Secondary Exposure to Violence During Childhood and Adolescence: Does Neighborhood Context Matter?

Abstract

Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), neighborhood and individual‐level predictors of secondary exposure to violence were assessed. Secondary exposure to violence is defined as witnessing and/or hearing violent acts, as opposed to being a victim of violence directly. A substantial amount of between neighborhood variance was accounted for by individual‐level variables including gender, race/ethnicity, age, low self‐control, and prior delinquent involvement. At the neighborhood level, concentrated disadvantage and immigrant concentration were both related to exposure to secondary violence. Specifically, children and adolescents living in more disadvantaged contexts witness and hear violence at higher rates than those living in less disadvantaged contexts. Also, those living in areas with a higher concentration of immigrants are exposed to secondary violence at higher rates than those living in areas with a lower concentration of immigrants. Finally, youth services within neighborhoods served as a protective factor against exposure. Results suggest a need to target multiple neighborhood and individual correlates simultaneously to reduce secondary violence exposure among children and adolescents. Directions for future research are discussed.