The relation of family functioning to violence among inner-city minority youths.

Abstract

The relationship between family influences and participation in violent and nonviolent delinquent behavior was examined among a sample of 362 African American and Latino male adolescents living in the inner city. Participants were classified into three groups: (a) nonoffenders, (b) nonviolent offenders, and (c) violent offenders. Families in the violent delinquent group reported poorer discipline, less cohesion, and less involvement than the other two groups. These results were consistent across ethnic groups. However, the factor Beliefs About Family related to violence risk in opposite directions for African American and Latino families. These results highlight the need to look at ethnic group differences when constructing models of risk.

Risk Factors for Community Violence Exposure in Adolescence

“…For example, poor parental monitoring increases youth's opportunity to associate with delinquent peers. Not surprisingly, poor parental monitoring and ineffective, inconsistent discipline are related to concurrent and later delinquency and violent behavior (Capaldi & Patterson, 1996;Dishion, Patterson, Stoolmiller, & Skinner, 1991;Elliott, Huizinga, & Ageton, 1985;Gorman-Smith, Tolan, Zelli, & Huesmann, 1996;Patterson, Reid, & Dishion, 1992). These outcomes, in turn, have been associated with increased risk for community violence exposure (Centers & Weist, 1998;Lauritsen et al, 1992).…”

“…Poor parental monitoring has been consistently related to participation in delinquent behavior (Capaldi & Patterson, 1996;Gorman-Smith et al, 1996) and was expected to be similarly associated with community violence exposure. It was hypothesized that adolescents adequately monitored by their parents would have less opportunity to be exposed to community violence.…”

Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity as Risk or Protective Factors for Violent Behaviors in African American Young Adults

“…Extensive evidence has accumulated on the effects of specific psychosocial and environmental risk factors for the perpetration of violent behaviors. Youth violence in the United States has been associated consistently with aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, and poverty during childhood, substance use, antisocial peer groups, parent disciplinary practices, parents with favorable attitudes toward violence, family functioning, academic failure, and being male (Blaske, Borduin, Henggeler, & Mann, 1989;Farrington & Loeber, 2000;Florsheim, Tolan, & Gorman-Smith, 1996;Gorman-Smith, Tolan, Zelli, & Huesmann, 1996;Gorman-Smith, Tolan, Loeber, & Henry, 1998;Guerra, Husemann, Tolan, Van Acker, & Eron, 1995; Hawkins et al, 2000;Henggeler, 1989; Henry, Tolan, & Gorman-Smith, 2001;Kosterman et al, 2001;Loeber & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1998; Tolan & Lorion, 1988;USDHHS, 2001). Yet, the majority of youth at risk for committing violent acts do not engage in violent behaviors (Zimmerman, Steinman, & Rowe, 1998).…”

Family‐based prevention counseling for high‐risk young adolescents: Immediate outcomes

“…Two aspects of family functioning, family cohesion and parental monitoring, were assessed using measures developed by the Chicago Youth Development Study~Gorman-Smith, Tolan, Zelli, & Huesmann, 1996;Tolan, Gorman-Smith, Huesmann, & Zelli, 1997!, a longitudinal study of risk and protective factors in the development of antisocial behavior among inner-city minority adolescents. Both measures generate family-level scores by aggregating across parent and adolescent reports.…”