Subsequent Violent Behavior Research Articles

Retaliatory Attitudes and Violent Behaviors Among Assault-Injured Youth

To examine the effect of retaliatory attitudes on subsequent violent behavior and fight-related injuries among youth who presented to the emergency department with assault injuries. Assault-injured youth were interviewed at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months to assess fighting behavior, retaliatory attitudes, weapon carrying, and injury history as part of a larger randomized control trial. Two emergency departments in urban areas were selected for the study. A total of 129 adolescents aged 10-15 years were included in the study. Fighting behavior, assault injury, weapon carrying, and aggressive behavior. Higher retaliatory attitudes at baseline were associated with more aggression and a higher frequency of fighting over time. Retaliatory attitudes may fuel cycles of violence among youth. Medical professionals in acute care settings have an opportunity to identify youths at risk of future assault injury by assessing retaliation, providing anticipatory guidance, and referring to intervention programs.

Association of Interpersonal Violence With Self-Reported History of Head Injury

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in interpersonal violence among individuals who reported a head injury compared with those who did not report a head injury. We used data from an 8-year longitudinal study of youth selected by their grade point average to study those at-risk for high school dropout in 4 public high schools in a Midwestern city (N = 850). Participants were followed up from mid-adolescence to the transition into young adulthood. One-way analyses of variance were used to test for differences in levels of interpersonal violence, and repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance were used to assess differences in levels of violence over time among participants based on reports of head injury. A series of multivariate regression analyses examined whether head injury was associated with subsequent violent behavior. Participants who had ever experienced a head injury before young adulthood reported more interpersonal violence in young adulthood than participants who had never had a head injury. In multivariate analyses, respondents who had a head injury in the past year reported more subsequent interpersonal violence than respondents who had not had a head injury. Our findings support other studies that link history of head injury to later interpersonal violence.

Social Connections, Trajectories of Hopelessness, and Serious Violence in Impoverished Urban Youth

Youth living in impoverished urban neighborhoods are at risk for becoming hopeless about their future and engaging in violent behaviors. The current study seeks to examine the longitudinal relationship between social connections, hopelessness trajectories, and subsequent violent behavior across adolescence. Our sample included 723 (49% female) African American youth living in impoverished urban neighborhoods who participated in the Mobile Youth Survey from 1998 through 2006. Using general growth mixture modeling, we found two hopelessness trajectory classes for both boys and girls during middle adolescence: a consistently low hopelessness class and an increasingly hopeless class with quadratic change. In all classes, youth who reported stronger early adolescent connections to their mothers were less hopeless at age 13. The probability of later adolescent violence with a weapon was higher for boys and was associated with the increasingly hopeless class for both boys and girls. Implications for new avenues of research and design of hope-based prevention interventions will be discussed.

The cycle of violence - The risk of women who are victims of domestic violence to become a perpetrators

Strong evidence of the correlation between victimization and offending has led researchers to investigate both the causal relationship between victimization and offending and possible contingencies in this relationship. But, research has yet to investigate whether the victim's relation to the perpetrator impacts the strength of the victim-offender overlap. Drawing on betrayal trauma theory, we examine whether the victim-offender overlap depends on the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator.Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, a three-level logistic item response model nested 7936 violent crime item responses at level 1 within 992 subjects (at level 2) representing 174 neighborhoods across metropolitan Chicago (at level 3).Victimization by a relatively unfamiliar (acquaintance) or unknown (stranger) perpetrator did not increase the likelihood of subsequent violent behavior, while victimization by a family member, peer, or gang member was significantly associated with future violence. Among known perpetrators, victimization by a family member was least likely to generate an offending response.Victimization and offending are inextricably linked, but the ways in which these constructs are related are nuanced. In particular, the strength of the victim-offender overlap depends on the relationship between the victim and perpetrator.

