NCJ Number
172414
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1998) Pages: 17-33
Date Published
1998
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Ecological theory is used to examine the precursors of violence, with emphasis on risk and protective factors at the individual, parent, family, and neighborhood levels and recommendations for ecologically oriented interventions to prevent violence among black adolescents in low-income communities.
Abstract
Violence is a public health crisis that has reached endemic proportions. African American adolescents growing up in low-income, urban communities are exposed to high rates of violence and therefore are at increased risk of becoming victims and perpetrators of violence. Prevention needs to include universal, population-based programs; selective interventions for at-risk youth; and indicated interventions for youth involved in violence. Ecological theory emphasizes the transactional relationships between adolescents' behavior and their environment. It notes factors such as cognitive, psychological, and psychosocial changes during adolescence; the role of parents and families; and neighborhood factors. It also suggests the importance of incorporating families and communities into intervention programs. Therefore, prevention programs directed toward families and children should be introduced during childhood before youth enter adolescence and before violence has emerged. In addition, programs should be based on developmental theories of behavior change. Moreover, youth need to learn how to use adaptive and nonviolent problem-solving skills to approach conflict. Additional recommendations and 127 references (Author abstract modified)