PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTORS FOR CYCLICAL URBAN VIOLENCE
Violence is a pervasive public health issue that disproportionately affects certain populations, particularly young black males in urban settings. Though this population experiences higher rates of violent victimization and perpetration, race should not be analyzed as an isolated variable. The social disorganization theory posits that social, cultural, and structural environmental factors shape a person’s behavior; this theory would suggest that higher rates of violence in young black men can be attributed to environmental factors rather than intrinsic traits like race. Young black males in urban settings experience high rates of poverty and institutional oppression, which primes these communities for excessive psychological trauma. The lasting effects of trauma, through Adverse Childhood Experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder, increase a person’s risk of violent victimization and perpetration, creating a cycle of violence in the community. Likewise, the high rates of firearm ownership create more opportunity for violent confrontation, especially in impoverished areas where joining a gang is perceived as one of the only options for economic and social survival as per the “Code of the Street.” In order to alleviate the burden of violence on this population, the root causes of violence, such as socioeconomic inequity and under-resourcing of disadvantaged communities, must be addressed by providing appropriate social services to those whom are most affected.
Medical ethics, Criminology, Behavioral sciences, Firearms, Gangs, Poverty, Trauma, Urban bioethics, Victim offender overlap
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