Benefits of a Hospital-Based Peer Intervention Program for Violently Injured Youth

Exposure to violence predisposes youths to future violent behavior. Breaking the cycle of violence in inner cities is the primary objective of hospital-based violence intervention and prevention programs. An evaluation was undertaken to determine if a hospital-based, peer intervention program, "Caught in the Crossfire," reduces the risk of criminal justice involvement, decreases hospitalizations from traumatic reinjury, diminishes death from intentional violent trauma, and is cost effective. We designed a retrospective cohort study conducted between January 1998 and June 2003 at a university-based urban trauma center. The duration of followup was 18 months. Patients were 12 to 20 years of age and were hospitalized for intentional violent trauma. The "enrolled" group had a minimum of five interactions with an intervention specialist. The control group was selected from the hospital database by matching age, gender, race or ethnicity, type of injury, and year of admission. All patients came from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The total sample size was 154 patients. Participation in the hospital-based peer intervention program lowered the risk of criminal justice involvement (relative risk=0.67; 95% CI, 0.45, 0.99; p=0.04). There was no effect on risks of reinjury and death. Subsequent violent criminal behavior was reduced by 7% (p=0.15). Logistic regression analysis showed age had a confounding effect on the association between program participation and criminal justice involvement (relative risk=0.71; p=0.043). When compared with juvenile detention center costs, the total cost reduction derived from the intervention program annually was $750,000 to $1.5 million. This hospital-based peer intervention program reduces the risk of criminal justice system involvement, is more effective with younger patients, and is cost effective. Any effect on reinjury and death will require a larger sample size and longer followup.

Growing up in a Violent Society: Longitudinal Predictors of Violence in Colombian Adolescents

Although violence and homicide are more prevalent in Colombia, South America than the US, the role of psychosocial factors in the violent behavior of Colombian adolescents remains unclear. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the interrelation of domains of personality, familial, peer, and ecological variables associated with violence in a community sample of adolescents from various self-reported ethnic groups in Colombia. The sample consisted of 1,151 male adolescents selected from three Colombian cities. The participants were surveyed using structured interviews at two points in time over a 2-year interval. Data were collected concerning adolescent personal attributes, family characteristics, peer, and ecological factors, including drug availability and the prevalence of violence in the community. The dependent variable was the self-reported frequency of the adolescent's violent behavior. The results supported a model in which violent behavior was correlated independently over time with a number of risk factors from several domains. Evidence for the hypothesized mediated effects of the familial monitoring and bonding domain, the peer domain, the ecological domain, and prior victimization related to personal attributes and contemporaneous violence and the adolescent's violent behavior 2 years later was also found. The findings suggest the use of specific intervention procedures with adolescents to prevent their subsequent violent behavior.

Schools, Parents, and Youth Violence: A Multilevel, Ecological Analysis

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study utilized an ecological approach to investigate the joint contribution of parents and schools on changes in violent behavior over time among a sample of 6,397 students (54% female) from 125 schools. This study examined the main and interactive effects of parent and school connectedness as buffers of violent behavior within a hierarchical linear model, focusing on both students and schools as the unit of analysis. Results show that students who feel more connected to their schools demonstrate reductions in violent behavior over time. On the school level, our findings suggest that school climate serves as a protective factor for student violent behavior. Finally, parent and school connectedness appear to work together to buffer adolescents from the effects of violence exposure on subsequent violent behavior.

Exploring Assumptions about Child Neglect in Relation to the Broader Field of Child Maltreatment

Research on child neglect is reviewed as it relates to common assumptions in the field, the broader context of research on child maltreatment and trends within the larger society. Overall, while child neglect is the type of maltreatment most frequently reported to and acted on by official agencies, its proportion of all maltreatment in the general population is comparatively smaller. The issue of “neglect of neglect” is placed within the larger framework of the low priority of research on child maltreatment in general. While research shows that all forms of child maltreatment are associated with devastating consequences for children, child physical neglect has the most profound effects on cognitive functioning and academic achievement, while child physical abuse has the most serious effects on aggression and subsequent violent behavior. Child emotional neglect, sexual and physical abuse have similarly grave effects on psychopathology, in contrast to child physical neglect which is associated with the least adverse consequences. These findings are discussed within the framework of research on the neurodevelopmental effects of child abuse and neglect. Research on the causes of child neglect, in particular as they relate to the perpetrators, points to a distressing “cycle of neglect.” Finally, suggestions for breaking this cycle and keeping our children safe are discussed.

