Citation

Proctor LJ. Aggress. Violent Behav. 2006; 11(6): 558-576.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.avb.2005.12.004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This review evaluates empirical reports of relations among exposure to violence in the community, dimensions that characterize families and parenting, and the distress and maladjustment of children and adolescents. Family functioning variables that have been examined in relation to community violence exposure include family conflict and violence, social support, structure and cohesion, parenting practices, maternal distress, and sociodemographic characteristics. Evidence is reviewed for three hypotheses regarding family dimensions: (1) that they are associated with children's community violence exposure in bivariate relations, (2) that they moderate relations between community violence exposure and child outcomes, and (3) that they mediate relations between community violence exposure and child outcomes. Following the empirical review, theoretical and methodological gaps in the literature are identified; guidelines are proposed for ecologically valid family-based research on community violence.