| Affiliation: | (1) Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC;(2) Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC;(3) School of Social Work, Portland State University, Portland, OR;(4) Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV;(5) Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599 |
| Abstract: | We examined the association between neighborhood violence and three domains of psychosocial adjustment in low-income, urban African American children: internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms. Based on anecdotal and empirical evidence, it was hypothesized that, relative to internalizing and externalizing problems, a stronger association would emerge between physical symptoms and neighborhood violence. Mother-reported neighborhood violence was associated with child-reported physical symptoms, but not internalizing or externalizing symptoms. Child-reported neighborhood violence was associated with child-reported internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms; however, neighborhood violence accounted for a greater percentage of variance in physical symptoms than the other two symptom domains. Our findings were not moderated by the age or gender of the child. We discuss the importance of physical symptoms as a marker of child adjustment in low-income, urban, African American children, as well directions for future research. |
