An ecological framework for understanding risk for exposure to community violence and the effects of exposure on children and adolescents

Abstract

This review covers the past decade's research on the risk for exposure to community violence and the effects of exposure on children's and adolescents' functioning. The studies are incorporated into a developmental-ecological framework that takes into account five domains of context—community and neighborhood, family and household, relationships with parents and caregivers, relationships with peers, and personal characteristics—for the purpose of identifying the risks for exposure and its effects on outcome and for suggesting the processes involved. Evidence from the literature is consistent with our proposed ecological model showing that variables in each of the five domains have both direct and indirect effects on risk for exposure and on its effects on internalizing and externalizing problems and academic functioning. Implications of adopting an ecological model for future risk research and for prevention and intervention are considered.