Citation

Ceballo R, Dahl TA, Aretakis MT, Ramirez C. J. Marriage Fam. 2001; 63(4): 927-940.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, National Council on Family Relations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study examines the psychological impact of children's exposure to violence and the influence of mothers' knowledge about their children's encounters with violence. Our sample consists of a poor, multiethnic sample of 104 fourth- or fifth-grade children and their mothers. Children in this sample were exposed to rather high levels of community violence, and on the whole, mothers greatly underestimated their children's exposure to violence and feelings of psychological distress. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that children's exposure to violence was associated with greater psychological distress. Our findings suggest that the detrimental effects of community violence are present for all children, irrespective of their racial background. Further, greater mother-child agreement about children's exposure to violence was related to better psychological functioning. The implications of these results for effective parenting strategies and community-based interventions are discussed. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Journal of Marriage and Family, 2001. Copyright © 2001 by the National Council on Family Relations)

Exposure to Violence
Witnessing Community Violence
Witnessing Violence Effects
Urban Youth
Child Witness
Grade 4
Grade 5
Late Childhood
Psychological Victimization Effects
Elementary School Student
Adult Parent
Adult Perceptions
Adult Female
Adult Mother
Mother Perceptions
Female Perceptions
Parent Perceptions