NCJ Number
180226
Journal
Pediatric Adolescent Medicine Volume: 153 Dated: February 1999 Pages: 161-168
Date Published
1999
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the association between exposure to drug trafficking (selling or delivering drugs) and exposure to other forms of community violence and risk behaviors among urban, low-income African-American children and adolescents.
Abstract
The study setting involved 10 public housing developments in a large eastern city in the United States. Participants were 349 urban, low-income African-American children and adolescents (198 boys and 151 girls), aged 9 to 15 years. The study design was a community-based, cross-sectional survey. The primary outcome measures were exposure to drug trafficking and other forms of community violence (as either a victim or a witness); risk behaviors/perceptions, including risk-taking/delinquency; drug use; perpetration of violence or other crimes; threats to school achievement; and perceived peer involvement. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine whether exposure to drug trafficking is a risk factor that is distinct from other exposure to violence. Multivariate analysis of variance and chi-square tests were performed to assess the relationship between exposure to drug trafficking and other forms of community violence and risk behaviors/perceptions. Compared with children and adolescents who had not been exposed to drug trafficking, those who were so exposed reported more risk-taking and delinquent behaviors, drug use, threats to achievement, and a perception of more peer involvement in these risk behaviors. 6 tables and 19 references