Original article
Negative Consequences Associated With Witnessing Severe Violent Events: The Role of Control-Related Beliefs

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.07.001Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

Control-related beliefs are defined as beliefs in one's ability to cause an effect in one's environment. With recent increases in violence in some cities, understanding the impact of exposure to violence on these beliefs is important. The present study examined whether witnessing severe community violence during early adolescence was associated with trajectories of control-related beliefs, and whether these trajectories were associated with mental and behavioral health outcomes in early adulthood.

Method

Using data from a longitudinal preventive intervention study, we modeled trajectories of control-related beliefs using growth mixture modeling from 9th through 12th grade. The violence exposure of interest was witnessing severe community violence, defined as seeing someone being shot, stabbed, or killed. Early adulthood outcomes examined were post high school suicide attempt; having a criminal justice record; and having a diagnosis of substance use disorder, major depressive disorder, or antisocial personality disorder.

Results

The latent growth mixture model identified three trajectories of control-related beliefs: a low stable trajectory, a high increasing trajectory, and a moderate stable trajectory. Participants who were exposed to severe violent events were significantly more likely to be in the low trajectory. Further, those in the low trajectory were significantly more likely to experience several negative outcomes.

Conclusion

Results suggest that witnessing severe forms of community violence impacts control-related belief trajectories and that trajectories characterized by low feelings of control are associated with adverse outcomes in early adulthood.

Section snippets

Participants and procedures

The original study sample consisted of 678 children and families, representative of students entering first grade in nine Baltimore City public elementary schools in 1993. The children were recruited for participation in two school-based, universal, preventive intervention trials targeting early learning and aggressive/disruptive behavior [26]. The Classroom Centered Intervention [26] consisted of three components: (1) curricular enhancements; (2) improved classroom behavior management

Results

Sample descriptives. Full sample descriptive statistics can be seen in Table 2. The sample was about half male and a majority Black. Close to 70% of the sample received free or reduced lunch and 12% of the sample reported witnessing a severe form of community violence exposure (witnessing someone being shot, stabbed, or killed).

Class enumeration. The class enumeration process began with fitting a single class model and then comparing fit statistics with the addition of each class. Class fit

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to identify trajectories of adolescents’ control-related beliefs, examine whether witnessing severe community violence influenced belief trajectories, and explore how variations in control-related belief trajectories contributed to risk for mental and behavioral health problems in adulthood. Three trajectories of control-related beliefs were identified, a low perceived control class, a high increasing perceived control class, and a moderate stable perceived control

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  • Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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