NCJ Number
227337
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2009 Pages: 100-118
Date Published
April 2009
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined experiences of abuse and other negative life event stressors, family and peer support, and depressive symptoms for girls at risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Abstract
Findings show that the risk factors or stress of experiencing negative life events and physical and emotional abuse are significant predictors of depressive symptoms in high-risk adolescent girls. The protective factor of family support was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, affirming the importance of a supportive family environment. Two negative strategies for coping, acting out and withdrawal, mediated the risk factors and highlighted the importance of helping girls to develop positive coping skills as alternatives while simultaneously working to prevent the abuse and the structural inequity that contributes to girls' other negative life experiences such as poverty, or neighborhood disadvantage. Data were collected over an 18-month period from 186 high-risk adolescent girls involved in a juvenile justice or community-based program in a large urban community. Tables, figures, notes, and references