Examining the Developmental Process of Risk for Exposure to Community Violence Among Urban Youth

Abstract

Considerable research has documented the effects of community violence exposure on adolescents' behavior and mental health functioning, yet there has been less research on the process by which early risks increase the likelihood that youth will be exposed to community violence. The current study used data from a community epidemiologically defined sample of 623 urban youth followed from 1st grade through adolescence to examine the process by which early-onset aggressive behavior and poor academic readiness influenced risk for community violence exposure. Consistent with transactional developmental theories, early-onset aggressive and disruptive behavior was associated with poor academic readiness; these early risks contributed to later peer rejection, and subsequent conduct problems and greater affiliation with deviant peers, which in turn increased youths' exposure to community violence. Having an enhanced understanding of the risk process directs attention to potential targets for preventive interventions for youth at risk for subsequent exposure to violence.

KEYWORDS:

• academic readiness
• aggression
• community violence exposure
• development

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH057005) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA11796).

Notes

Note. Sample sizes vary slightly because complete measures were not available for all participants at each assessment: n = 623 for aggressive behavior and academic readiness; n = 509 for peer rejection; n = 512 for conduct problems; n = 522 for deviant peer affiliation; n = 545 for exposure to community violence. Aggressive behavior, academic readiness, peer rejection, and conduct problems were assessed using the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation–Revised (TOCA-R; Werthamer-Larsson et al., 1991). Deviant peer affiliation subscale was developed by Capaldi and Patterson (1989). Community violence exposure was assessed using the Children's Report of Exposure to Violence (CREV; Cooley et al., 1995).

**p < .01. ***p < .001.

Note. Correlations for males are above the diagonal, whereas those for females are below the diagonal. Aggressive behavior, academic readiness, conduct problems, and peer rejection were assessed using the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Revised (TOCA-R; Werthamer-Larsson et al., 1991). Deviant peer affiliation subscale was developed by Capaldi and Patterson (1989). Community violence exposure was assessed using the Children's Report of Exposure to Violence (CREV; Cooley et al., 1995).

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.