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How self-esteem and exposure to neighborhood deviant behavior influence dating violence victimization among American Indian adolescent girls

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Deborah Poling Scott, MPH , Sage Associates, Inc., Houston, TX
Vishnu Nepal, MSc, MPH , Office of Health Planning, Evaluation and Program Development, City of Houston, Health and Human Services, Houston, TX
Deborah Banerjee, PhD , Bureau Chief, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Research, Houston Health and Human Services, Houston, TX
  
Background: Little is known about the correlates of dating violence among American Indian (AI) adolescents despite the fact that dating violence is considered  a reason for high rates of couple violence among adult AI population. Even less is known about the predictors of dating violence victimization among AI girls. This study investigates the relationship of Self-esteem, exposure to deviant behavior and dating violence victimization (DVV) among AI teens in a southern US City.

Method: This study uses data from Believing in Native Girls (BLING) program, which is an afterschool intervention focused on building protective factors among American Indian adolescent girls. Survey data (N=220) of the girls (ages 12-18 years) who had dating experience were examined to investigate the mediating role of exposure to neighborhood violence and deviant behavior in the relationship between self-esteem and dating violence victimization (DVV). Missing data were handled using maximum likelihood approach in MPlus 7.11. 

Result: Total effect of self-esteem on DVV was significant (B= -0.281, SE=0.071, p=0.000) indicating that one unit increase in self-esteem score results in 0.28 unit decrease in the DVV score. Direct effect of self-esteem on DVV was significant (B=-0.228, SE=0.076, p=0.003). The indirect effect of self-esteem on DVV via exposure to neighborhood deviant behavior was also significant (B= -0.053, SE=0.025, p= 0.031) indicating that exposure to neighborhood deviant behavior mediates the relationship between self-esteem and DVV.

Conclusion: Interventions aimed at reducing dating violence among AI adolescents may plan to improve self-esteem while making efforts to reduce exposure to neighborhood deviant behavior.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Assess the role of neighborhood violence and neighborhood deviant behavior on dating violence experiences among American Indian adolescent girls. Assess the role of self-esteem as a protective factor of dating violence. Discuss intervention to reduce dating violence through improving neighborhood safety and increasing self-esteem.

Keyword(s): Native Americans, Youth Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conceptualized the study, conducted data analyses and drafted an abstract. I reviewed the edits made by my co-author.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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