Development and factor analysis of a measure of youth attitudes toward guns and violence

Preschool Aggression and Victimization: A Short-Term Longitudinal Analysis of the Immediate Social Environment

Introduction

Preschool aggression, a significant concern, requires an in-depth examination beyond individual factors. This study explored the link between individual characteristics, immediate social environment variables, and the likelihood of preschoolers being nominated as aggressors or victims. The novelty of the study lies in its comprehensive longitudinal examination, using a multi-informant approach, of how family dynamics, peer relations, teacher-child interactions, and community factors are related to preschool aggression within the context of Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory.

Methods

Data was collected at two points, four months apart, to investigate the interplay among sociodemographic, individual, family, and school factors and subsequent child aggression. The study included 394 children (184 girls, 210 boys), aged 3 to 6 years (M = 4.36, SD = 0.87). Caregivers completed questionnaires on socioeconomic status, community relationships, children's emotional regulation, and family functioning. Teachers rated closeness with each child, while children nominated liked and disliked peers, as well as those exhibiting aggressive or victimized behaviour.

Results

Logistic regression models revealed stronger associations between peer aggression and victimization and individual factors over microsystems. Surprisingly, community cohesion showed a robust positive link with an increased likelihood of children being nominated as victims, challenging the assumption that positive parenting practices and strong community cohesion always leads to positive outcomes for individuals.

Discussion

The study advances theoretical understanding by examining how factors within preschoolers' microsystems influence aggressive behaviors, contributing to more holistic models for addressing preschool aggression and victimization in schools. The findings highlight the significance of targeted interventions, emphasizing early identification of aggression or victimization signs and customized programs for social and emotional skill development. Addressing parental stress and interparental conflict is crucial. Additionally, community-based initiatives, like strengthening support networks, play a pivotal role in fostering healthier social dynamics among preschoolers.

Elevations in Blood Pressure Associated with Exposure to Violence are Mitigated by Pro-gun-Carrying Attitudes among Street-Identified Black Males and Females

Living in neighborhoods with elevated rates of violent crime, such as in many poor Black American communities, is a risk factor for a range of physical and mental health challenges. However, the individual different factors that influence health outcomes in these stressful environments remain poorly understood. This study examined relations between exposure to violence, gun-carrying attitudes, and blood pressure in a community sample of street-identified Black American boys/men and girls/women. Survey data and blood pressure were collected from 329 participants (ages 16-54; 57.1% male) recruited from two small urban neighborhoods with high rates of violence using street participatory action research methodology. Results revealed that systolic blood pressure was elevated in the sample as was exposure to severe forms of direct and vicarious violence (e.g., shootings, assault). Attitudes about carrying guns moderated associations between the degree of violence exposure endorsed by participants and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Specifically, the positive association between exposure to violence and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure at low levels of pro-gun-carrying attitudes was no longer apparent at high levels of pro-gun attitudes. Furthermore, pro-gun attitudes appeared to moderate the association between exposure to violence and systolic pressure for older participants but not younger participants. Results suggest that positive attitudes about carrying guns (presumably indicative of pro-gun-carrying behavior) weakened the link between violence exposure and blood pressure. These novel findings suggest that carrying a gun may protect against the harmful effects of chronic stress from violence exposure on physical health outcomes (i.e., hypertension) among street-identified Black Americans.

Distinctiveness of Reactive and Proactive Aggression from a Variable- and Person-based Approach in Juvenile Offenders and Community Youth

The goal of this study was to examine the distinctiveness of reactive aggression (RA) and proactive aggression (PA) from a variable- and person-based approach, their psychosocial correlates and behavioral outcomes, and analyze their replicability across two samples of adolescents. The forensic sample was composed of 231 juvenile offenders and the community sample included 321 youth. At a variable-based level, the results of the factor analysis supported the original two-factor model of aggression, and RA and PA showed differential associations with a set of psychosocial correlates and behavioral outcomes. At a person-based level, three subgroups were identified, namely low aggression, moderate RA, and mixed aggression. The mixed aggression group showed the most severe profile in both samples. These results support the distinctiveness of RA and PA at a variable-based level but lead to consider PA as a severity marker rather than a distinct subgroup at a person-based level.

