User:EricCruz2017/The effects of Community violence on youth

Violent neighborhoods in the US not only have damaging and long-lasting effects on those that are directly harmed by the violence but it also has negative effects on those who live in the community, including the youth and their psychological well-being. These youth can experience mental health issues, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), hopelessness, depression, and sleeping disorders that can affect them in their daily activities, such as school performance.

Neighborhoods With High Levels of Violence
Violent neighborhoods tend to have high unemployment rates, high poverty levels, high drug use, diverse populations, and high density. Researchers have often compared violent communities to war zones in which there is no expected end to violence (Garbarino, Dubrow, Kostelny, & Pardo. 1992). Additionally, these youth constantly feel at-risk for becoming victims of robberies, gang activity, beatings, stabbings and shootings. A recent study conducted among youth in violent neighborhoods found that 60.6% reported at least one direct or witnessed victimization in the past year, 46.3% experienced a physical assault, 25.3% reported witnessing violence, and 9.8% reported witnessing family violence.

Violence and Mental Health
According to a longitudinal study of homeless families residing in homeless shelters and low-income housed families, exposure to multiple types of violence has been found to be significantly associated with mental health issues. Being exposed to high levels of violence leads youth to remain chronically emotionally and physiologically hyper aroused. This hyperarousal may increase the chances of youth negatively acting out on these behaviors and externalizing them. Youth in violent neighborhoods can also experience PTSD along with irritability, anger outbursts, difficulty falling asleep, and a sense of being alienated from those around them (Duncan, 1996). Another symptom that can arise form community violence is hopelessness. Researchers have defined hopelessness as ‘‘an expectation that highly desired outcomes will not occur or that negative ones will occur…, and that nothing is going to change things for the better…” (Umlauf et al. 2014, p. 520). This is associated from violence in the community and many other stressors. Upward mobility in society is harder for those who live in impoverished neighborhoods and the youth in these communities also start to see this, and this is when hopelessness starts setting in. In addition, community violence is significantly associated with the development of emotional and behavioral problems, which can either be internalized or externalized (Umlauf et al. 2014).

Impacts on Academic Achievement
When youth are exposed to high levels of community violence, it affects their mental health, but it is also leads to decreased connectedness to school. Early exposure to community violence significantly impacts school engagement later on (Borofsky, Kellerman, Baucom, Oliver, & Margolin. 2013). These traumatic effects disrupt the memory and concentration in school. “An unsafe environment may lead to a compromised focus on school and decreased feelings of academic efficacy, but alternatively, low proficiency at school could lead to greater involvement in risky environments that include violence exposure” (Borofsky et al. 2013, p. 3). Poor academic success may cause the youth to lose interest in school and engage in establishing relationships with deviant peers or join a gang. This can then lead to a pathway of them committing violent acts and as mentioned earlier this can happen by way of externalizing hyperarousel.

Protective Factors
Identifying the protective factors following the exposure to violence is essential, however, identifying these protective factors before the violence is equally important (Kennedy & Ceballo, 2013). Increasing protective factors play a major role in decreasing the effects of community violence. First off, families with high levels of conflict place their children at an even higher level of exposure to community violence. This happens because these children will want to avoid being home and spending more time in their community, therefore family support and cohesion is a strong protective factor (Arkin, 2015). An example of this is in the Latino community with familismo, which entails “having a strong sense of unity and loyalty to one’s family” (Kennedy & Ceballo, 2013 p. 666). Another protective factor that has been found to be effective is having youth be involved in structured after school extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs. Participation in these activities allows youth to externalize their feelings in a positive way (Kennedy & Ceballo, 2013).