NCJ Number
182372
Date Published
2000
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This presentation and question-and-answer session focuses on the goals, methods, and findings of comparative ethnographic research on how early adolescents’ experiences as victims of violence, witnesses of violence, and violent offenders affect their later development.
Abstract
The study followed a sample of 7th graders for 3 years. The research took place in 3 New York City school communities and included 25 adolescents from each school community, selected to be reasonably representative of the school population. One community consisted largely of low-income immigrants from the Dominican Republic, another was a low-income community with mainly black residents, and the third was experiencing racial transition and now had fewer than 50 percent white residents. Information came from field observations and open-ended interviews with youth and their parents. The study’s theoretical framework was both ecological and developmental. Findings indicated that most violence was minor, that the common minor scuffling differed significantly from the less common major violence, and that serious injuries were almost always the result of group beatings with fists and feet. In addition, the three neighborhoods differed in many respects. Experiences with violence caused youths to change their behavior patterns at school and in the community in both minor and major ways. Peer backup was the main form of self-protection. The prevalence of fighting declined with the transition to high school, but the severity of violence increased for the youths who continued to become involved in fights. Findings indicated the need for more adult involvement in youths’ lives to reduce their overreliance on peers for protection. Findings also suggested the need for schools and law enforcement to seek a middle ground between overreaction through zero-tolerance policies and avoidance and denial of the issue. Findings also indicated the need for collaborative efforts to address violence and that these efforts need to be specific to schools and communities. Introduction by National Institute of Justice Acting Director and audience questions on drug-related violence, the role of television and video games, the research methods, and other topics