Relation of Community Violence Exposure to Psychological Distress in Incarcerated Male Adolescents: Moderating Role of Caregiver-Adult Support and Control

• NCJ Number: 221577
• Journal: Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: 2007 Pages: 79-95
• Author(s): Joanna Ball; Gregory Jurkovic; Nekol Barber; Ron Koon; Lisa Armistead; Samuel Fasulo; Marla Zucker
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relation of community violence and caregiver characteristics to various psychological problems of incarcerated male juvenile offenders

Abstract

Research established that both exposure to community violence and family functioning were predictive of various forms of psychological distress in adolescents. Specifically, as levels of community violence exposure increased, feelings of depression and anxiety increased, particularly when caregiver-adult support was low. With respect to alcohol/drug use, significant effects for both community violence exposure and caregiver –adult were found. As community violence exposure increased, alcohol/drug use increased, whereas increases in caregiver support were associated with less alcohol/drug use. The findings have implications for treatment programming for incarcerated juvenile offenders; helping them to cope with their reintroduction into the violent communities in which they lived prior to their incarceration should be a critical part of their treatment plan. Underscored is the importance of bolstering caregiver-adult support for incarcerated adolescents ideally before they return home. An important piece in this process should include teaching youth how to solicit such support. At a larger systems level, the current findings also further underscore the need for community-wide interventions and social policies to facilitate the development of violence-free neighborhoods and supportive family relationships. The sample consisted of 116 juvenile offenders of varying ethnicities, between the ages of 12 and 17; most of the youth had committed multiple offenses, including status, property, and person related crime that ranged in severity from runaway to murder. Limitations are discussed including the need for further investigation of socio-familial variables influencing the psychological adjustment of both serious and less serious juvenile offenders, and the role of gender and ethno-cultural characteristics on psychological distress. Tables, figures, references