Community Violence in Context Risk and Resilience in Children and Families

• Published in: Journal of interpersonal violence Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 296 - 315
• Main Authors: Aisenberg, Eugene, Herrenkohl, Todd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-03-2008; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Child; Child Abuse; Child Behavior - psychology; Child Safety; Child Welfare - psychology; Child Welfare - statistics & numerical data; Children; Community; Community mental health services; Community Relations; Community Research; Context Effect; Coping; Economic Factors; Economic structure; Family (Sociological Unit); Family Violence; Female; Humans; Juvenile Delinquency - statistics & numerical data; Literature reviews; Male; Mental Health; Neighborhoods; Peer Group; Personality Traits; Predictor Variables; Resilience; Risk; Risk Factors; Social Environment; Social Influences; Social Support; United States; Violence; Violence - psychology; Violence - statistics & numerical data; Youth; United States; risk factors; community violence; neighborhood; protective factors; resilience; mental health
• ISSN: 0886-2605; 1552-6518
• DOI: 10.1177/0886260507312287

Although some community violence research has examined the context of community violence, including the social, economic, and structural organization of neighborhoods, more needs to be learned about family, school, and community-level factors that may promote and lessen the incidence and prevalence of community violence. In addition, further research is needed on various social, environmental, and contextual factors hypothesized to protect youth from exposure. This article (a) reviews and examines the relation between neighborhood context and risk of violence exposure, (b) reviews current literature on predictors of community violence and mental health and behavioral consequences for children and families adversely affected by community violence, (c) examines sources of resilience and community strengths that extend beyond the individual, (d) discusses the contributions and limitations of current conceptualizations of risk and resilience, and (e) highlights directions for future research. Information from this review can inform community and government efforts to lessen community violence through prevention and treatment.