Trust in the Police during the Pro-Democracy Movement in Hong Kong: Psychosocial Factors of Perceived Procedural and Distributive Justice

Hong Kong has experienced social unrest in response to the proposed anti-extradition bill since early June 2019. Demonstrations and rallies have often ended in violent clashes between protestors and the police. Based on a sample of 1024 Hong Kong adults, this study explored the psychosocial factors underlying public perceptions of police procedural and distributive justice among Hong Kongers. Testing the propositions of several criminological theories (i.e., neutralization theory, the general aggression model, general strain theory, and self-control theory), the findings indicated that men reported significantly more positive general perceptions of police procedural and distributive justice, better general mental health, and more negative attitudes toward violence than women did. Young adults perceived significantly higher levels of police general, procedural, and distributive justice than did their middle-aged and older counterparts, who reported significantly better general mental health and greater self-control. Multivariate analyses indicated that across all age groups, better general mental health, greater self-control, and more negative attitudes toward violence were significantly associated with positive perceptions of police general, procedural, and distributive justice. This study concludes with practical guidance for enhancing public perceptions of police procedural and distributive fairness.

Violent Victimization and Violence Perpetration Among American Indian Adolescents

In the current study, we propose an integrative approach, which will incorporate elements from the social learning and self-control theories of delinquency and crime to examine violence in an understudied, marginalized, and often discriminated subpopulation group-American Indian youth. The analysis is based on survey data collected between 2009 and 2013 from a sample of American Indian adolescents (N = 3,380) enrolled in 27 school districts located in five regions of the United States (Northern Plains, Southwest, Upper Great Lakes, Southeast/Texas, and the Northeast). The main objective of the analysis is to identify the factors more likely to predict violent offending among American Indian adolescents, a vulnerable group that has an elevated risk of violent victimization. Results of the Tobit regression analysis indicate that in both gender groups a low level of self-control, association with delinquent friends, poor school performance, and underage alcohol consumption significantly predict violence perpetration. Nonetheless, experience with direct violent victimization has the largest effect on male and female adolescents' violent behavior. Although living with both biological parents and childhood exposure to domestic violence do not influence significantly the adolescents' aggressive behavior, parental monitoring does have a significant violence-deterrent effect in both gender groups. Findings suggest that more opportunities should be created for indigenous communities to control their education systems and ensure American Indian students achieve academic success, which is one of the violence protective factors identified in this study. Moreover, measures meant to prevent youth violence in American Indian communities should also focus on parents/caregivers who, directly and indirectly, have the capacity to reduce the adolescents' risk of becoming victims and/or perpetrators of violence.

Making meaning of community violence among adolescents: Associations between exposure, pro-violence attitudes and psychological symptoms

This study examined one type of adolescent meaning making (i.e., the development of beliefs about violence) and its association with reported mental health symptoms in a sample of youth exposed to community violence. Eighty-seven adolescents (age 11-18; 64.4% female) from a metropolitan city in the Northeast were recruited through Craigslist and recreation center postings and data collection occurred from 2009 to 2013. Participants completed self-reported measures of community violence exposure, attitudes toward violence, and psychological symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]. Bivariate correlations, hierarchical linear regressions, and mediation analyses examined the associations between exposure, beliefs about violence, and mental health symptoms. Self-reported pro-violence attitudes were positively correlated with depression symptoms (r = 0.32, p < 0.01) and PTSD (r = 0.45, p < 0.01). Pro-violence attitudes significantly mediated the relationship between community violence exposure and depression symptoms (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.003-0.061) and PTSD symptoms (95% CI = 0.046-0.260). Preliminary findings suggest that meaning making through the development of pro-violence attitudes may not protect against symptoms of PTSD and depression among youth. Findings can inform the integration of meaning making processes into community mental health interventions for youth.

Linking violent video games to cyberaggression among college students: A cross-sectional study

To explore the relationship between exposure to violent video games and college students' cyberaggressive behavior and its internal mechanism, a cross-sectional survey was carried out with a sample of 1141 college students who completed the Violent Video Game Listing Questionnaire (VVLQ), Adolescent Online Aggressive Behavior Scale (AOABS), Beliefs Supportive of Violence Scale (BSVS), and Trait Anger Scale (TAS). The results showed that (1) exposure to violent video games was positively associated with college students' cyberaggressive behavior; (2) trait anger moderated the positive relationship between exposure to violent video games and college students' cyberaggressive behavior; (3) trait anger moderated the positive relationship between exposure to violent video games and college students' attitude toward violence; (4) attitude toward violence acted as a partial mediator in the positive relationship between exposure to violent video games and college students' cyberaggressive behavior; and (5) through attitude toward violence, trait anger plays a mediated moderating role in the positive relationship between exposure to violent video games and college students' aggressive behavior.

