Youth Exposure to Violence in an Urban Setting

David Seal,Kirsten Beyer,Annie Nguyen

doi:10.1155/2014/368047

Abstract

To inform a city-wide youth Violence Prevention Initiative, we explored youth narratives about their exposure to violence to gain insight into their understanding of the causes and effects of violence in their communities. At-risk youth were recruited through street outreach for individual interviews and focus group sessions. Types of experiential violence identified included (1) street, (2) family/interpersonal, (3) school, (4) indirect exposure (e.g., neighborhood crime), and (5) prejudice/discrimination. Reactions ranged from motivating positive effects (resilience, determination to escape) to negative effects (fear, paranoia, and aggression). For some, experiences with violence motivated them to pursue educational achievement and positive lifestyles. Causes of violence were described by participants as existing at a number of different levels (societal, neighborhood, interpersonal, and individual), reflecting a social-ecological perspective. Our findings highlight a need for violence prevention efforts that focus on a broad definition of violence, as well as on the poly-victimization of children and youth. At the same time, our findings highlight the challenges of conducting effective community-based prevention programs in urban settings characterized by spatial inequalities and social exclusion of community residents.

Highlights

Injury and violence prevention are recognized as public health priorities in Healthy People 2020 [1] and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [2]
The needs assessment assimilated data from multiple sources, including diverse community stakeholders, at-risk youth, neighborhood indicator data, and relevant community reports and empirical literature. Findings from this needs assessment study informed the development of multiple neighborhood-based youth violence prevention programs based on a social-ecological model of risk
Participants were identified as African-American (n = 8), Latino (n = 7), Caucasian (n = 2), and Native American (n = 1)

Summary

Introduction

Injury and violence prevention are recognized as public health priorities in Healthy People 2020 [1] and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [2]. Research shows that neighborhood contexts can contribute to youth risk of exposure to violence Those living in more disadvantaged environments witness violence at higher rates than those living in less disadvantaged environments [29], which in turn leads to increased risk for adverse outcomes. The needs assessment assimilated data from multiple sources, including diverse community stakeholders, at-risk youth, neighborhood indicator data (e.g., poverty and crime levels), and relevant community reports and empirical literature Findings from this needs assessment study informed the development of multiple neighborhood-based youth violence prevention programs based on a social-ecological model of risk

Methods

Results

Key Themes from Individual Interviews and Focus Groups

Discussion