NCJ Number
233196
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 5-23
Date Published
January 2006
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study extends findings on community violence (CV) exposure in young adults by examining the prevalence, characteristics, and socioemotional effects related to hearing about violence.
Abstract
Surveys of lifetime CV exposure and socioemotional outcomes were completed by 518 male and female undergraduates and were divided into groups with high, moderate, or low scores on hearing. Of respondents, 97.8 percent reported hearing about violence at least once, with a substantial proportion hearing about different types of acts. Reportedly, the most frequent perpetrators were nonfamily members, the most frequent location was near home, and most incidents occurred within the past year. The high-scoring group reported significantly greater levels of depressed mood, posttraumatic stress symptoms, aggressive behavior, and interpersonal problems associated with personality disorders. Results extend previous findings on the unfortunate prevalence of violence exposure and its negative psychological effects in today's young adults and suggest that chronic exposure to hearing about violence can have deleterious repercussions. (Published Abstract)