title: Emotional Desensitization to Violence Contributes to Adolescents' Violent Behavior.
abstract: Many adolescents are exposed to violence in their schools, communities and homes. Exposure to violence at high levels or across multiple contexts has been linked with emotional desensitization, indicated by low levels of internalizing symptoms. However, the long-term consequences of such desensitization are unknown. This study examined emotional desensitization to violence, together with externalizing problems, as mediators of the relationship between exposure to violence in pre-adolescence and violent behavior in late adolescence. A community sample of youth (N = 704; 48% female; 76% African American, 22% Caucasian) reported on their exposure to violence in multiple settings at ages 11, 13 and 18. Internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed at ages 11 and 13; violent behavior was measured at age 18. Structural Equation Modeling showed that exposure to high levels of violence at age 11 was associated with lower levels of internalizing problems (quadratic effect) at age 13, as was exposure to violence across multiple contexts (linear effect). In turn, fewer internalizing problems and more externalizing problems at age 13 predicted more violent behavior at age 18. The results suggest that emotional desensitization to violence in early adolescence contributes to serious violence in late adolescence.
authors: University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, CH415, Birmingham, AL, 35294-1170, USA. smrug@uab.edu.
authors: Sylvie
authors: S
authors: Mrug
authors: University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South, CH415, Birmingham, AL, 35294-1170, USA.|Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors: Anjana
authors: A
authors: Madan
authors: Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Windle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000407:Alabama; D002648:Child; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People
keywords: Desensitization; Exposure to violence; Externalizing problems; Internalizing problems