adjustment outcomes or problem behavior was accounted for by victimization experience. Results also showed that direct victimization was the best indicator of victimization experience, whereas delinquent offenses were the best indicators of adjustment outcomes. There was a greater influence of victimization on delinquent offenses, self-rejection, and avoidance among young men and a stronger influence of victimization on depression among young women. Direct victimization was the strongest indicator of problem behavior for young women, whereas indirect victimization was the strongest indicator of problem behavior for young men. Young men were more likely to use avoidance as a coping strategy than were young women. There is evidence to suggest that prevention programs aimed at strengthening protective factors would be more effective in reducing risk factors by considering variations not only in types of victimization but in adjustment outcomes as well. Future research should continue to explore the linkage between these factors as contributing to studies addressing youth violence with the African American youth population. 3 figures, 3 tables, 61 references