NEIGHBORHOOD DISADVANTAGE, STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS, AND ADJUSTMENT IN URBAN ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL-CHILDREN

Assessed the occurrence of three types of stressful life events among African-American and Hispanic children living in urban neighborhoods, and examined the concurrent and prospective relations between stressfu l life events and adjustment. Younger children and children living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods experienced more stressful life e vents. Stressful life events were significantly related to higher conc urrent levels of aggression and predicted increases in aggression 1 ye ar later. Life transitions and exposure to violence predicted concurre nt aggression, but circumscribed events served as the strongest predic tor of aggression 1 year later. Total number of stressful events and e xposure to violence significantly interacted with neighborhood disadva ntage, such that effects were only apparent under conditions of high n eighborhood disadvantage.