Translating Violence Prevention Programs from Research to Practice: SafERteens Implementation in an Urban Emergency Department

BACKGROUND

Youth violence is a leading cause of adolescent mortality, underscoring the need to integrate evidence-based violence prevention programs into routine emergency department (ED) care.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the translation of the SafERteens program into clinical care.

METHODS

Hospital staff provided input on implementation facilitators/barriers to inform toolkit development. Implementation was piloted in a four-arm effectiveness-implementation trial, with youth (ages 14-18 years) screening positive for past 3-month aggression randomized to either SafERteens (delivered remotely or in-person) or enhanced usual care (EUC; remote or in-person), with follow-up at post-test and 3 months. During maintenance, ED staff continued in-person SafERteens delivery and external facilitation was provided. Outcomes were measured using the RE-AIM implementation framework.

RESULTS

SafERteens completion rates were 77.6% (52/67) for remote and 49.1% (27/55) for in-person delivery. In addition to high acceptability ratings (e.g., helpfulness), post-test data demonstrated increased self-efficacy to avoid fighting among patients receiving remote (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.36) and in-person (IRR 1.23, 95% CI 1.12-1.36) SafERteens, as well as decreased pro-violence attitudes among patients receiving remote (IRR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.91) and in-person (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77-0.99) SafERteens when compared with their respective EUC groups. At 3 months, youth receiving remote SafERteens reported less non-partner aggression (IRR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31-0.87, Cohen's d -0.39) and violence consequences (IRR 0.47, 95% CI 0.22-1.00, Cohen's d -0.49) compared with remote EUC; no differences were noted for in-person SafERteens delivery. Barriers to implementation maintenance included limited staff availability and a lack of reimbursement codes.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing behavioral interventions such as SafERteens into routine ED care is feasible using remote delivery. Policymakers should consider reimbursement for violence prevention services to sustain long-term implementation.

How Does Family Communication Relate to Adolescent Dating Violence and Externalizing Behaviors? The Role of Parent-Adolescent Risk Communication and Attitudes toward Violence in a Nicaraguan Sample

Family plays a critical role for adolescent socialization. Parents in particular can promote either adolescent prosocial or problem behaviors. The purpose of the present study is two-fold. The first is to investigate the main and interaction effects of family communication (i.e., verbal hostility and expressiveness) on adolescent risk behaviors (i.e., dating violence and externalizing behaviors). The second is to test whether family communication is indirectly associated with adolescent risk behaviors through parent-adolescent risk communication and adolescent attitudes toward violence. Nicaraguan 7^th and 8^th graders were recruited to participate in paper-pencil surveys (N = 1,651). Path analysis identified significant main effects of verbal hostility for adolescent dating violence and externalizing behaviors. Although expressiveness did not show a significant main effect, interaction effects with verbal hostility were identified for both dating violence and externalizing behaviors. When verbal hostility was low, expressiveness was negatively related to adolescent dating violence and externalizing behaviors whereas when verbal hostility was high, expressiveness was positively associated with these behaviors. Significant indirect effects were detected only via adolescent attitudes toward violence. Prevention efforts that promote positive family environments and especially that eliminate verbal hostility are suggested.

Understanding the Situational Context for Interpersonal Violence: A Review of Individual-Level Attitudes, Attributions, and Triggers

Research conducted with violent offenders demonstrates an overwhelming tendency for individuals in this population to frame their violent acts as tuned responses to perceived slights ranging from verbal insults to ostensibly nonviolent physical actions. To date, no review has characterized and categorized specific situational cues that are associated with interpersonal violence/ideation. Here, literature addressing attitudes, attributions, and triggers around reactive forms of violence and perspectives on violence deservedness was thematically and narratively reviewed using a theoretical framework focused on shame and threatened social bonds. Of the 29 articles that met the inclusion criteria, 11 statistically assessed relationships between attributions, attitudes, or triggers and subsequent violence/ideation, with 10 (90.1%) demonstrating, in subgroup analysis, statistically greater attitudes endorsing violence when shame or a threat to a social bond manifested. Overall, three primary axes of attribution, attitudes, or triggers toward interpersonal violence emerged from the review: (1) generalized intrapersonal justifications, (2) environmental and social group triggers, and (3) jealousy and triggers in the context of romantic relationships. These dynamics, both inside and outside of the United States, are reviewed, and a conceptual intervention model is presented. Findings illustrate that behavioral interventions specifically targeting individual- and community-level pathways to shame manifestation and emotion regulation represent an underutilized yet auspicious approach to curbing violence ideation and perpetration.