A Comparison of Adolescent Inpatients With and Without a History of Violence Perpetration

How childhood maltreatment and violence victimization contributes to subsequent violent behavior remains an understudied area. We examined 130 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents and compared those with a history of perpetrating violence to those without a history of violence perpetration. Perpetrators of physical violence were significantly more likely to have been a victim and/or witness to family and community violence and also reported significantly higher levels of a broad range of psychopathology than nonperpetrators. Correlational analyses with the study group of violence perpetrators revealed that higher levels of impulsivity, dissociation, and PTSD were significantly associated with higher levels of violence. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that symptoms of impulsivity and PTSD contributed significantly to the prediction of violence risk. Our findings demonstrate that violence exposure and childhood maltreatment are indeed common negative life events among adolescent inpatients, and that symptoms of PTSD may predispose traumatized youth toward impulsive violent behavior.

Links Between Pubertal Timing and Neighborhood Contexts: Implications for Girls’ Violent Behavior

To investigate links between girls' violent behavior, pubertal timing, and neighborhood characteristics. A total of 501 Hispanic, black, and white adolescent girls and their parents were interviewed twice over a 3-year period (1995-1998). Violent behavior was assessed using the Self-Report of Offending Scale and pubertal timing was measured via menarche. This probability sample was drawn from Chicago. To characterize neighborhoods, neighborhood clusters were created. U.S. Census data were mapped onto each neighborhood cluster to represent levels of concentrated disadvantage, immigrant concentration, and residential mobility. The response rate was approximately 70%. More than 25% of girls engaged in violent behavior at the second interview. Controlling for demographic indicators, previous violence, and other psychological factors, no differences were found in violent behavior as a function of menarcheal timing or neighborhood characteristics. Instead, results revealed that early maturers engaged in violent behavior only if they lived in neighborhoods characterized by high concentrated disadvantage. Early maturers in neighborhoods characterized by high concentrated disadvantaged engaged in three times the number of violent acts as early maturers in less disadvantaged neighborhoods. Depressive symptoms and previous violent behavior were also associated with girls' subsequent violent behavior. Results indicated that girls who experience a double vulnerability--early maturation and neighborhoods of disadvantage--are susceptible to engaging in violent behavior. This suggests the need for clinical evaluation to examine the implications of pubertal timing and the context of girls' behavior.

Communicated Threats and Violence Toward Public and Private Targets: Discerning Differences Among Those Who Stalk and Attack

A computation of false positive and false negative rates concerning the probability that directly communicated written or oral threats predict subsequent violent behavior yields a striking difference between "public" and "private" targets. Among private targets, communicated threats appear to increase risk, but are so common that they have little predictive value. On the other hand, public targets are unlikely to receive a direct threat from those who approach to attack. The author suggests that the most parsimonious explanation for this difference is the type, or mode of violence, that is apparent. Private targets appear to be most likely victimized by affective violence, wherein the emotionally reactive subject will immediately shove, push, punch, slap, choke, fondle, or hair pull the victim without the use of a weapon, usually in response to a perceived rejection or humiliation. Public targets are most likely to be victimized by predatory violence, which is planned, purposeful, cognitively motivated, opportunistic rather than impulsive, and often involves a firearm. Implications for risk assessment are discussed.

Childhood predictors of violent behavior.

In this study, prospective childhood data from birth to 7 years of age were used to determine predictors of subsequent violent behavior. The childhood predictors found for the girls accounted for more variance in the reported later violent offenses: 24.9% compared to 3.8% for the boys. This large difference may be due partly to the fact that violent behavior is more unusual among girls; thus, those girls who are violent are more readily differentiated from the others. The only two early childhood variables that were found to predict for both genders were: (a) less normal behavior and (b) presence of deviant or stereotyped behavior. Thus, abnormal behavior in childhood can be considered to be a fairly reliable predictor to greater likelihood of later violent behavior.

