Youth Violence Research Articles

Different settings of violence and risk factor for suicide: a case-control study in Campinas, Brazil

Abstract Background According to WHO, “800,000 people die due to suicide every year” and “is the third leading cause of death in 15-19-years-old”. And although the main risk factor to suicide is a prior attempt, this study tried to find other risk factors, which can guide a broader discussion amongst global and local communities as well as policy makers and healthcare professionals effort against all forms of violence. The aim of the study is to measure the risk of suicide in different sets of violence. Methods This is a case-control study held in Campinas-SP, by epiGeo research group on violence during 2019. Cases are defined as people who commited suicide; information on child abuse were collected through verbal autopsy interviews with kinships. For controls, R randomly selected addresses for interview with someone randomly selected. Odds Ratio was obtained by generalized logistic regression. Confidence Interval was set to 95%. Results Final analysis shows that suicides represented 14.2% of death due to external causes in 2019. A relation between male sex and suicide was observed (OR: 4.35; CI 2.55 - 7.41; p < 0.0001). Abuse during childhood also showed positive relation (RR: 2.16; CI 1.09 - 4.27; p = 0.0001). Another relation were observed in people with disabilities and suicide risk (RR: 2.04; CI 1.26 - 3.31; p = 0.004). Conclusions People who suffered child abuse and people with disabilities are amongst the ones who suffer higher risks of suicide, and the most probable hypothesis relating both conditions is violence. Action must be taken by the global and local communities, policy makers in a broad sense, against maltreatment, bullying, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, emotional and psychological violence, and gender-based violence. Key messages Strengthening protective policy to overcome violence and abuse against child and other vulnerable people is of major importance to fight suicide risk. Accessibility and protective policies are of utmost importance to a more inclusive and welcoming society.

The role for psychology in the public health approach to youth violence

The public health approach to youth violence is an approach to violent offending that addresses the antecedents of criminal behaviour. In contrast to criminal justice approaches that apply punitive measures to reduce violent offending, the public health approach highlights the role of intervention and rehabilitation. The stages through which the public health approach is applied to juvenile crime share many features with the development of treatments for psychological disorders. This article will highlight the role psychology can play in informing the public health approach to youth violence and ensuring the efficacy of interventions to reduce violent criminal behaviour.

Editor’s Plaisance

Editor’s Plaisance

55. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ASK: ASSESSING PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS CURRENT PRACTICES AND COMFORT LEVELS REGARDING SCREENING FOR GANG INITIATION

Background Gang violence is a problem across the United States, with as many as 1 million youth identified as gang members and over 400,000 children initiated into gangs each year. The negative impact of gang membership on a child's health and well-being has been well documented, though a national survey revealed that most pediatricians never or rarely screen for youth violence. Methods We utilized an 18-item survey that consisted of 3 components: Knowledge, Current Practice, and Beliefs About Pediatrician's Role. This was sent electronically to pediatric residents, internal medicine/pediatric residents and adolescent medicine fellows at 17 residency programs in 7 of the largest US cities. Each participant received compensation for completion of the survey with a small-value electronic gift card. Results Of the 206 responses received, 50% of participants reported currently completing their residency training in Chicago, while 27% were in New York and 21% in Los Angeles. While 95% (n = 196) reported believing that gang violence is a problem in the city they are completing residency, 85% (n = 176) stated they do not routinely screen patients and families for the possibility of gang participation. Additionally, 62% (n = 128) of responders stated that they are “a little uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” assessing risks for gang violence among children and families, while 58% (n = 119) reported being “a little uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” discussing gang violence with families. Conclusion Our data demonstrates that a majority of residents surveyed are not routinely screening for risk factors of gang initiation or gang violence, and many do not feel comfortable having these discussions with patients or families. This identifies an important educational gap and provides an opportunity to develop a specific, targeted curriculum for pediatric trainees regarding screening for gang violence.

