Youth Exposure to Community Violence: Association with Aggression, Victimization, and Risk Behaviors

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between exposure to community violence and aggression, victimization, and risk-taking behaviors among young adolescents. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from a cross-sectional survey of 8,259 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from eight urban schools in Texas. Results indicated that students exposed to a high level of community violence were 7.7 times more likely to carry a handgun, 5.2 times more likely to be involved in a gang were 6.4 times more likely to use marijuana, 5.3 times more likely to binge drink, and 2.8 times more likely to be injured as a result of fighting. This suggests the need for an interdisciplinary approach to violence prevention that targets all the environments of youth, including schools, homes, neighborhoods, and other community units.

KEYWORDS:

• Students for Peace
• adolescent
• violence
• community
• aggression
• crime victims

This research was funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention (grant U81/CCU609953-02) and Division of School Health (Grant U48CCU609653).