Protective and Risk Factors Associated With Youth Attitudes Toward Violence in Canada

Adolescents and young adults are the main perpetrators and victims of violence in almost all parts of the world. Theories of human behavior predict that the intention to behave violently is formed in part by the individual's attitude toward violent behavior. The purpose of this study was thus to investigate factors which both promote and protect against violent youth attitudes in Toronto, Canada's largest urban center. Multinomial logit models were fit separately for males and females in Grades 7 to 9 using cross-sectional data from the 2006 International Youth Survey. Odds ratios were estimated for the associations between levels of attitude toward violence and select factors in each of the biological, familial, peer-related, school and community domains. A graded effect of school attachment on violent attitude was observed for both sexes; male and female students who do not like school at all are 9.89 (3.15-31.0) and 6.49 (2.19-19.2) times as likely as those who like school a lot to have the "most" versus "least" violent attitude, respectively. For every one-unit increase in (negative) perception of neighborhood score, male and female students are 1.15 (1.07-1.23) and 1.20 (1.12-1.28) times as likely to have the "most" versus "least" violent attitude. The number of victimization events was associated with attitude toward violence in males but not females, while the reverse was true for academic performance and exposure to prejudice. Our findings highlight the important relationships between connections to social environments and youth attitudes toward violence, and identify modifiable factors which may be amenable to intervention. Sex-specific differences in the predictors of violent youth attitudes warrant additional investigation and have implications for policy design.

Gender differences and the correlates of violent behaviors among high school students in a post-conflict area in Indonesia

INTRODUCTION

Adolescent violence is a public health problem worldwide. Studies show that challenging environments, such as poverty and war, increase the risk of adolescent violence. This paper aims to assess gender differences in violent behaviors among adolescents in a post-conflict area in Indonesia. The other aim of this study is to investigate the correlates of adolescents' violent behaviors using the socio-ecological framework.

METHODS

This is a school-based study involving 511 students from six randomly selected high schools in Kotamadya Ambon. Active and verbal violent behaviors and the potential correlates were measured and assessed using backward linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Boys were involved in more violent behaviors than girls. However, some of the boys and girls reported being involved in all types of violent behaviors. The most significant correlates of violent behaviors across genders were community violence exposure and some types of behavioral problems.

DISCUSSION

This study highlighted the interconnectedness between community violence exposure and violent behaviors among adolescents living in a post-conflict area. The study also emphasizes the association between problem behaviors and violent behaviors. The results demonstrate the importance of both reducing community violence exposure and identifying adolescents with behavioral problems in the prevention of violent behaviors.

Attitudes Toward Violence and Gender as Predictors of Interpersonal Violence Interventions

The purpose of the research was to determine whether attitudes toward violence (ATV) and participant sex would influence notions about interpersonal violence (IPV) intervention by university students. It was anticipated those who held stronger cultural and reactive violence attitudes and males would be less in favor of intervention, but it was not certain whether gender or attitudes would be the stronger predictor for intervention approaches. An IPV intervention scale was developed to measure preferred approaches for intervention, which resulted in four approaches (affirmative intervention, no intervention, police intervention, and intervention threshold). A total of 420 university student volunteers completed the IPV intervention questionnaire followed by an ATV scale on an electronic data collection site. Results indicated ATV subtypes were stronger predictors of affirmative intervention than gender, but when considering cultural acceptability of violence, gender was the single predictor for a threshold of intervention. The findings have relevance for university and community intervention programs and public policy makers when attempting to alter the acceptability of violence to promote effective interventions.

A Longitudinal Study of Gun Violence Attitudes: Role of Childhood Aggression and Exposure to Violence, and Early Adolescent Bullying Perpetration and Victimization

This prospective study examined the effects of early childhood physical aggression and violence exposure on bullying victimization/perpetration and attitudes toward guns and violence in early adolescence (EA) in a high-risk sample. Participants included 216 mother-child dyads from an ongoing longitudinal study using multi-method assessments (e.g., classroom observations, laboratory assessment, parent-, teacher-, and child self-reports). Results supported a developmental pathway from early adversity (i.e., prenatal substance use) to aggression at kindergarten age to bullying perpetration and gun violence attitudes (aggressive responses to shame) in EA. Higher peer victimization was also associated with aggressive responses to shame in EA. Results are discussed in light of the complexity of the motives for aggression and the need for prevention and early intervention.

