Youth violence: Risk and resilience in adolescence and young adulthood

Background: Youth violence is a critical national and public health problem that takes a significant toll on children, families, and communities. It is a major risk factor for the development of emotional and behavior problems in young people. Youth commit a significant portion of all violent crime and experience the highest rate of victimization. Given the high burden of youth violence it is important to look at factors that protect youth in light of risk exposure to prevent its negative physical, social, and psychological consequences.

Methods: Data from public use files of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Waves I & III) is used to understand factors that converge to put youth at risk for, or to offer protection from, violence. Multivariate statistical analysis techniques examine how different risk and protective factors, including the nature of parental/caretaker relationships, neighborhood elements, and violence victimization, contribute to violence perpetration or prevention in adolescence and early adulthood.

Results: Preliminary multivariate statistical analysis using Wave I public use data found that living in a safe neighborhood, having a close relationship with their mother, and having a close relationship with their father, were statistically significant (p<.01) protective factors against youth violence perpetration when risk factors were included in the model.

Conclusions: Understanding the processes by which risk and protective factors interact provides insight to address the multifaceted issue of youth violence. Research on factors that buffer youth from adverse exposure can inform intervention and policy development to prevent youth violence and its negative impact.