Identifier

etd-0621102-092939

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Community violence exposure has been associated with a plethora of adverse aftereffects; therefore, greater understanding of compensatory and potentiating factors associated with exposure is essential for effective intervention and prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations among school violence exposure, neighborhood violence exposure, family violence exposure, parent-adolescent relationship skills, and outcomes. Participants consisted of 100 adolescents, aged 13 to 20 years. Adolescents completed the Screen for Adolescent Violence Exposure, the Behavior Assessment System for Children- Self Report of Personality, the Child Health and Illness Profile- Adolescent Edition, and the Parent-Adolescent Relationship Questionnaire. Parents/guardians completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children- Parent Report, the Parent-Adolescent Relationship Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine if family violence and family relationship skills in adolescents exposed to school and neighborhood violence were moderator variables in the prediction of personal adjustment, adaptive skills, psychological distress, and conduct. Results revealed that family violence exposure moderated the association between school and neighborhood violence exposure and conduct. For neighborhood violence exposure, there was no relation between exposure and conduct at low levels of family violence exposure. However, there was an inverse association between neighborhood violence exposure and conduct, including delinquent and health risk behaviors and association with deviant peers, at high levels of family violence exposure. These results indicated that family violence exposure was a potentiating factor within the environments of adolescents exposed to neighborhood violence. For school violence exposure, there was no relation between school violence exposure and conduct at low levels of family violence exposure. At high levels of family violence exposure, there was a positive link between school violence exposure and conduct, such that increased school violence exposure was related to less delinquent behavior and fewer negative peer influences. Lastly, adolescent-rated communication/problem solving skills moderated the association between school violence exposure and psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and social stress. At more positive levels of adolescent-rated skills, the adverse impact of school violence exposure was negated. At negative levels of adolescent-rated family skills, adolescents reported more anxiety, depression, and social stress as school violence exposure increased.

Date

2002

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Mary Lou Kelley

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.2750

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Psychology Commons

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