Exposure to Violence in Early Adolescence

Abstract

This study examined the relation between self-restraint and exposure to violence (witnessing violence and victimization) in predicting increased frequencies of aggression and drug use among an ethnically diverse sample of sixth graders attending four rural middle schools ( n = 913). Lower levels of self-restraint predicted higher rates of witnessing violence and victimization, but neither witnessing violence nor victimization was related to changes in self-restraint over time. Indirect effects of self-restraint on aggression and drug use were found through increased witnessing violence and victimization. Gender differences were tested using multiple-group structural equation modeling, and for all models, a constrained model in which paths and correlations were fixed to be equal for boys and girls best fit the data. These findings provide information about the generalizability of prior research and have important implications for intervention efforts.