Abstract
Our study examines how the fear of violence and family support influence adolescent social, psychological, and physical well-being, after controlling for exposure to violence and a range of demographic factors. We conduct a secondary analysis of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) data (N = 1337) using mixed-effect, multi-level regression models for the total sample and for males only and females only samples. We find that family support is the most robust, main effects predictor in all three models and across all outcomes. Our analyses show that the fear of violence is associated with increases in social problems (especially for boys) and with decreases in self-rated health. We discuss the results and implications in light of sociological theories on the health and well-being of adolescents.
Highlights
The study of children’s fears began over a century ago [1] and researchers have documented that, over time, their fears change based on present events, social and political issues, and concerns [2] [3]
Data for our analyses come from the Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), a large interdisciplinary study that focused on how neighborhood, family, and individual factors affect the development of both prosocial and antisocial behavior in a sample of children and adolescents [64] [65]
We found that fear of violence was associated with an increase in social problems and a decrease in self-rated health (RQ 1)
Summary
The study of children’s fears began over a century ago [1] and researchers have documented that, over time, their fears change based on present events, social and political issues, and concerns [2] [3]. Criminal victimization and exposure to violence is a lived reality for many teens and young adults in the United States [5]. According to data from the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), over 60% of youth were exposed to violence within the past year, either directly or indirectly [6]. Children and adolescents have a higher risk of being exposed to violence and crime than adults [5]. Youth living in poorer families and urban neighborhoods, and youth who are minorities or males are disproportionately likely to be exposed to violence [7]. Young people’s fear of violence is likely rational and reflects their greater risk of being victims of violence and crime [8] [9] [10]. We argue that the fear of violence is an important, but understudied, factor in kids’ well-being
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