Citation

Donnelly R, Holzer K. J. Evid. Inf. Soc. Work 2018; 15(5): 564-578.

Affiliation

School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University , St. Louis , MO , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/23761407.2018.1495139

PMID

29995587

Abstract

Evidence suggests parental support mitigates the association between community violence exposure and internalizing symptoms in adolescents. This study investigates this moderation of parental support for emerging adults and compares it with that for adolescents. Data were drawn from the Pathways to Desistence Study using community violence, parental support, and their interaction to predict internalizing symptoms in a series of regression models for adolescents and emerging adults.

RESULTS suggest that exposure to community violence during adolescence and emerging adulthood had a significant association with internalizing symptoms. Mother support during adolescence moderated this relationship. Emerging adulthood was marked by an increase in parental support; however, this support did not moderate the relationship between community violence and internalizing symptoms. Interventions, programs, and policies that leverage the parental support of emerging adults may be a useful strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of community violence.

Language: en

Keywords

Community violence; emerging adulthood; mental health; parental support