Violence Exposure in South African Adolescents: Differential and Cumulative Effects on Psychological Functioning

Sui, Xincheng; Massar, Karlijn; Kessels, Lilian; Reddy, Priscilla; Ruiter, Robert A. C.; Sanders-Phillips, Kathy

doi:10.1177/0886260518788363

Cited by 27 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…On the other hand, being a girl was a significant predictor for non-involvement in both victimisation and perpetration. This could be explained in light of findings that girls are more prone to internalising symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and perceived stress during adolescence [7,9,63,64], and may thus experience less tendencies to engage in externalising behaviours such as violence perpetration. Further, girls in our study were also associated with having only victimisation experiences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research showed that in a group of South African adolescents from communities of lower socioeconomic status, the majority have encountered violence at home, in school, and in community [4]. Male adolescents are more likely than their female counterparts to encounter violence victimisation in school and community [7], or engage in aggressive behaviours and violence perpetration [17][18][19].…”

Section: Risk Factors For Victimisation and Perpetrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, many adolescents experience poly-victimisation (i.e. exposure to multiple and different types of violence) across these contexts [4,6,7]. With respect to perpetration, violent behaviours such as bullying peers, engaging in physical fights, and carrying weapons have persisted in South African adolescents over the past decade [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With respect to perpetration, violent behaviours such as bullying peers, engaging in physical fights, and carrying weapons have persisted in South African adolescents over the past decade [8]. Both violence victimisation and perpetration have adverse implications for adolescent developmental outcomes, such as psychological problems and risk behaviours [5,7,9], and importantly, these problems may persist into adulthood, affecting their psychosocial functioning and health [10,11]. Therefore, the current research aims to investigate trends among adolescent violence victimisation and perpetration, and their risk factor correlates to better inform targeted youth interventions in South Africa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Violence typologies and sociodemographic correlates in South African adolescents: a three-wave cross-sectional study

et al. 2020

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Background: Violence victimisation and violence perpetration may co-occur in adolescents. Understanding the sociodemographic correlates of the independent and joint profiles of victimisation and perpetration may inform preventive interventions. This study examined the associations of sociodemographic factors with four violence typologies, namely, 1) non-involvement in both victimisation and perpetration, 2) victims only, 3) perpetrators only, and 4) victim-perpetrators. Trends in the prevalence of the four violence typologies over the three survey years were also examined. Methods: We used data from the three nationally representative South African Youth Risk Behaviour Surveys conducted in 2002, 2008, and 2011 and included a multi-ethnic sample of adolescents (n = 30,007; boy: 46.9%, girls: 53.1%; M age = 16 years, SD = .06).Results: The sample consisted of 8030 (30.8%) adolescents who had non-involvement in both victimisation and perpetration, 8217 were victims only (29.8%), 2504 were perpetrators only (9.0%), and 7776 were victimperpetrators (24.6%). Logistic regression analyses showed that being a girl increased the odds of non-involvement (OR: 1.47, 99% CI: 1.36-1.58) and being victims only (OR: 1.90, 99% CI: 1.76-2.05). Being a boy increased the odds of being perpetrators only (OR: 0.42, 99% CI: 0.37-0.47) and victim-perpetrators (OR: 0.51, 99% CI: 0.47-0.55). Adolescents who did not have an absent mother had higher odds of non-involvement (OR: 0.78, 99% CI: 0.62-0.97). Lower monthly allowance increased the odds of victimisation only (OR: 0.99, 99% CI: 0.97-1.00), whereas higher monthly allowance increased the odds of perpetration only (OR: 1.05, 99% CI: 1.03-1.08). Trend analysis showed that between 2002 to 2011, there was an increase in the prevalence of non-involvement in adolescents (p < .001), a decrease in the prevalence of victims only (p < .05) and victim-perpetrators (p < .001), and no changes in the prevalence of perpetrators only (p > .05). Conclusions: Sociodemographic factors are uniquely associated with different violence typologies suggesting the need for tailored interventions to target adolescents with differed risks to violence victimisation and perpetration. Strengthening family relations, particularly between mother and child, may protect adolescents from the experiences of victimisation and perpetration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Risk Factors For Victimisation and Perpetrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Violence typologies and sociodemographic correlates in South African adolescents: a three-wave cross-sectional study

et al. 2020

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“…RESEARCH studies have been conducted with schoolbased, [24][25][26] community-based [27,28] and/or con veni ence samples [20,29] in North America, Europe and SA, and these findings may not generalise to young people seeking mental health treatment. Importantly, teens receiving mental health services may be more accessible to interventions because they are already engaged in care.…”

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confidence: 99%

Pathways from witnessing community violence to mental health problems among South African adolescents

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The association between family adversity and youth mental health outcomes

Somefun

Theron

Ungar

2023

Journal of Adolescence

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BackgroundThe association between family adversity and young people's mental health outcomes in communities that experience economic instability has not been well explored in the South African context. Furthermore, the overtime interaction between resilience factors, family adversity, and young people's psychological functioning in African settings, like South Africa, is under‐investigated.PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between family adversity and conduct problems and depression at two‐time points in a sample of youths in two South African communities stressed by their dependency on economically volatile oil and gas industries.MethodThis article draws on longitudinal data generated by the Resilient Youth in Stressed Environments (RYSE) study in South Africa, which included 914 and 528 (wave 1 and 3) adolescents and emerging adults (14–27‐year‐olds; M age = 18.36 years) living in Secunda/eMbalenhle and Sasolburg/Zamdela. Participants were sampled at baseline (wave 1) and 18–24 months later (wave 3). They self‐reported experience of community violence, family adversity, resilience‐enabling resources, conduct difficulties, and depression symptoms. Regression analyses were used to examine the unadjusted and adjusted association of family adversity on conduct problem and depression.ResultsAbout 60% of participants reported high family adversity. Regressions, however, revealed no association between family adversity and conduct problems and depression cross‐sectionally and over time. Individual resilience, biological sex, and experience of victimization in the community, however, were associated with conduct difficulty while all three resilience factors were associated with decreased depression among participants.ConclusionOur study sheds light on the risk and protective factors for mental health outcomes of adolescents and youths who reside in volatile, turbulent communities and experience ongoing familial challenges. To effectively support the mental well‐being of young individuals in such contexts, interventions must consider the potential ambivalence of the resilience factors they aim to strengthen.

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Violence Exposure in South African Adolescents: Differential and Cumulative Effects on Psychological Functioning

Cited by 27 publications

References 63 publications

Violence typologies and sociodemographic correlates in South African adolescents: a three-wave cross-sectional study

Violence typologies and sociodemographic correlates in South African adolescents: a three-wave cross-sectional study

Pathways from witnessing community violence to mental health problems among South African adolescents

The association between family adversity and youth mental health outcomes

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