Intersectorial educational incentive and youth leadership program: promoting opportunities

Abstract The Poupança Escola Program, created by municipal law and part of the Prevention Axis of the Niterói Pact Against Violence, aims to encourage young people from low-income communities and members of Bolsa Família Program, to study and complete high school. To receive the financial incentive in addition to the annual approval, the student must participate in mandatory extracurricular activities offered by the Municipality, such as courses and workshops on financial education, health education, entrepreneurship, among others. Its implementation results from a collective construction, wich had the participation of Niterói Pact Against Violence's secretariats and the Program Supervision Commission, in order to stimulate the agreement and shared management. In 2019, of 281 eligible students, 231 pre-registered on the program's website and of this total, 72.29% students opened their savings account in a public bank. After analyzing the 2019's monitoring informations of Niterói's public schools, students who met all requirements were identified and the first financial incentives was paid, totaling R$ 41.400,00 (about $ 10,000). For that, it was necessary an intense work of intra-municipal articulation and partnerships: the Government of Rio de Janeiro and federal schools, strengthening the reduction of school dropout. In 2020, the challenge will be to expand the availability of extracurricular activities, through public partnerships and non-governmental institutions, with the aim of improving the professional and citizen training of young people, encouraging their autonomy and protagonism over their future and contributing to the reduction of inequities. It is important to highlight the potential for replicability of the experience in other units of the federation and also for other countries. Key messages As a public policy, Poupança Escola encourages low-income youth to develop professional and citizen training, contributing to the reduction of risk factors that influence youth violence rates. Extracurricular activities expand opportunities for generating skills and abilities, contributing to the reduction of inequalities in access for low-income youth.

Together Helping Reduce Youth Violence for Equity (ThrYve): Examining the Development of a Comprehensive Multisectoral Approach to Youth Violence Prevention

Comprehensive approaches to youth violence prevention are needed to simultaneously address multiple risk factors across socioecological levels. ThrYve (Together Helping Reduce Youth Violence for Equity) is a collaborative initiative focused on addressing broader factors influencing youth violence, including social determinants of health. Using a participatory approach, the development of ThrYve is examined through an empirical case study. Through a Systems Advisory Board (SAB), ThrYve deploys multiple strategies that support cross-sector collaboration involving over 40 partners across 13 community sectors. Based on the Institute of Medicine's model for public health action in communities, the SAB identified 87 change levers (i.e., program, policy, practice changes) to support community and systems-level improvements. As a result of the collaborative process, in the first couple of years, ThrYve facilitated 85 community actions and changes across sectors. The changes aligned with identified risk and resilience needs of the youth served in the community. The findings further support prior research, which suggests disparities related to gender may influence risk and resilience factors for youth violence. The study also indicates the importance of continuing to examine academic performance as a factor related to youth resilience.

The significance of age structure, education, and youth unemployment for explaining subnational variation in violent youth crime in Mexico

Violent crime in Mexico occurs at a rate that dwarfs the human costs of most contemporary civil wars, and the drug cartels responsible for the violence exercise de facto control over significant geographical territories. In this respect, the Mexican “drug wars” resemble conflicts over the control of rich natural resources in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, blurring the distinction between “political” and “social” or “criminal” violence. In the civil war literature, a young age structure has been argued to provide inexpensive rebel labor and thus increase opportunities for a rebel group to wage war against a government. Similarly, relatively large groups of “idle” young men could arguably be a factor that reduces recruitment costs for criminal enterprises through the abundant supply of youth with low opportunity cost. Acknowledging organized crime around drug trafficking as a major cause of crime and violence in Mexico, we ask whether the availability of large young male cohorts, or male “youth bulges”, low education and high youth unemployment ease the recruitment to these organizations and may contribute to explain variance in violent crime rates across Mexican states over time. Using panel data covering 32 states in Mexico during the 1997–2010 period, we find that, while a coarse measure of regional youth bulges is not associated with patterns of violent youth crime, high youth unemployment in low-education strata is, in particular in the context of large male youth bulges. These results remain robust against alternative data, sample size, estimation techniques and controls for potential endogeneity concerns.

How I Walk through the Gang Streets in Manenberg, South Africa

Gang violence is pervasive in the everyday life of residents of Manenberg, Cape Town, South Africa. Historical social displacement and socio-economic circumstances have led to an increase in street gangs among the youth and in youth violence. This article analyses the many ways in which the youth navigate their community to avoid or deal with this violence as well as the ways in which they manage to endure the effects of poverty, drug abuse and domestic difficulties. It looks at how young men spend their time on the streets, where they are vulnerable to the actions of local street gangs that operate in Manenberg. Despite facing the pervasive challenges of membership uptake in gangs and of related crime and violence, some youths find ways to safely make a life and survive in Manenberg. This article ethnographically explores the experiences and stories of these youths. Further, it explores factors that are determinants in building and maintaining resilience to violence, which assists young men not to become members of gangs.

The cultural persona as nexus between structural marginalization and youth risk behavior.

