Envirnoment of Middle Childhood and Adolescent Violence in a Baltimore Cohort

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

Youth violence is a significant public health problem in the United States resulting in thousands of needless injuries and deaths to youth each year. Previous research has identified factors at the family, school, and neighborhood levels which are associated with either an increased or decreased risk of violent behavior; however, to date, the simultaneous and inter-related effects of these factors have not been examined. The NCIPC's research agenda recognizes (1) identifying modifiable sociocultural and community factors that influence youth violence, and (2) identifying modifiable factors that protect youths from becoming victims or perpetrators of violence as two key research priorities which must be addressed. Purpose of the Proposed Research: The proposed study addresses both of the NCIPC research priorities listed above. The objective of the research is to investigate the roles of family, school and neighborhood contexts in middle-childhood and how, together, they impact a child's risk of violence in adolescence. The specific aims include identification of risk and protective factors at each level as well as evaluation of relevant interactive effects. It is hypothesized not only that each context elicits a direct effect on the development of violent behavior, but also that effects from one context may be altered by qualities of another context. Methods: An existing dataset from the Johns Hopkins Prevention Intervention Research Center will be used to carry out the aims of the study. Cross-classified hierarchical models will be employed to estimate the effects of family, school, and neighborhood-level variables and the interactions between them. Implications for Prevention: Violence prevention interventions will be most effectively designed and implemented when they incorporate an understanding of the context in which violent behavior develops as well as the interrelationships between a child's experiences in the family, at school, and in his or her neighborhood. By examining these interrelationships with appropriate statistical models, this study will provide useful knowledge for policy makers and program planners.