Exposure to Violence in Adolescence and Precocious Role Exits

Exposure to violence is a serious public health concern that compromises adolescents by affecting their behavior and psychological well-being. The current study advances knowledge about the consequences of exposure to violence in adolescence by applying a life course perspective to evaluate the developmental implications of adolescents’ exposure to violence. In particular, drawing on a sample of 11,949 school-aged adolescents in the U.S., we examine whether exposure to violence in adolescence is associated with precocious role exits that some adolescents experience. Exposure to violence is conceptualized as including both direct (i.e., experiencing physical victimization) and indirect exposure (i.e., witnessing others’ victimization). Three types of direct exposure to violence are examined: street, intimate partner, and family victimization, as well as four types of indirect exposure including: street, peer, and school violence as well as exposure to family/friend suicide. Using three waves of longitudinal data from the Add Health Study, we find that exposure to violence is associated with greater risks of running away from home, dropping out of high school, having a child, attempting suicide, and coming into contact with the criminal justice system in later adolescence. In addition, risks depend upon the relational context in which the exposure to violence occurred, risks increase with greater exposure to violence, and risks are, for the most part, highest for those youth exposed to both indirect and direct violence in adolescence.

Dana L. HaynieEmail:

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Dana L. Haynie   is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Ohio State University. She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1999. Her current research focuses on the social relationships that facilitate delinquent behavior and the developmental implications of exposure to violence. Richard J. Petts   is an Assistant Professor at Ball State University. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from The Ohio State University. His main research interest is the intersection of family and religion, and recent work focuses on the influence of family and religion on adolescent well-being. David Maimon   is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the Ohio State University. His research interests include sociological and criminological theories, quantitative research methodologies and behavioral variation in deviance and crime across urban communities. Alex R. Piquero   is Professor in the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland College Park, where he received his Ph.D. in 1996. His research interests include criminal careers, criminological theory, and quantitative research methods. He is co-editor of the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, and Executive Counselor with the American Society of Criminology.