Predicting violent behavior: The role of violence exposure and future educational aspirations during adolescence.
Few researchers have explored future educational aspirations as a promotive factor against exposure to community violence in relation to adolescents' violent behavior over time. The present study examined the direct and indirect effect of exposure to community violence prior to 9th grade on attitudes about violence and violent behavior in 12th grade, and violent behavior at age 22 via 9th grade future educational aspirations in a sample of urban African American youth (n = 681; 49% male). Multi-group SEM was used to test the moderating effect of gender. Exposure to violence was associated with lower future educational aspirations. For boys, attitudes about violence directly predicted violent behavior at age 22. For boys, future educational aspirations indirectly predicted less violent behavior at age 22. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
University of Michigan School of Nursing, Department of Systems, Populations, and Leadership, 400 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482, USA. Electronic address: sastodda@umich.edu.
Sarah A
SA
Stoddard
University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: jheinze@umich.edu.
Justin E
JE
Heinze
University of California-Davis, Department of Human Ecology, 1347 Hart Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: danchoe@ucdavis.edu.
Daniel Ewon
DE
Choe
University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: marcz@umich.edu.
Marc A
MA
Zimmerman
D000293:Adolescent; D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D001290:Attitude; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
Adolescence; Exposure to violence; Future educational aspirations; Longitudinal; Violent behavior