TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Colombian adolescents' perceptions of violence and opportunities for safe spaces across community settings
JO  - Journal of adolescent research
A1  - De La Vega-Taboada, Eduardo
A1  - Rodriguez, Ana Lucia
A1  - Barton, Alexa
A1  - Stephens, Dionne P.
A1  - Cano, Miguel
A1  - Eaton, Asia
A1  - Frazier, Stacy
A1  - Rodriguez, Augusto
A1  - Cortecero, Adolfo
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - During adolescence, access to safe environments is critical for healthy development. This study analyzed adolescents' perceptions of safety in personal and public spaces in the semi-rural community of Santa Ana, Colombia on the Island of Barú (95.8% of inhabitants live in poverty). We used thematic analysis to explore adolescents' experiences and reflections to identify the factors influencing their perception of safety across different community spaces. Four gender-segregated focus group discussions were held with 40 adolescents (20 male and 20 female) from ages 13 to 17 (M = 14.4, SD = 1.2). Most of them self-identified as Black (86%). The more recurrent spaces in the adolescents' conversations were the streets, the school, the local sports field, individual homes, and commercial sound system parties known as "Picos." Adolescents perceived the school as the safest space, while the "Picos" were the most unsafe. The other spaces were considered mixed, meaning that their perceived safety shifts and depends on the presence of certain factors. These factors were risky behaviors, group affiliation, designated authority roles and the relevance of time. The authors discuss the importance of addressing the factors that inform adolescents' safety perception, particularly within low resource settings cross-culturally.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0743-5584
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/07435584231164643
ID  - ref1
ER  -