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Abstract
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This article reports the prevalence of violence and co-victimization among African-American youth in Chicago. Results of a violence screening survey were compiled on 1035 school children, aged 10 to 19 years. Police crime statistics are compared to illustrate the magnitude of the problem of youth and violence. Results indicate that 75% of the participating boys and 10% of participating girls had witnessed the shooting, stabbing, robbing, or killing of another person in their own lives. The survey itself did not identify the effects of co-victimization on the participants. Previous research is incorporated in the development of tentative hypotheses for intervention in public schools.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study by Shakoor and Chalmers was to investigate the prevalence of violence and co-victimization (observation of violence) among African-American youth in Chicago.
METHODOLOGY:
A non-experimental exploratory design was employed using results from a violence screening survey compiled on 1035 Chicago public school children, aged 10 to 19 years. Previous research was incorporated as a way to develop intervention strategies within public schools. The survey was developed by the Community Mental Health Council as a means to provide prevention programs targeted at reducing intra-racial homicide within the African-American community. 5 high schools and 2 elementary schools participated in the survey and classes centered on violence prevention. All participating schools were "community schools". Attending students were residents of that particular school district and were not preselected. The violence screening survey was administered to a nonrandom sample of students in order to assess the need of secondary intervention for those who had witnessed or experienced violence. Selection for participation in the prevention classes depended on the class or activity. Participating schools were predominately composed of students from low income families residing in high crime neighborhoods. School 1 had 265 high school subjects composed of 44% low income families, and school 2 had 92 high school subjects composed of 49% low income families. Participants from these schools were members of co-ed health classes. School 3 had 82 students from a self contained transitional program for high school students at risk of dropping out. School 4 had 54 high school students from housing developments where the crime rate was 31.9 per 1000. The school population was 56.9% low income families. The workshop and survey participants were members of the school book club. School 5 had 54 eighth grade subjects, considered elementary level, and was located in a district with the highest number of homicides and violent assaults. School 6 had 312 elementary school participants and was identified as having the highest number of in school arrests of students for any public elementary or high school. School 7 had 172 students from the Afro-American history and law classes of a particular instructor. 50.9% were from low income families. The screening survey, consisting of 12 questions was distributed to students at the beginning of the classes or workshops. Students were aware of the intent of the study and were assured that their responses would by anonymous and confidential. Students were given the right to refuse participation simply by not completing the survey, however, very few refused. Questions were read aloud to aid those with reading difficulties. Questions were not interpreted or discussed and immediately upon completion, were folded and collected by presenters.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The surveys revealed that 75% of the boys and 70% of the girls surveyed had seen someone shot, stabbed, robbed, or killed. 400 subjects had witnessed the shooting of another person (45% girls 55% boys). 557 subjects had witnessed robberies where 52.6% were boys and 47% were girls. 348 subjects had witnessed stabbings with 51% of the witnesses being boys and 48.5% girls. 236 had witnessed murders with 57% being boys and 43% girls. The median age of the students was 15 and the mode 16. Overall, the 16 year old students had witnessed the most shootings, robberies, stabbings, and killings. The most frequently witnessed violent act for all age groups was robberies (55.1%). 44% of the 10 year olds had witnessed robberies while 70% of the 19 year olds had witnessed robberies. 22% of the 10 year olds and 60% of the 19 year olds had witnessed shootings. 26% of the 10 year olds and 30% of the 19 year olds witnessed murders. Stabbings were significantly different when 41% of the 10 year olds had witnessed stabbings while only 30% of the 19 year olds did. Major developmental changes possibly resulting from co-victimization of youth involved cognitive and behavioral effects and emotional influences. Research found that psychic trauma in childhood had deleterious effects on cognition, memory, school performance and learning. These problems were identified as possible results of co- victimization in childhood. As a result, authors formulated a tentative hypothesis: co-victimization has a negative effect on school performance. Research further revealed that emotional expression in African-American youth was hindered by social conditions in impoverished areas. Children exposed to disaster were twice as likely to develop psychological and stress disorders. Finally, studies indicated that the most frequently observed behavioral problems in school children was fighting and aggressive behavior. Previous studies suggested a relationship between frustration and observation of violence and aggression. The result being a cycle of violence in the African-American community.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
By combining the result of the survey with the previous research, authors developed three recommendations. First they argued the importance of periodically screening school children for violence and co-victimization histories. This information should be used with additional psychological, physical, IQ, and achievement tests given to children experiencing difficulties in school performance. At risk children should be identified for behavioral disorders or emotional disturbance and refer them for intervention and support. Finally, to break the cycle of violence in prevention and conflict resolution should be employed. Authors encouraged further research and investigation of the possible effects of co-victimization on the development of African-American youth. Authors further stressed the importance of using an Afrocentric perspective when conducting studies.
EVALUATION:
What is striking about this article is the number of African-American children who have been exposed to severe violence. The directions this article suggests--acknowledging and identifying histories of schoolchildrens' experiences of not just their own violence but their exposure to any violence--provide a new look at avenues for violence prevention efforts. The large sample size contributes to the magnitude of the findings. The selection process for subjects was not very clear, though the authors do state that it was nonrandom. A nonrandom sample of at-risk schools and a random sample of students within those schools could have alleviated some of the difficulties with nonrandom selection. The authors acknowledge the lack of data from the subjects on school performance because of the neglect of the schools to collect information on co-victimization experiences. Clearly, this study gives an initial look at how large the problem may be and potential for a connection between difficulties in childhood (particularly school) and being exposed to violence. Further research should make it a point to collect data which can correlate these experiences and levels of dysfunction. This would be particularly helpful in a multiple time series study which could evaluate exposure influences at different points in life. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Illinois
KW - African American Victim
KW - Juvenile Victim
KW - Child Victim
KW - Witnessing Community Violence
KW - Witnessing Violence Effects
KW - School-Based Intervention
KW - Intervention Recommendations
KW - Psychological Victimization Effects
KW - Child Development
KW - Juvenile Development
KW - African American Juvenile
KW - African American Child
KW - African American Witness
KW - Cognitive Development
KW - Emotional Development
KW - Exposure to Violence
KW - Child Witness
KW - Late Childhood
KW - Early Adolescence
KW - Late Adolescence
Language: en |