Longitudinal Associations Between Adolescent Community Violence Exposure and Conduct Problems: Moderating Effects of Perceived Neighborhood Cohesion and Safety

Abstract

Community violence (CV) has been linked to negative psychosocial outcomes including conduct problems among youth. Perceptions of the neighborhood environment may affect the way youth respond to CV; however, the role of neighborhood perceptions in the association between CV and conduct problems is unclear. The current study explored the role of youth neighborhood perceptions of safety and cohesion in moderating the association between CV and conduct problems. A sample of 427 African American adolescents completed measures of CV witnessing and victimization, neighborhood safety, neighborhood cohesion, and conduct problems in 10th and 11th grade. Regression analyses were conducted with grade 10 CV and neighborhood perceptions as predictors of conduct problems in grade 11. Results indicated significant interactions between CV witnessing and neighborhood safety (B = 0.17, p < .05) and between CV victimization and neighborhood safety (B = 0.27, p < .05). For both witnessing and victimization, associations between CV and conduct problems a year later were stronger when perceived neighborhood safety was high. The counterintuitive findings highlight the contextual effects of CV on youth conduct behavior. Future research is needed to understand the complex interplay of neighborhood perceptions and the experience of CV.