Although many adolescents exposed to violence evidence negative outcomes, some report few deleterious effects, indicating the presence of moderating variables. This study examined the moderating role of family communication and problem solving on positive and negative outcomes in adolescents exposed to school and neighborhood violence. Participants were 90 adolescents and their parents, who completed measures of violence exposure, psychological and behavioral functioning, and communication and problem-solving skills. Results indicated that after controlling for demographic variables and violence exposure in the home, communication and problem-solving skills moderated the association between school and neighborhood violence exposure and psychological distress. There was no moderation of the violence exposure-positive outcome association. The findings suggest that family communication and problem-solving skills might serve a protective function for adolescents, thereby decreasing Correspondence to:

Previous research has documented an association between adolescent community violence (CV) exposure and poor psychological functioning. The purpose of this study was to delineate the relations of adolescent CV, parent trauma exposure (PTE), and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptomatology while controlling for adolescent-reported home violence and parental self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants consisted of 101 pairs of junior high school and high school students and their parents or caretakers. Adolescents completed measures to assess their history of violence exposure in the community and home setting and current internalizing symptoms. Parents or caretakers completed a demographic questionnaire, a measure assessing their trauma exposure and related symptomatology, and a measure of child externalizing symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted; results indicated that after controlling for demographic variables, home violence exposure, and parental PTSD symptoms, PTE emerged as a moderator variable in the relationship between CV and adolescent-rated internalizing symptoms but not in the association between adolescent CV and externalizing symptoms.