Citation

Turanovic JJ, Pratt TC. J. Pediatr. 2015; 166(4): 1062-9.e1.

Affiliation

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.12.059

PMID

25662833

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess how prosocial attachments to school and family may diminish the effects of violent victimization during adolescence on adverse outcomes in adulthood. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed secondary data on 13 555 participants from waves 1 (1994-1995) and 3 (2001-2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of US high school and middle school students. Adverse outcomes in adulthood included offending, alcohol problems, drug use, risky sexual behavior, violent victimization, depression, low self-esteem, suicidality, hospitalizations, sexually transmitted infections, extreme weight control, and obesity. Analyses were conducted separately for males and females.

RESULTS: Our multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that adolescent victimization is a significant predictor of a host of problems in adulthood. Nevertheless, attachment to school and to family meaningfully reduced the effect of victimization on nearly every adult outcome we assessed.

CONCLUSIONS: Strong attachments to school and family in adolescence can reduce the long-term harms of violence on the lives of young persons. Incorporating this insight into regular clinical assessment could yield significant behavioral, health, and psychoemotional benefits for victims of violence.

Language: en