Lifetime Community Violence Exposure and Health Risk Behavior among Young Adults in College

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.007

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 39, Issue 4, October 2006, Pages 610-613

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.03.007 Get rights and content

Abstract

Among the undergraduates in this study, lifetime community violence exposure was associated with greater lifetime substance use and sexual risk-taking, and greater 30-day substance use and risky driving practices. Findings were independent of gender, ethnic minority status, personality characteristics, aggression, family socioeconomic status, family support, and neighborhood collective efficacy.

Section snippets

Participants and procedure

Participants were 319 volunteers aged 18–20 years (56% male) attending a northeastern public university in 2003/2004 (enrollment: approximately 17,400 undergraduates). Self-reported ethnicity was as follows: White/Caucasian (84%), Black/African American (7%), Asian/Asian American (5%), Hispanic/Latino (1%), mixed ethnicity/other (3%). The University IRB approved the protocol and a federal certificate of confidentiality was obtained. Participants provided informed consent.

Community violence exposure

The Community

Preliminary analyses

To reduce positive skew, square root transformations (total community violence, 30-day alcohol use, lifetime marijuana use, lifetime sexual risk-taking, goal orientation) and a negative inverse square root transformation (30-day tobacco use) were performed. Thirty-day marijuana use was examined as a dichotomous variable (no use vs. any). Family alliance scores were cubed to reduce negative skew. Composites of total lifetime (α = .79) and 30-day (α = .65) substance use were formed by averaging

Discussion

Lifetime community violence exposure was associated with greater lifetime and 30-day substance use, lifetime sexual risk-taking, and 30-day risky driving practices among undergraduates, independent of simultaneously entered covariates. Several explanations may account for findings. First, violence not only models aggression, but also disregard for the well-being of oneself and others. College risk behavior may thus be influenced by past violence exposure because young adults have developed

Acknowledgment

I would like to acknowledge the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (T32 MH019391), the Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center (HL65112) and the University of Pittsburgh Provost’s Office for their support of this research. I would like to thank Karen A. Matthews, Ph.D., for her feedback on this research and the University of California, San Francisco Psychology and Medicine Postdoctoral Fellows Research Group for feedback on different drafts of this manuscript. I would also like to thank

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Citation Excerpt :
Prior studies have often been uneven in their use of ETV factors. They often focused primarily on physical violence, and combined witnessing and being a victim of violence as part of their association.4,5,7,8,11,31 ETV factors have typically been divided into categories based on geography and location of violent event,31 specified consistency of violence exposure in the neighborhood or from parents,8,11 focused on neighborhood exposures to violence,12 focus on the Adverse Childhood Experience index or a similar index which combines multiple types of trauma in some analyses,13,21 or focused on intimate partner violence.15
To examine gender differences among African American young adults in their exposure to violence (ETV) before age 18 and community violence as an adult, and the relationship of these exposures to drug use and HIV risk taking behaviors (HIVRTB).
We detail these experiences in 440 self-identified African Americans, ages 18 to 25, from socio-economically disadvantaged wards in Washington, DC. Factor analysis was used to identify the types of violence experienced before age 18 and as adults. Regression was used to identify which types of violence had the greatest impact on subsequent drug use and HIVRTB.
We found gender differences in the types of violence experienced and their effects on drug use and HIVRTB. For women, the strongest ETV factors were direct personal violence, and exposure to drug sales or physical violence as adults. For men, the strongest factors were feeling unsafe in different situations as adults and exposure to violence among adults before age 18.
We identified the specific kinds of violence that are most likely to impact drug use and risky sexual behaviors that can leave one vulnerable to HIV and how these differ between women and men exposed to both childhood violence and community violence as an adult. Our findings point toward the need for trauma-informed programs that are tailored to gender.
Violence exposure among Chinese middle school students: Characteristics and influencing factors
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Citation Excerpt :
A strong and consistent relationship was found by Overstreet (2000) between adolescents’ exposure to violence and their behaviors, including anti-social behavior, delinquency, aggression and drug use. A number of studies have revealed that exposure to violence in daily life among adolescents should be associated with the increased likelihood of alcohol, cigarette and marijuana use, earlier initiation of substance use, and greater substance dependence (Brady, 2006; Farrell & Sullivan, 2014; Kilpatrick et al., 2000; Sullivan, Kung, & Farrell, 2004). Individuals would be exposed to violence in various settings - it could happen among individuals of different ages, genders, races, regions, cultural backgrounds and social classes and in many places including schools, homes, streets, fields, workplaces and refugee camps. (
This study aims to investigate the current situation and influencing factors of violence exposure in lifetime among Chinese middle school students. A sample of 2959 middle school students (M_age = 15.92 years, SD = 1.89) were investigated by Community Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ), Peer Group Questionnaire and the General Questionnaire. The results showed that participants had higher scores on violence exposure (both victimization and witnessing) in community than that in the family; participants from single parent family, with lower parent education level, with growing up in rural areas, with non-nuclear family or with siblings reported significantly higher scores; male students also scored significantly higher than female students in domestic and community violence exposure. The analysis of stepwise multiple regression indicated that gender and deviant behaviors of peers were significant influencing factors for the violence exposure of the subjects. Considering the huge negative effects of violence exposure on middle school students who are in their critical mental and physical development stage in their life, it is necessary for parents and society to offer forceful support in violence exposure prevention and effectively handle problems raised by existing violence exposure.
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To examine age-varying prevalence rates and health implications of weapon-related violence exposure (WRVE) from adolescence to young adulthood (ages 14–30) using time-varying effect modeling.
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WRVE rates varied with age, peaking during mid-to-late adolescence (ages 16–18). Rates were higher for males (vs. females) and African-American youth (vs. white) across nearly all ages. Rates were higher for Hispanic youth (vs. white) during adolescence. WRVE was positively associated with frequent heavy episodic drinking and negatively associated with self-reported general health; these associations were significant during adolescence and early adulthood (ages 15–24). WRVE was positively associated with depressive symptoms. This association remained stable over age and was stronger for females from ages 16–21. The association between violence exposure and decreased general physical health was stronger for white versus African-American youth from ages 15–17, with no significant association observed for African-American youth at any age.
Despite its severity, WRVE is prevalent among U.S. youth during adolescence and young adulthood, particularly among males and African-Americans during mid-to-late adolescence. The associations between WRVE and health were stronger during adolescence and differed by sex and race/ethnicity. This information may assist in the timing and targeting of intervention efforts aimed at interrupting the effects of violence exposure on youth behavioral, mental, and physical health.
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Adolescent health briefLifetime Community Violence Exposure and Health Risk Behavior among Young Adults in College

Abstract

Section snippets

Participants and procedure

Community violence exposure

Preliminary analyses

Discussion

Acknowledgment

Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse and dependence: data from a national sample

J Consult Clin Psychol

Relation between witnessing violence and drug use initiation among rural adolescents: parental monitoring and family support as protective factors

J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol

Dating violence against adolescent girls and associated substance use, unhealthy weight control, sexual risk behavior, pregnancy, and suicidality

JAMA

Community violence exposure and children’s social adjustment in the school peer group: the mediating roles of emotion regulation and social cognition

J Consult Clin Psychol

Psychosocial predictors of emerging adults’ risk and reckless behaviors

J Youth Adolesc

Adolescent health brief
Lifetime Community Violence Exposure and Health Risk Behavior among Young Adults in College