title: School violence, adjustment, and the influence of hope on low-income, African American youth.
abstract: The current study investigated the prevalence and impact of exposure to school violence using a cross-sectional design with a sample of 132 low-income, African American fifth graders (mean age = 10.20). Additionally, hope was examined in relation to adjustment and as a potential resilience factor in the context of school violence. Students completed self-report measures for exposure to school violence frequencies, self-concept, and hope. Teachers completed a teacher-rated survey assessing levels of problem behaviors, social skills, and academic competence. Results indicated that the majority of youth had been personally victimized or witnessed violence during a 3-month period. Exposure to school violence was positively associated with problem behaviors, and negatively associated with social skills, self-concept, and academic competence; hope was inversely related to externalizing behaviors and positively related to self-concept. Hope buffered the effects of personal victimization and witnessing violence on self-concept. Gender differences were observed for a number of the analyses. The implications of both the prevalence and impact of exposure to school violence, as well as the moderating effects of hope, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8040, USA. lcedeno@eden.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cedeno
authors.forename: Maurice J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Shalonda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012919:Social Behavior; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*