The Impact of Exposure to School Violence and the Role of Hope in Low-income, Urban Youth PDF Download

Author: Linda A. Cedeno
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Campus violence
Languages : en
Pages : 91

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Book Description
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the prevalence and impact of personal victimization and witnessing violence in the school setting in a sample of low-income, ethnic-minority children. In addition, hope was examined as a potential protective factor in buffing youth from the development of problem behaviors in the context of school-specific violence. It was hypothesized that exposure to school violence would be positively associated with externalizing symptoms. Additionally, it was hypothesized that hope would be positively related to indices of adjustment, and inversely related to problem behaviors. Finally, exploratory questions suggested by extant research were posed further investigating associations between exposure to school violence and adjustment. Additionally, the moderating effects of hope and gender on the linkages between exposure to school violence and psychological and behavioral functioning were examined. Data were derived from a longitudinal primary prevention research project evaluating the impact of a social and emotional learning curriculum. Participants were approximately 161 African-American and Latino fifth graders. Students completed self-reports of self-concept and hope. Teachers completed a teacher-rated survey assessing levels of problem behaviors, social skills, and academic competence for each student in their class. Results indicated that the majority of youth had been personally victimized and witnessed violence on one or more occasion during a three-month period. In addition, exposure to school violence was positively associated with problem behaviors, and negatively associated with social skills, self-concept, and academic competence, most notably for males. Moreover, hope provided a buffering effect on females' self-concept for those witnessing higher levels of school violence. Implications of both the prevalence and impact of exposure to school violence, as well as the limited moderating effects of hope found in the current study are discussed in relation to intervention efforts and strengthening future research sampling low-income, ethnic-minority youth.

Author: Kristy A. Ludwig
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Urban youth
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
This study examined the relation of two putative school-based protective factors--student identification with school and perceived teacher support--to psychosocial outcomes in a sample of urban youth exposed to community violence. Participants were 175 high school students ages 14-19 in grades 9-12 from a large urban school district. Primary research questions were threefold: 1) What is the relationship between exposure to violence and psychosocial outcomes? 2) What is the relationship between identification with school and teacher support and psychosocial outcomes? 3) Does identification with school and/or teacher support moderate the relationship between overall exposure to violence and psychosocial outcomes? Results indicated that exposure to violence was positively associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Additionally, identification with school and teacher support were related to higher hope and fewer psychological symptoms. Externalizing symptoms were more strongly related to exposure to violence for males and females than internalizing symptoms. Adolescents that reported higher identification with school and higher teacher support reported higher hope, regardless of the level of violence exposure. Results emphasize the importance of school factors, particularly feeling connected to and supported in school, in promoting hope and limiting psychological symptoms for youth exposed to community violence.

Author: Alexandra Lauren Barnett
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adjustment (Psychology) in adolescence
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
The current study addresses a paradox in the literature wherein the coping strategies seeming to be most effective for predominantly Caucasian, middle-class, adult samples, sometimes have the opposite effect on low income urban youth. In doing so, exposure to violence is investigated as a moderator of the association between active, behavioral avoidance and cognitive avoidance and internalizing and externalizing outcomes over the short and long term for low income urban youth. Luthar and colleague's (2000) protective-reactive, protective-enhancing, and vulnerable-reactive models are theoretical bases for this hypothesis. The findings are that the association between behavioral avoidance and internalizing symptoms was protective, at low levels of violence and detrimental, at high levels over the short term. It argues methodological issues currently need to be addressed to further inform how to most effectively equip low income urban youth with effective copings strategies that will help them with specific stressors in the context of urban poverty.

Author: Marc V. Felizzi
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443881627
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Youth violence is not a unique phenomenon, and, in fact, youth have been plagued with challenges throughout the centuries that have placed them at risk of violent tendencies. These challenges include poverty, inadequate healthcare, limited educational opportunities, exploitation, gender inequality, substance abuse, mental health concerns, homelessness, gang involvement, and family dysfunction. Further, these challenges are not unique to youth within the United States; however, these experiences may differ in terms of chronicity, intensity, and impact. In all youth, these challenges create stress and trauma that compromise well-being. This book explores the challenges that youth experience, and provides context to better understand the factors related, and contributing, to those issues. The chapters describing realistic and practical violence prevention and remediation programs, which are both innovative and effective, are particularly unique. Additionally, there are a number of chapters that discuss the latest technological advances in helping young people, as well as evidence-based assessments and evaluations to help those who work with young people understand the needs of at-risk youth.

Author: Thomas W. Miller
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031131347
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 734

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Book Description
This important new work covers clinical issues in treating victims of school violence and assessing children with the potential for violence. The editor also examines the effectiveness of prevention intervention programs and offers larger policy recommendations. The book looks at environmental factors such as cultural issues on behaviors from bullying to mass school shootings. And uniquely, the book delves into topics such as sexual boundaries and body image. In all, this book aims for a theoretical and applied picture of the current state of school violence and prevention.