Intimate partner violence exposure predicts antisocial behavior via pro-violence attitudes among males with elevated levels of cortisol

The present study tested whether attitudes toward violence mediate the association between intimate partner violence exposure and antisocial behavior across adolescence, and whether cortisol level moderates these pathways in an ethnically diverse sample of 190 boys from low-income, urban families. Results suggest that a pathway from intimate partner violence exposure at age 12 to antisocial behavior at age 17 is explained by pro-violence attitudes at age 15. Boys with greater exposure to intimate partner violence endorsed stronger pro-violence attitudes, which predicted increases in antisocial behavior. Further, the pro-violence attitudes to antisocial behavior pathway was stronger among boys with heightened versus dampened cortisol levels. Results suggest that violent attitudes are important for understanding the cognitive underpinnings of antisocial behavior following intimate partner violence exposure, particularly in youth with high cortisol levels. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed with respect to targeting malleable child behavior linked to later antisocial behavior.

Development and Validation of the Youth Violence Potential Scale

The assessment of violence risk among youth remains a priority for researchers and practitioners globally. The absence of scales designed or validated in developing countries drives the need for a psychometrically sound, alternative measure. The purpose of this article is to validate the Youth Violence Potential Scale (YVPS). The YVPS was administered twice over 12 months to 318 South African males, aged 12-24 years. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of separate samples confirmed a 19-item, three-factor solution, comprised of a Deviant Peers subscale, a Pro-Gangs Attitude subscale, and a Pro-Violence Attitude subscale. The YVPS exhibited internal reliability (α = .91) and discriminant and convergent validity among its subscales. Correlation with self-reported problem behavior/offending (r = .48, p < .001) and risk assessment from the maternal caregiver (r = .39, p < .001) evidenced concurrent and external validity.

Attitude to Non-Violence Scale: Validity and Practical Use

This study used recent advances in attitude and self-perception research to develop an Attitude to Non-Violence Scale (ANVS). Participants were students from six high schools in Australia ( N = 727). Confirmatory factor analysis using within-construct and between-construct validation approaches found two positive attitude sub-scales: Cognitive (proactive understanding) and Affective (do not endorse violence), both showing convergent and discriminant validity. Scale equivalence tests found that the sub-scales were applicable to boys and girls and to junior and senior grades. Structural equation modeling found that boys had less supportive attitudes to non-violence cognitively, whereas female students in senior secondary classes had less positive attitudes to non-violence affectively. The ANVS can be easily administered to assess youth's non-violence attitudes, which may direct interventions focusing on boys' cognitive aspects while maintaining girls' positive affective attitudes toward non-violence as they mature. The positively framed instrument is suitable for education settings especially in high-risk locations where violence is prevalent.

The interaction between monoamine oxidase A and punitive discipline in the development of antisocial behavior: Mediation by maladaptive social information processing

Previous studies demonstrate that boys' monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) genotype interacts with adverse rearing environments in early childhood, including punitive discipline, to predict later antisocial behavior. Yet the mechanisms by which MAOA and punitive parenting interact during childhood to amplify risk for antisocial behavior are not well understood. In the present study, hostile attributional bias and aggressive response generation during middle childhood, salient aspects of maladaptive social information processing, were tested as possible mediators of this relation in a sample of 187 low-income men followed prospectively from infancy into early adulthood. Given racial-ethnic variation in MAOA allele frequencies, analyses were conducted separately by race. In both African American and Caucasian men, those with the low-activity MAOA allele who experienced more punitive discipline at age 1.5 generated more aggressive responses to perceived threat at age 10 relative to men with the high-activity variant. In the African American subsample only, formal mediation analyses indicated a marginally significant indirect effect of maternal punitiveness on adult arrest records via aggressive response generation in middle childhood. The findings suggest that maladaptive social information processing may be an important mechanism underlying the association between MAOA × Parenting interactions and antisocial behavior in early adulthood. The present study extends previous work in the field by demonstrating that MAOA and harsh parenting assessed in early childhood interact to not only predict antisocial behavior in early adulthood, but also predict social information processing, a well-established social-cognitive correlate of antisocial behavior.

