Surviving All the Way to College: Pathways Out of One of America’s Most Crime Ridden Cities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to better understand the factors and processes related to resilience of youth who are among the most at risk for academic failure and involvement in the criminal justice system. To address the research questions about resilience and risk, in-depth interviews were conducted with a racially and ethnically diverse sample (N = 146) from one of the “most dangerous” cities in America. To obtain an objective assessment of risk, crime data were disaggregated by the city’s census tracts. Respondents were recruited from a college campus that is located within the city limits of the research site. The retrospective interviews included questions related to family structure and dynamics, educational experiences and support, peers, mentors, extra-curricular activities, neighborhood attributes, inner traits of the respondent, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Results suggest that this diverse sample of college students and recent graduates were not immune from the dangers and adversity known to exist within the northeastern city where they grew up. Crime rates and poverty indicators within the neighborhoods far exceeded national averages and findings indicate participants were exposed to serious forms and levels of community violence. Furthermore, outcome data suggest that participants also suffered from many traditional ACEs (e.g., high rates of parental separation, household substance abuse and mental illness, and family incarceration). The outcomes suggested a trifecta of protective factors in the respondent’s resilience: engaged parenting, self-selected high schools, and the interaction of an individual’s inner traits and local ecological supports. Community level suggestions include targeted parental programming, educational support, gang and crime resistance initiatives, and coping interventions for community violence exposure. Future resilience studies should consider an array of ecological factors that may help mediate the harms associated with exposure to community violence as well as data on household level stressors.