Author: Jeremy Jay Taylor
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adolescence
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Book Description
Intro: The transition from childhood to adolescence is a period of increased risk for psychological problems (e.g. Keiley, & Martin, 2002). Exposure to community violence, may impact the degree to which psychological problems emerge during adolescence (Grant et al., 2004). Previous research also indicates that low-income urban youth are disproportionately exposed to severe community violence, leaving them at higher risk to experience psychopathology (Grant et al., 2004). However, recent longitudinal research suggests that this elevated risk may decline throughout the adolescent years (Murphy et al., 2000) especially for internalizing problems (J. Twenge & S. Nolen-Hoeksema, 2002). The current research hypothesizes that youth that are exposed to high rates of severe community violence that increase with age, may view internalizing behaviors leaving them vulnerable to further victimization (Guerra et al., 2003, Ng-Mak et al., 2002). To protect themselves, youth most exposed may avoid expressing internalizing distress, instead becoming more likely to externalize. Methods: The current study used multi-group growth curve models to examine the trajectories of internalizing problems and externalizing problems, respectively, comparing low-income urban youth in high and low exposure to violence groups. Symptoms were measured using broadband scales of psychopathology from Achenbach's Youth Self-Report and Child Behavioral Checklist (2001). Exposure to Community Violence was measured using Exposure to Violence Survey--Screening Version (Martinez & Richters, 1993). Results & Discussion: Results support the extant literature that indicates that low-income urban youth are at heightened risk for psychological problems. At wave 1, youth in our sample were more than twice as likely to report internalizing problems (33%) in the clinical range, compared to normative youth (16%). Risk of exhibiting externalizing behaviors was also elevated, with 20% of the sample scoring in the clinical range. Exposure to community violence, in particular, was also supported as a risk factor for psychological problems, as the high group demonstrated more of both types of psychopathology than the low group (as demonstrated by significant differences in intercept in the growth model). Comparison of trajectories (slopes) indicated that both internalizing and externalizing problems declined over time, a finding that was only partially supportive of our hypothesis. Additionally, negative trajectories for both outcomes were found in both the low and high exposure to violence groups, although the decline in internalizing problems was of greater magnitude for the high exposure to violence group, compared to the low group. No between-group differences in slope were found for externalizing problems. Results provide some support for the theory that youth that are exposed to rates of severe community violence that increase with age may avoid expressions of internalizing problems. However, clear support was not found for the hypothesis that these youth turn to externalizing behaviors as an alternative way of expressing psychological distress. Alternative hypotheses and explanations for our findings are discussed. Robust differences in findings were also found by reporter and are discussed.

Author: Melvin Delgado
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538119048
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
Trauma has unfortunately become an all-too familiar occurrence in the lives of children, with a majority of youth experiencing a traumatic event before the age of 18. With the rise of school shootings and recent March for Our Lives, this timely book will address intervention strategies for social workers and counselors to combat this negative phenomenon. Urban Youth Trauma focuses on urban violence and guns, while due attention is also paid to other forms of trauma in order to ground violence-related trauma within the constellation of multiple forms of trauma. Violence, and more specifically that related to guns, is very much associated with urban centers and youth of color. Divided into three parts, this volume traces the roots of urban youth trauma. Parts I and II provide context and foundation for the problem and intervention strategies. Part III takes the reader through a variety of intervention strategies directly related to the community’s assets. The strength of Urban Youth Trauma’s lies in its focus on the community itself as the key to survival, resilience, and change.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Children and violence
Languages : en
Pages : 1

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Book Description

Author: Anna L. Parnes
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adjustment (Psychology) in adolescence
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
Limited research has examined the influence of coping on psychological and behavioral outcomes among urban low-income adolescents, particularly those exposed to violence. This study examined coping strategies, including active, distraction, support-seeking and avoidant coping, as moderators and partial mediators of the relations between exposure to violence and internalizing symptoms (anxiety/depression) and externalizing behaviors (prosocial behavior and aggression). These relations were examined based on data that were collected at the beginning and end of the school year as part of an evaluation of a school-based violence prevention program. Participants were 313 urban, low-income, African American fifth through eight grade students. Exposure to violence was negatively associated with active coping. Active coping was negatively associated with aggression, and avoidant coping was positively associated with anxiety/depression. Prosocial behavior was not associated with coping. The coping strategies did not moderate the relations between exposure to violence and longitudinal outcomes, taking into account initial outcomes; however, there were some significant cross-sectional moderational findings. Specifically, distracting action coping moderated the relation between exposure to violence and anxiety/depression and had a protective-reactive effect on this relation. Direct problem solving coping moderated the relation between exposure to violence and aggression, such that direct problem solving had a protective effect as exposure to violence increased. Structural equation modeling revealed that exposure to violence was positively associated with anxiety/depression, which predicted the use of cognitive coping strategies (cognitive avoidance and seeking understanding), and seeking understanding perpetuated anxiety/depression. In another model, exposure to violence predicted aggression, and avoidant action coping was negatively associated with exposure to violence and aggression. Overall, it appears that avoidant action and direct problem solving coping represent protective factors against aggression for adolescents exposed to violence, whereas seeking understanding and distraction action coping represent risk factors for anxiety/depression. It is likely that the complexity of coping processes may explain why longitudinal analyses that examined coping as a moderator were not significant. Nonetheless, results have implications for prevention/intervention, targeting coping skill development and violence prevention. Further longitudinal study of relations between exposure to violence, coping and outcomes among urban, low-income adolescents is needed.

Author: Atron A. Gentry
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
This book presents the experiences and ideas of a leading black educator, interweaving his autobiography with the stories of contemporary street gang members and former members. Their own words illustrate Gentry's thesis that even the hardest gang members want to get an education and want to find The Hope Factor. In addition, the book offers an approach for dealing with the greatest challenges facing the nation today: urban violence and the miseducation of minority youth. Gentry begins by outlining his major themes and then examines American urban education, using his own personal history as well as his more than 25 years of experience in the field. He then provides exemplary case studies and proposes practical solutions. The book is addressed to future teachers and administrators as well as to those now in urban schools, and to all concerned with the state of urban and minority education.