Substance use/abuse as a predictor to illegal and violent behavior: A review of the relevant literature

The preponderance of the research evidence supports the conclusion that abuse of certain types of illicit drugs, separately from the abuse of alcohol, predisposes to subsequent violent behavior. The relationship of cocaine/crack to violent crime has been established more clearly for users of crack in inner city areas than it has for those who are users of other forms of cocaine in the general population. In regard to any race/ethnic or socioeconomic factors in the relationships between substance use/abuse and violent behavior, most clearly established is that a higher proportion of young Black males, compared to other race/ethnic groups, are actively involved in dealing cocaine/crack in some inner city poverty areas. As for gender differences, the research evidence indicates that alcohol abuse as a predictor to and a precipitant of violent behavior, is more clearly established for males than for females. Drug abuse, as distinct from alcohol abuse, has been found to predict subsequent violent behavior, for females as well as for males. “Co-morbidity,” the combination of substance use with and psychopathology, appears more likely to predict for females to later violent behavior. Psychopathology and mental health problems are less likely to predict occurrence of either violent or criminal behavior in the future than are either alcohol abuse or drug abuse.

The relationships of substance abuse to illegal and violent behavior, in a community sample of young adult African American men and women (gender differences).

In a longitudinal study of an African American young adult community sample (N = 380), prospective data on lifetime substance use/abuse from childhood up to age 24 were used as control variables in analyses to predict illegal and violent behavior during the ensuing 2 1/2-year period. Frequent earlier use of drugs predicted subsequent violent behavior for both men and women. Frequency of earlier use of alcohol predicted subsequent violent behavior for men but not for women. A weaker relationship was found between degree of psychopathology and degree of engaging in either illegal or violent behavior than between degree of psychopathology and degree of substance use/abuse. Comorbidity (the combination of earlier use/abuse of drugs with earlier psychopathology) was a stronger predictor, for women than for men, of later illegal and violent behavior.

Television Viewing and Violence in Children: the Pediatrician as Agent for Change

Three decades of research suggest a causal link between exposure of children to violent images on television and subsequent violent behavior. The epidemic of violence in American society mandates a critical reappraisal of the televised images that children see. To slow the cycle of violence, pediatricians can: (1) Help shape parental attitudes toward children's viewing habits; (2) lobby for school systems to adopt curricula that include critical viewing skills; and (3) work with Congress, Federal regulators, television producers, and broadcasters to reduce the exposure of children to televised violence.

The Effects of Exposure to Political Violence on Children: Does Violence Beget Violence?

Concerns have been expressed about the effects of years of exposure to political violence on South Africa's children. In particular there are fears that children have been dehumanized and that they believe that violence is an acceptable way of resolving differences. In spite of the common-sense status of this idea there is considerable disagreement about it within the international research literature on the psychological effects of violence. In this article it is argued that much of this disagreement arises out of the lack of clarity about what is meant by the question ‘does violence beget violence?’. The author critically evaluates the different theoretical perspectives within which the question might be posed and their relative usefulness in understanding the effects of political violence in South Africa. It is also argued that the most useful way of understanding the relationship between the experience of violence and subsequent violent behaviour is not in terms of direct causality but rather in terms of the more complex interrelationships between intrapsychic and social factors. In this process the question is shifted out of the prior simplistic form within which it is most often understood and reconstructed within the more sophisticated explanatory paradigm of psychoanalysis.

Psychiatric responses to trauma.

Controlled studies examining the relationship between psychiatric disorders and war and other traumatic events are reviewed. Several studies have found a correlation between the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and the degree of trauma. Other disorders associated with trauma include depression, substance abuse disorders, adjustment disorders, psychosomatic disorders, and antisocial behavior. No relationship has been found between trauma and subsequent violent behavior. The authors identify areas for further research, including examination of why the majority of persons exposed to trauma do not develop psychiatric illness.

Abuse-Resistant Youth: Some Factors That May Inhibit Violent Criminal Behavior

One of the most frequent claims made in both recent popular and scientific literature is that the vast majority of delinquent and criminal offenders were abused as children. However, the findings relative to this assertion are neither uniform nor unvarying. That is, experiencing child abuse may increase the odds of subsequent antisocial behavior but it does not predetermine criminality. This paper examines the caregiving environments of 106 abused males, only some of whom engaged in violent crime, in order to identify factors which may be important for reinforcing or counterbalancing the effects of an abusive childhood. The results indicate that the presence or absence of emotional neglect, family criminality, and a support system within and outside of the home, as well as the sex of the abusing parent and how parents resolve conflicts are all important for understanding the relationship between child abuse and subsequent violent criminal behavior.