Reflecting the Past and Shaping the Future: A Study of Adolescent Schemas and Exposure to Community Violence

Exposure to community violence is a pervasive problem among urban youth and has been associated with both internalizing and externalizing disorders. The mechanisms through which exposure to community violence impacts adolescent adjustment are unclear. A change in adolescent schemas has been proposed as a mechanism through which the impact occurs. The goals of this study were to develop a measure of relevant adolescent schemas and examine their relation to exposure to community violence. A sample of 320 5th and 8th graders were assessed and confirmatory factor analyses of the measure supported a three factor model, including self-schemas, world schemas and use of violence schemas. Exposure to community violence, including victimization and witnessing violence, was associated with more negative adolescent schemas. Witnessing violence and victimization had distinct relations with schemas highlighting the need to examine these types of exposure independently. Overall, this study provides preliminary support for the importance of studying adolescent schemas within the context of community violence. The measure developed represents an initial step in this process given what is available in the literature. However, additional work on the measure is needed to ensure that it accurately samples the schema domains that are relevant for youth in this context.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2006

Author dc:creator

• Reynolds, Monique Vulin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Albert D. Farrell

• trauma
• victimization
• adolescent
• youth
• schema
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/650

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1649