Examining the Pathologic Adaptation Model of Community Violence Exposure in Male Adolescents of Color

Abstract

The current study examined a model of desensitization to community violence exposure—the pathologic adaptation model—in male adolescents of color. The current study included 285 African American (61%) and Latino (39%) male adolescents (W1 M age = 12.41) from the Chicago Youth Development Study to examine the longitudinal associations between community violence exposure, depressive symptoms, and violent behavior. Consistent with the pathologic adaptation model, results indicated a linear, positive association between community violence exposure in middle adolescence and violent behavior in late adolescence, as well as a curvilinear association between community violence exposure in middle adolescence and depressive symptoms in late adolescence, suggesting emotional desensitization. Further, these effects were specific to cognitive-affective symptoms of depression and not somatic symptoms. Emotional desensitization outcomes, as assessed by depressive symptoms, can occur in male adolescents of color exposed to community violence and these effects extend from middle adolescence to late adolescence.

Community Violence Exposure and Conduct Problems in Children and Adolescents with Conduct Disorder and Healthy Controls

“…Furthermore, results of the present study showed that, for both groups, proactive aggression had a stronger mediational effect on the link between witnessing violence and conduct problems than reactive aggression. This finding aligns with studies on chronic CVE and associated desensitization processes (i.e., emotional numbing and use of aggression increasingly being seen as acceptable) resulting in higher levels of externalizing behavior (Ng-Mak et al, 2004 ; Boxer et al, 2008 ; Mrug et al, 2016 ; Gaylord-Harden et al, 2017 ). Translating these findings to the present study, one might expect that those children and adolescents witnessing more violence in their neighborhoods may have also undergone desensitization processes that have led them to become more proactively aggressive.…”

“…However, findings also underline that in the presence of a high rate of CVE as well as severe levels of conduct problems, eventually a ceiling effect sets in, where the strength of association between the two variables is reduced or even becomes negative. Gaylord-Harden et al ( 2017 ) specifically investigated the cumulative impact of CVE on psychopathology in a male adolescent community sample. CVE was found to show a curvilinear relationship with internalizing problems and a positive linear relationship with violent behavior.…”

Safe Spaces Embedded in Dangerous Contexts: How Chicago Youth Navigate Daily Life and Demonstrate Resilience in High‐Crime Neighborhoods

“…Additionally, boys engage in more confrontative coping strategies (Rasmussen et al, 2004), which may increase their risk for future violent victimization (Dong, Morrison, Branas, Richmond, & Weibe, 2019). This is particularly critical because previous research examining the consequences of chronic exposure to violence suggests that youth become desensitized over time, such that youth report less psychological distress (Ng-Mak, Salzinger, Feldman, & Stueve, 2004), depression (Gaylord-Harden, So, Bai, Henry, & Tolan, 2017), and anxious/depressive symptoms (Kennady & Ceballo, 2016), while aggressive behavior increases linearly and exposure to violence becomes more chronic. Subsequently, it is important to examine perceptions of safety, safety strategies, and how they implicate behavior and daily functioning.…”

Cumulative Dehumanization in Everyday Policing: The Psychological, Affective, and Material Consequences of Discretionary Arrests

“…Studies suggest that the psychological injury endured when people undergo traumatic experiences—such as dehumanization—can fuel them to perpetrate further violence (Gillikin et al., ). Furthermore, psychologists link high‐violence neighborhoods to chronic histories of trauma, commonly characterizing low‐income communities of color with numerous violence risk factors (Gaylord‐Harden, So, Bai, Henry, & Tolan, ; Sinha & Rosenberg ). However, complicating this literature, our data reveal that dehumanization was a collective experience in over‐policed neighborhoods with the potential to also produce a recognition of shared humanity, antiviolence organizing, and a collective approach to healing (Ginwright, ).…”