Risk and resilience in the urban neighborhood: Predictors of academic performance among low-income elementary school children

Associations between neighborhood risk and low-income children's (N = 168) academic performance were studied over 3 years from third to fifth grade. A neighborhood risk measure included 4 neighborhood demographic characterist ics (income, educational level, female-headed households, and violent crime s). Neighborhood risk was not associated with children's academic performan ce in third grade, but negatively predicted fifth grade academic performanc e, after controlling for individual family demographic characteristics. For those fifth graders living in the highest risk neighborhoods, intra-indivi dual, familial, and community factors were considered as possible sources o f resilience. Children who evinced better impulse control and higher self-c ompetence showed better academic performance, as did children whose familie s were more involved in their schooling. Results suggested that contact wit h neighbors fostered risk, not resilience.