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Violent Backgrounds of Economically Disadvantaged Youth: Risk Factors for Perpetrating Violence?

NCJ Number
162747
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1995) Pages: 379-397
Author(s)
J Langhinrichsen-Rohling; P Neidig
Date Published
1995
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Four hundred seventy-four adolescent Job Corps residents reported the violence they had experienced, witnessed, and perpetrated with respect to parents, siblings, friends, and strangers.
Abstract
The participants had an average age of 18 years and included 337 males and 137 females. They completed self- report instruments. Results indicated a high prevalence of all types of violence in this at-risk adolescent sample. Moreover, the majority of adolescents who reported violent experiences indicated that a threat or use of a weapon was involved. Males reported perpetrating more aggression against friends and strangers than females did. Females reported witnessing more parental aggression than did males. Contrary to prediction, parental victimization did not significantly predict the perpetration of violence toward siblings, friends, or strangers for either gender. However, parental victimization did predict increased violence toward parents. Surprisingly, especially for females, witnessing parental violence reduced the likelihood of violence toward parents. Findings supported the need to include conflict resolution skills as a component of Job Corps training. Figures, tables, and 37 references (Author abstract modified)