Consequences of Community and School Violence.


Dr. Lynch began his discussion by presenting the challenges of community violence research, which include dealing with co-occurring risk factors and clarifying how community violence is operationalized. He then outlined the direct effects, mediating variables, moderating factors, and resilience issues involved in children’s exposure to community violence. One direct effect is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been reported in a number of studies. There are also psychobiological effects that manifest through alterations in physiological arousal. This can result in lower baseline heart rates (hypoarousal) or high blood pressure, epinephrine secretion, and cortisol production (hyperarousal). Previous studies have shown that children exposed to violence may also externalize their pain through antisocial behavior, violence, aggression, substance abuse, and other behavior problems. Recent studies have indicated that there are developmental differences in this externalizing behavior, and that there may be a “feedback loop” predicting subsequent exposure.

 Children exposed to violence may also internalize their pain. Internalizing problems can result in anxiety and depression, lower self-esteem, separation anxiety, and feelings of insecurity. A number of studies have also reported that children exposed to violence may experience problems in peer relations, educational achievement, and with the juvenile justice system. The effects of community violence can vary, however, based on certain mediating variables. One category of mediating variables can be described as “factors within the child,” such as emotional regulation, social information processing, and perceptions of exposure. Other mediating variables occur in the social environment, including family systems. This underscores the need to assess the potentially protective nature of family systems. Factors that may moderate (or lessen) the impact of community violence have also been reported in the last decade. They include characteristics of the child (temperament, gender, and ethnicity); characteristics of exposure (chronicity, proximity, and familiarity); and characteristics of the social environment (supportive relationships, parental monitoring, extent of family conflict). Support from parents, the school environment, and peers all play a role in helping children overcome adversity in their world.

Michael Lynch, Ph.D, State University of New York at Geneseo.

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