Risky and Protective Contexts and Exposure to Violence in Urban African American Young Adolescents

Abstract

Contexts of risk for and protection from exposure to violence were identified and the relation of exposure to violence to delinquent behaviors and symptoms of trauma was examined. Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), the immediate daily experience of risky and protective contexts was examined. One hundred sixty-seven African American 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade children from urban neighborhoods carried watches and booklets for 1 week. Structural equation modeling supported the hypotheses that more time in risky contexts and less time in protective contexts was related to more exposure to violence. Exposure to violence partially mediated the relation of time in protective and risky contexts to delinquent behaviors, assessed with the Juvenile Delinquency Scale and the Child Behavior Checklist, and distress levels, assessed by a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) score.