title: Experiences of community and parental violence among HIV-positive young racial/ethnic minority men who have sex with men.
abstract: Adolescents and young adults (ages 13-24) in the USA are frequently exposed to violence in their community and home. While studies have examined the prevalence and impact of violence exposure among adolescents, there is a lack of data focusing specifically on adolescent men of color who have sex with men. Eight demonstration sites funded through a Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative recruited 363 HIV-positive racial/ethnic minority young men who have sex with men (YMSM) for a longitudinal study between 2006 and 2009. Over two-thirds of participants (83.8%) had witnessed community violence, 55.1% in the prior three months. Witnessing violence committed with a deadly weapon was significantly associated with being African-American, having ever used drugs, and drinking alcohol in the prior two weeks. Fear of violence in the community was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, having less than a high school degree, not possessing health insurance, and site of enrollment. Having been emotionally or physically abused by a parent or caretaker was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, attempting suicide, site of enrollment, and increased age. Witnessing violence with a deadly weapon was significantly associated with alcohol and drug use but not with high-risk sexual behaviors. As this was one of the first studies on the prevalence and correlates of violence exposure among racial/ethnic minority YMSM living with HIV, the findings can be used to inform the development of culturally appropriate resilience-focused interventions to address the aftereffects of violence exposures and help develop social support systems outside of the family.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics , The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Lisa B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hightow-Weidman
authors.forename: Sheldon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Angulique Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Outlaw
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Halpern-Felsher
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wohl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV; MSM; community violence; parental violence; violence