NO SAFE HAVEN - A STUDY OF VIOLENCE EXPOSURE IN AN URBAN-COMMUNITY

Objective: To examine levels of violence exposure and reports of feeli ng unsafe in relation to psychological and behavioral characteristics for a general population sample of youths from an urban setting. Metho d: A comprehensive survey of high-risk behaviors, attitudes, indicator s of adaptive behavior, and daily involvements was administered to a s ample of 2,248 students in the 6th, 8th, and 10th grades in an urban p ublic school system. Results: More than 40% of the youths surveyed rep orted exposure to a shooting or stabbing in the past year, and 74% rep orted feeling unsafe in one or more common environmental contexts. Mul tiple regression analyses indicated significant relationships between violence exposure/feeling unsafe and a set of indicators of psychologi cal and behavioral adaptation and expressed attitudes. Conclusions: Th ese results attest to the picture of violence as a common fact of inne r-city life and to the demand that is placed on urban youths to accomm odate in their psychological development to chronic threat and lack of safety.