Children's Attributions of Community Violence Exposure and Trauma Symptomatology

Abstract

This study examines the association between community violence exposure and trauma symptomatology among young children (6–16 years; N = 120). Further, the study explores whether children's attributions of violence mediate the relationship between their exposure and their trauma symptoms. Youth completed the Kid-SAVE measure of exposure to violence, the CAPS measure of attributions/perceptions, and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). Multiple regression analyses supported the expectation that exposure to violence would produce more negative perceptions and were associated with higher TSCC symptom scores. Exposure to violence both directly and indirectly (through the negative attributions) led to higher symptom reports, and this effect was separate from the child's report of having been a victim of aggression or violence. Implications of this study include targeting children's attributions within treatment modalities for youth to reduce distress and post-traumatic stress symptomatology.

Keywords:

• children
• trauma symptoms
• community violence
• abuse
• attributions
• cognitions
• post-traumatic stress

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express gratitude to the children and families who participated in this study. This work was generously funded in part by the Lois and Samuel Silberman Fund/New York Charitable Trust, the Center for Minority Health, Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh (NIH 5P60 MD000207-04), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (NCTSN, Category II, 1U79SM061256-01), and University of Maryland School of Social Work Designated Research Infrastructure Funds.