Examining the Pathologic Adaptation Model of Community Violence Exposure in Male Adolescents of Color. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The current study examined a model of desensitization to community violence exposure-the pathologic adaptation model-in male adolescents of color. The current study included 285 African American (61%) and Latino (39%) male adolescents (W1 M age=12.41) from the Chicago Youth Development Study to examine the longitudinal associations between community violence exposure, depressive symptoms, and violent behavior. Consistent with the pathologic adaptation model, results indicated a linear, positive association between community violence exposure in middle adolescence and violent behavior in late adolescence, as well as a curvilinear association between community violence exposure in middle adolescence and depressive symptoms in late adolescence, suggesting emotional desensitization. Further, these effects were specific to cognitive-affective symptoms of depression and not somatic symptoms. Emotional desensitization outcomes, as assessed by depressive symptoms, can occur in male adolescents of color exposed to community violence and these effects extend from middle adolescence to late adolescence.

published proceedings

  • J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol

altmetric score

  • 80.942

author list (cited authors)

  • Gaylord-Harden, N. K., So, S., Bai, G. J., Henry, D. B., & Tolan, P. H.

citation count

  • 31

complete list of authors

  • Gaylord-Harden, Noni K||So, Suzanna||Bai, Grace J||Henry, David B||Tolan, Patrick H

publication date

  • January 2017