Community violence is recognized a significant public health problem. However, only a paucity of research has examined risk factors for community violence exposure across domains relevant to adolescents or using longitudinal data. This study examined youth aggressive behavior in relation to community violence exposure among a community epidemiologically defined sample of 582 (45% female) urban adolescents. Internalizing behaviors, deviant peer affiliation, and parental monitoring were examined as moderators of the association between aggressive behavior and exposure to community violence. For males with aggressive behavior problems and deviant peer affiliation or low parental monitoring, co-occurring anxiety symptoms protected against subsequent witnessing community violence. In contrast, males with aggressive behavior problems and co-occurring depressive symptoms were at increased risk for witnessing community violence. Implications of the findings for preventive interventions and future research are discussed.KEY WORDS: community violence exposure; deviant peer affiliation; aggression; adolescence.Youth exposure to community violence as witnesses or victims is a significant public health problem with negative consequences for several aspects of youth adjustment. Community violence exposure in youth has been associated with difficulties in emotional, behavioral, and adaptive functioning including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, aggression, poor academic functioning and achievement, and health problems (Cooley-Quille,
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