The neighborhoods they live in: The effects of neighborhood residence on child and adolescent outcomes

This article provides a comprehensive review of research on the effects of neighborhood residence on child and adolescent well-being. The first sectio n reviews key methodological issues. The following section considers links between neighborhood characteristics and child outcomes and suggests the im portance of high socioeconomic status (SES) for achievement and low SES and residential instability for behavioral/emotional outcomes. The third secti on identifies 3 pathways (institutional resources, relationships, and norms /collective efficacy) through which neighborhoods might influence developme nt, and which represent an extension of models identified by C. Jencks and S. Mayer (1990) and R. J. Sampson (1992). The models provide a theoretical base for studying neighborhood mechanisms and specify different levels (ind ividual, family, school, peer, community) at which processes may operate. i mplications for an emerging developmental framework for research on neighbo rhoods are discussed.