Structural marginalization exerts its effects through multiple social-ecological levels down to the individual behavior of youth violence and related risks. However, there is very little research or theoretical literature documenting or specifying mechanisms, paths, and linkages across levels. This paper traces one path in which long-term structural constraints intersect with the adolescent development process via a construct called the cultural persona-a form of archetype or model that embodies the value-structure, role, and performance of violence and related risk behavior within the kinds of underground or street economies that develop and persist in high-poverty communities as an outcome of structural marginalization. This mechanism is described, together with its limitations, along with examples and recommendations for interventions and further research.

Dilemma as to Whether Pretrial Detention Risk should be Determined Subjectively by Judges or by Imperfect Algorithms that are Proxies for Race, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status

Bail Reform in New York State and other states has been labeled the boogey man blamed anecdotally by law enforcement for the trend of gun and youth violence emerging especially during the COVID epidemic. As a refreshing antidote to popular rhetoric, the book Punishing Poverty-How Bail and Pretrial Detention Fuel Inequalities in the Criminal Justice System by authors Christine S. Scott-Hayward & Henry F. Fradella provides a sober analysis of the history, science, workings and possible reform of the bail system, as an insight into improving access to equal justice. The idea that scientific instruments may be culturally biased creates a dilemma as to whether pretrial detention risk should be determined subjectively by judges or by imperfect algorithms that are proxies for race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Christine S. Scott-Hayward & Henry F. Fradella cautiously recommend moving to a risk-based system of pretrial justice because risk assessments seem to be an imperfect rational alternative to the goals of incentivizing court appearances and protecting public safety. One possible solution is that bail reform should refrain from predicting violence or future court appearances, but should focus objectively on the facts. The law cannot subjectively and futilely try to predict future behavior. In this way, the New York reform, which avoids the prognostication of dangerousness is fair and distinctive. Since bail and pre-trial detention is just one of many unequally administered functions of the criminal justice system, the analysis in this book opens the door for considering wholesale improvements across the system.

Advancing Knowledge about Youth Violence: Child Maltreatment, Bullying, Dating Violence, and Intimate Partner Violence

Violence, in all its different manifestations, is a universal problem affecting individuals of different age groups, of different ethnic and religious backgrounds, and of different sexual orientations. Family violence and youth violence are interconnected. This special issue advances knowledge about child maltreatment, bullying, youth violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence. This commentary critically discusses the contributions to the special issue in the context of the most recent research developments in family and youth violence. It concludes that long-term longitudinal studies with frequent assessments are needed to advance knowledge further, especially relating within-individual changes in influencing factors to within-individual changes in outcomes. It is highlighted that the intersection of family violence and youth violence remains a fertile field for further research, and that it is important to provide family, school and community services within an ecological focus.

A Feasibility Test of an Online Class to Prevent Dating Violence for Autistic Youth: a Brief Report

The purpose of this brief report is to share the results of a feasibility test of a six-session online class on dating violence prevention for autistic adolescents. The feasibility of delivering the online intervention was tested with a sample of N = 11 autistic youth ages 15–19 years old. The intervention was delivered once a week for 6 weeks. Participants completed self-report surveys at baseline and approximately 6 weeks after baseline. Participants also participated in one-on-one telephone interviews approximately 2 weeks after the intervention. It was feasible to teach an online class to autistic adolescents about healthy dating relationships and dating violence. Participant feedback suggested the class was acceptable to users. Further, we found it was feasible to collect self-report survey data on dating violence-related topics from autistic youth using an internet platform. Although the study was not designed to test intervention efficacy, we did observe changes in participant opinions in the desired direction about the healthiness of dating behaviors. Autistic youth have romantic and sexual relationships and deserve the benefit of healthy relationships education that is designed for them and effective for them. The results of this feasibility test suggest it is possible to deliver an online class to autistic youth and to collect dating abuse-related data from them online, indicating that a larger-scale, two-group evaluation study is feasible and warranted.

Supporting Local Health Departments to Lead Multisectoral Youth Violence Prevention Efforts.

This article examines organizational-level outcomes achieved during a technical assistance (TA) initiative designed to increase the capacity of local health departments (LHDs) to prevent youth violence (YV) via a multisectoral approach. This effort was designed to address the knowledge gap regarding how to provide effective TA to LHDs, specifically in YV. Twelve communities with high rates of YV were selected to participate using a multistage process. TA provided to LHD representatives (and other community partners) included monthly calls with TA specialists, group online learning events, community-of-practice calls, and access to an online portal offering additional resources. Data sources were used to determine the extent to which communities achieved the initiative's intended outcomes, including increased infrastructure to support youth violence prevention (YVP) at LHDs and the creation of community-wide violence prevention plans. Data sources included an online TA tracking system, annual semistructured group interviews, and point-of-contact surveys. While results indicated variation in TA uptake across sites, several target outcomes were achieved including increased representation and engagement of diverse perspectives in local YVP efforts and strengthened infrastructure and integration of YVP at LHDs. Findings highlight the importance of supporting LHDs to align YVP work with other priorities and funded activities, building a larger role for leadership in providing organizational support for YV, supporting the development of multisector coalitions or partnerships to decrease silos among different sectors focused on similar populations or communities. Implications from this initiative suggest that LHDs can be supported to convene local, multisector YVP efforts, which can be sustained if local YVP infrastructure is enhanced.

