TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive School Climate as a Moderator of Violence Exposure for Colombian Adolescents
AU - Gaias, Larissa M.
AU - Lindstrom Johnson, Sarah
AU - White, Rebecca
AU - Pettigrew, Jonathan
AU - Dumka, Larry
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This study was funded by the National Science Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development through a fellowship to the first author (DGE-1311230). This paper is dedicated in memory of Rosa Jiménez Ahumada.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Society for Community Research and Action
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - In Colombia, many adolescents have experienced violence related to the decades-long armed conflict in the country and have witnessed or been directly victimized by violence in their communities, often related to gang activity or drug trafficking. Exposure to violence, both political and community violence, has detrimental implications for adolescent development. This study used data from 1857 Colombian adolescents in an urban setting. We aim to understand the relations between exposure to violence and adolescent outcomes, both externalizing behaviors and developmental competence, and then to understand whether school climate (i.e., safety, connectedness, services) moderates these relations. Results demonstrate that armed conflict, community violence victimization, and witnessing community violence are positively associated with externalizing behaviors, but only armed conflict is negatively associated with developmental competence. School safety, connectedness, and services moderate the relation between community violence witnessing and externalizing behaviors. School services moderates the relation between community violence victimization and developmental competence. As students perceived more positive school climate, the effects of community violence exposure on outcomes were weakened. This study identifies potential levers for intervention regarding how schools can better support violence-affected youth through enhancements to school safety, connectedness, and services.
AB - In Colombia, many adolescents have experienced violence related to the decades-long armed conflict in the country and have witnessed or been directly victimized by violence in their communities, often related to gang activity or drug trafficking. Exposure to violence, both political and community violence, has detrimental implications for adolescent development. This study used data from 1857 Colombian adolescents in an urban setting. We aim to understand the relations between exposure to violence and adolescent outcomes, both externalizing behaviors and developmental competence, and then to understand whether school climate (i.e., safety, connectedness, services) moderates these relations. Results demonstrate that armed conflict, community violence victimization, and witnessing community violence are positively associated with externalizing behaviors, but only armed conflict is negatively associated with developmental competence. School safety, connectedness, and services moderate the relation between community violence witnessing and externalizing behaviors. School services moderates the relation between community violence victimization and developmental competence. As students perceived more positive school climate, the effects of community violence exposure on outcomes were weakened. This study identifies potential levers for intervention regarding how schools can better support violence-affected youth through enhancements to school safety, connectedness, and services.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Armed conflict
KW - Community violence
KW - Developmental competence
KW - Externalizing behaviors
KW - School climate
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U2 - 10.1002/ajcp.12300
DO - 10.1002/ajcp.12300
M3 - Article
C2 - 30609076
AN - SCOPUS:85059505891
SN - 0091-0562
VL - 63
SP - 17
EP - 31
JO - American journal of community psychology
JF - American journal of community psychology
IS - 1-2
ER -