Correlates of Polyvictimization Among African American Youth: An Exploratory Study.
African American adolescents are exposed to high rates of community violence, and recent evidence indicates that these youth may also be at high risk of polyvictimization. Guided by an ecological approach, this study explored individual, familial, and extra-familial correlates of single and multiple forms of violence exposures (i.e., witnessing verbal parental aggression, witnessing or being a victim of community violence exposures) among a sample of 563 urban African American adolescents. Findings indicated that boys reported higher levels of polyvictimization than girls. In addition, the correlates of violence exposures varied by typology and gender. These findings support the development and use of gender-oriented approaches for identifying youth at risk of various types of violence exposures.
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA celsaesser@uchicago.edu.
Caitlin M
CM
Elsaesser
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA STI/HIV Intervention Network, 969 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL, USA.
Dexter R
DR
Voisin
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000374:Aggression; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000069581:Exposure to Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
African American youth; community violence exposures; correlates; gender; interparental violence; polyvictimization; profiles