Building Bonds, Healing Youth: Prioritizing Youth Critical Consciousness Development in CBPR

Community violence continues to be a major national public health issue that disproportionately impacts African American youth. Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approaches have been recommended to address youth violence and provide an opportunity to partner in research with those most impacted to develop new strategies. In this brief report we describe specific capacity building efforts in our CBPR project, Building Bonds, Healing Youth, which aims to develop and test a community-level intervention to promote resilience among African American youth exposed to community violence. We specifically describe our capacity building efforts that centered around developing youth critical consciousness and highlight specific methods that we employed. Reflections from our youth partners highlight the potential impact of incorporating youth critical consciousness development into capacity building efforts with youth partners. This brief report supports incorporating critical consciousness in CBPR with youth to promote mutual benefit as youth contribute their lived experiences, expertise, and commitment to improving research addressing youth health and well-being.

Electronic Vapor Product Use and Violence Victimization Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents

PurposeWe examined associations between electronic vapor product use (vaping) and violence victimization (adolescent relationship abuse (ARA), youth violence, bullying, and experiencing all three types of violence). MethodsData were drawn from the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. Logistic regression examined associations between vaping and violence victimization, adjusting for sex, age, race, identification as a sexual minority, and use of other substances. ResultsAfter adjusting for demographic characteristics, vaping was significantly and positively associated with ARA, youth violence, bullying, and experiencing all three types of violence (ARA: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.0, 95% CI: 2.5–3.5; youth violence: aOR 3.0, CI: 2.4–3.6; bullying: aOR 1.5, CI: 1.4–1.7; all three types of violence: 10, CI: 6.3, 15.8). When use of other substances was added into the model, these associations attenuated, and, for bullying, lost significance. ConclusionsVaping is associated with increased violence victimization, particularly for youth experiencing ARA, youth violence, and polyvictimization. Further longitudinal studies are needed to determine directionality of these associations and guide prevention efforts.

Much to Do About Trauma: A Systematic Review of Existing Trauma-Informed Treatments on Youth Violence and Recidivism

Research has demonstrated a relationship between childhood trauma, violence, and justice involvement. As juvenile justice systems have become more attune to the needs of traumatized youth, a number of trauma-informed treatment programs have been developed to mitigate the effects of trauma. Evaluations of trauma-informed treatment demonstrate their effectiveness in reducing trauma-related symptoms. Further, prior research has found that trauma-informed treatment can reduce behavioral infractions and institutional violence. While there is indirect evidence that trauma-informed treatment reduces juvenile violence and recidivism, no research to date has assessed trauma-informed treatment on behavioral outcomes outside of residential facilities. This systematic review provides an overview of the use trauma-informed treatment in juvenile justice settings and provides recommendations for practice and future research.

Dusk to Dawn: Evaluating the effect of a hospital-based youth violence prevention program on youths' perception of risk.

Historically, youth violence prevention strategies used deterrence-based programming with limited success. We developed a youth violence prevention program, Dusk to Dawn (D2D), intended to improve youths' recognition of high-risk situations and teach new skills in conflict resolution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of D2D on youths' perceptions of personal risk factors and high-risk situations. Youth ages 12 years to 18 years were referred to D2D by community-based organizations, probation, or youth detention center. The youth completed a self-report survey before and after participating in D2D. One hundred eight youth participated in D2D. Pretest and posttest results for self-reported personal risk factors and high-risk situations for violence are presented. For personal risk factors, a statistically significant increase in the perception that family (p < 0.01) and other issues (p < 0.05), and a decrease in the perception that school problems (<0.05) were seen as important personal risk factors. For high-risk situations, increases in the perception that peer violence and substance use as high-risk situations were seen as significant at the trend level (p < 0.10). Of the 60% of participants who answered questions regarding satisfaction with D2D, 83.3% agreed or strongly agreed that D2D helped them to better understand violence and 83.3% would recommend D2D to others. Youth violence prevention programming including an explicit discussion of how violence is learned and the role of family, friends, school, and a community in shaping youths' attitudes toward violence can effectively raise awareness of one's own risk factors. Risk factors for youth violence are often preventable or modifiable, making awareness of one's own risk factors a realistic target for youth violence prevention programs. Therapeutic/Care Management, Level III.

