The Social Ecology of Neighborhood Violence

Background and Purpose:  Research has demonstrated that exposure to community violence, poverty and disorganization are risk factors for perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV).  The goal of this research is to examine factors in the neighborhood, family, school and personal characteristics that may moderate the impact of community violence.  This data was drawn from the first two years of a three year longitudinal study of adolescent IPV and will examine parental supervision, social support, community involvement, school connection and hopefulness as resiliency factors to prevent perpetration of IPV in order to inform prevention efforts.

Methods:  A sample of 1,236 middle school and high school students, randomly selected from 17 school stratified by community “concentrated disadvantage” (publicly available crime data, census data, and school-provided academic records) participated in written surveys of attitudes and experiences. The survey research took a social ecological approach to identifying potential protective factors to prevent the perpetration of intimate partner violence.  Similarities and differences by grade and gender were examined.

Results: More than half of the sample reported perpetrating at least one type of intimate partner violence.  Technological abuse was reported most commonly (53%).  About a quarter (25.8%) reported perpetrating physical abuse and 5.2% sexual abuse.  Community factors (including crime, violence, poverty, and physical deterioration) were found to be significantly related to perpetration of all forms of IPV (physical, sexual, coercive sexting and electronic abuse).  Analysis at the first two waves suggests that abusive and intrusive behaviors, facilitated by cell phone texting and social networking, are relatively common.  Youth reported that partners’ behaviors, sharing embarrassing pictures or videos, and repeated unwanted contact were the most common potentially abusive actions reported. Technologically facilitated abusive behaviors were most commonly reported as part of a broader pattern of abusive behaviors; however some difference emerged by gender of the perpetrator.

The research examined protective factors to moderate the community risk factors for both perpetration and victimization of various forms of abusive behaviors.  Community level risk factors were significantly related to increased rates of perpetration of all forms of abusive behavior.  Although parental supervision and community involvement were important protective factors, school connectedness emerged as the most significant.

Discussion and Implications:  The research indicates that technology provides a further avenue in which abusive behavior may occur.  Communication and social media technologies facilitate abuse by providing greater access, regardless of time of day or geographical location.  These technologies also allow for heightened consequences as the possibility for constant contact or wide dissemination of hurtful or humiliating images or text is possible.  The importance of parental supervision of behavior is highlighted, indicating that prevention efforts with parents may be beneficial.  These may include increased awareness of the scope of the problem of intimate partner violence as well as skill-building for parents on potential methods to discuss the risks of technology with their youth and monitor their behavior.