Relations Between Family Environment and Violence Exposure Among Youth: Findings From the National Survey of Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 215992
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 3-15
• Author(s): Rochelle F. Hanson; Shannon Self-Brown; Adrienne E. Fricker-Elhai; Dean G. Kilpatrick; Benjamin E. Saunders; Heidi S. Resnick
• Date Published: February 2006
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A national household probability sample of 4,023 adolescents (ages 12-17) completed telephone interviews that obtained information on demographics, adverse family environment, and exposure to violence, with attention to links between family environment and each type of exposure to violence.

Abstract

Consistent with hypotheses and existing literature, significant relationships were found among types of violence exposure and adverse family environment variables. Youth who reported any exposure to violence were significantly more likely than those who did not to also report a family member with an alcohol or drug problem and also to report that they had not always lived with both of their natural parents. A surprising finding was that family income level was not significantly related to violence exposure, which suggests that poverty in itself does not place children at risk for exposure to violence. Exposure to other types of violence outside the home and family substance use apparently were the most significant risk factors for exposure to family violence. Consistent with other studies, findings support the overlap between direct victimization by a family member (physical or sexual assault) and violence youth observed between other family members. The findings suggest that clinical treatment should assess direct and indirect exposure to violent events across a variety of settings as well as an examination of features of the family environment. Suggestions are offered for future research. In order to construct the initial probability sample, a multistage, stratified area probability, random digit dialing, six-stage sampling procedure was used. Adolescent respondents were asked behaviorally specific questions about exposure to violence throughout their lifetime. Questions on family environment addressed family income, alcohol or drug problems among family members, and whether the youth had always lived with both of his/her natural parents. All interviews were conducted in 1995. 5 tables and 52 references