Children and Violence: Nurturing Social‐Emotional Development to Promote Mental Health

AbstractThe absence of violence against children is a fundamental children's right and a major milestone of civilized society. Similarly, reports on incidences of violence by children and youth, including severe cases with devastating consequences, speak to the need that the trauma of exposure to violence in childhood needs to be addressed. While violence and its risk factors are generally understood, what is less clear are the essential protective factors, how we can identify those as early as possible, and how we can use them to prevent and address the trauma of violence exposure in children and youth. In this report, I review pathways of child and youth violence through the lens of social‐emotional development as a central protective factor. Negative emotions of frustration and anger can underlie violence and aggression. Kind emotions, such as caring and our ability to connect with others emotionally, can serve as social‐emotional protective factors. A brief review of the central social‐emotional processes and their development is provided, including the human capacity to feel with others and express empathy, be emotionally aware and care about the effects of one's own actions on others, and be able to regulate the self and their emotions. Given the negative widespread and long‐term impact of exposure to violence, I describe research‐informed attempts to prevent violence exposure across development. Taking a humanistic, strength‐based perspective, the focus is on social‐emotional protective factors to address violence and nurture mental health in every child. I conclude with recommendations for practice and policy.

Violence experienced by the girls with hearing impairment in the schools and its impact on their education

School based violence is a type of youth violence that occurs within school premises. A students can be a victim, perpetrator or a witness of school based violence. The incidence of violence prevails more among girls with hearing impairment due to their communication and language problems. The main objectives of conducting this research were to explore the nature and type of violence experienced by the girls with hearing impairment studying in the schools of Punjab, highlight the impact of violence on their academic outcomes and to see the role of school administration for the rehabilitation of victimized girls. A qualitative research design was used to conduct the study. The population of the study consisted of girls with hearing impairment studying at secondary level in the schools of Punjab province. A sample of 17 girls with hearing impairment was purposively selected from the 17 schools of Punjab. Researchers took only those girls who had been victim of violence once and more in their life during school hours. An interview protocol was developed to take interview in-depth interviews from the victimized girls. Based on the interviews, violence experience by the girls characterized into four themes including physical, psychological, sexual and verbal abuse. The study concluded that all types of violence effects on the overall personality and in particular on the academic performance of victim. The study highlighted that schools have not any formal system to deal the violence related issues. Study recommended for the empowerment of girls with hearing impairment to raise their voices against violence. &#x0D;

Effect of firearms legislation on suicide and homicide in Canada from 1981 to 2016.

Canada implemented a series of laws regulating firearms including background and psychological screening, licensing, and training in the years 1991, 1994, and 2001. The effects of this legislation on suicide and homicide rates were examined over the years 1981 to 2016. Models were constructed using difference-in-difference analysis of firearms and non firearms death rates from 1981 to 2016. In addition, negative binomial regression was used to test for an association between rates of suicide by Canadian Province and firearms prevalence, using licensing rates as a proxy for prevalence. No associated benefit from firearms legislation on aggregate rates of male suicide was found. In men aged 45 to 59 an associated shift from firearms suicide after 1991 and 1994 to an increase in hanging resulted in overall rate ratios of 0.994 (95%CI, 0.978,1.010) and 0.993 (95%CI, 0.980,1.005) respectively. In men 60 and older a similar effect was seen after 1991, 1994, and 2001, that resulted in rate ratios of 0.989 (95%CI, 0.971,1.008), 0.994 (95%CI, 0.979,1.010), and 1.010 (95%CI, 0.998,1.022) respectively. In females a similar effect was only seen after 1991, rate ratio 0.983 (95%CI, 0.956,1.010). No beneficial association was found between legislation and female or male homicide rates. There was no association found with firearm prevalence rates per province and provincial suicide rates, but an increased association with suicide rates was found with rates of low income, increased unemployment, and the percentage of aboriginals in the population. In conclusion, firearms legislation had no associated beneficial effect on overall suicide and homicide rates. Prevalence of firearms ownership was not associated with suicide rates. Multifaceted strategies to reduce mortality associated with firearms may be required such as steps to reduce youth gang membership and violence, community-based suicide prevention programs, and outreach to groups for which access to care may be a particular issue, such as Aboriginals.