Thinking clearly about violent cognitions: attitudes may be distinct from other cognitions

The purpose of the current study was to explore whether measures such as the Violence Scale of the Revised Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA-R-V) and the Criminal Attitudes to Violence Scale (CAVS) assess attitudes toward violence (i.e., evaluation of violence) and whether attitudes and the cognitions assessed by the MCAA-R-V and CAVS are independently associated with violent behavior. Participants (568 undergraduate students) completed the MCAA-R-V and the CAVS, as well as measures of evaluation of violence, evaluation of violent people, identification of self as violent, and past violent behavior. Exploratory factor analyses revealed that the MCAA-R-V and CAVS items formed correlated but distinct factors from the items of the evaluation of violence, evaluation of violent people, and identification of self as violent scales. Regression analyses indicated that evaluation of violence and identification of self as violent correlated with violent behavior independently of the MCAA-R-V and CAVS. Our results suggest that attitudes toward violence may be distinct from other cognitions often referred to as "attitudes" in the criminological literature, and both attitudes and these other cognitions may be relevant for understanding violent behavior.

Interactions Between Monoamine Oxidase A and Punitive Discipline in African American and Caucasian Men's Antisocial Behavior

Although previous studies have shown that interactions between monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) genotype and childhood maltreatment predict Caucasian boys' antisocial behavior, the generalizability of this gene-environment interaction to more diverse populations and more common parenting behaviors, such as punitive discipline in early childhood, is not clearly understood. Among 189 low-income men (44% African American, 56% Caucasian) who underwent rigorous assessments of family behavior and social context longitudinally across 20 years, those men with the low activity MAOA allele who experienced more punitive discipline at ages 1.5, 2, and 5 years showed more antisocial behavior from ages 15 through 20 years. Effects of punitive discipline on antisocial behavior differed by caregiver and age at which it occurred, suggesting sensitive periods throughout early childhood in which low MAOA activity elevated boys' vulnerability to harsh parenting and risk for antisocial behavior. This genetic vulnerability to punitive discipline-and not just extreme, maltreatment experiences-may generalize to other male populations at risk for antisocial behavior.

The relationship between cumulative risk and promotive factors and violent behavior among urban adolescents

Resiliency theory posits that some youth exposed to risk factors do not develop negative behaviors due to the influence of promotive factors. This study examines the effects of cumulative risk and promotive factors on adolescent violent behavior and tests two models of resilience-the compensatory model and the protective model-in a sample of adolescent patients (14-18 years old; n = 726) presenting to an urban emergency department who report violent behavior. Cumulative measures of risk and promotive factors consist of individual characteristics and peer, family, and community influences. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the two models of resilience (using cumulative measures of risk and promotive factors) for violent behavior within a sample of youth reporting violent behavior. Higher cumulative risk was associated with higher levels of violent behavior. Higher levels of promotive factors were associated with lower levels of violent behavior and moderated the association between risk and violent behaviors. Our results support the risk-protective model of resiliency and suggest that promotive factors can help reduce the burden of cumulative risk for youth violence.

Attitudes toward violence scale: psychometric properties with a high school sample

Youth violence represents a serious problem affecting individuals, communities, and the larger society. Greater efforts aimed at the eradication of youth violence are necessary, and work in this field could be enhanced by psychometrically strong measures. The present study examined the factor structure of the Attitudes Toward Violence Scale (ATV) using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a sample of 359 high school students. A three-factor structure was identified. The three factors were invariant across sex, however, males obtained significantly higher scores on the three ATV factors and on the ATV total score showing generally moderate effect sizes. Directions for future research with the ATV are discussed.

Levels and growth of specific and general norms for nonviolence among middle school students

This study examined the levels and growth of specific and general normative beliefs about nonviolence (called norms for nonviolence). The sample consisted of 1,254 middle school students from four metropolitan areas who participated in the control condition of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project. We predicted that the association and endorsement of specific and general norms for nonviolence would strengthen over time, levels and growth of norms for nonviolence would be moderated by gender and ethnicity, and norms for nonviolence would be related to youths' behaviors. Linear mixed models found that levels and direction of growth in specific and general norms varied as a function of gender, age, and ethnicity, providing partial support for our hypotheses. Specific and general norms for nonviolence were also consistently positively related to students' social skills and negatively related to students' aggressive behavior. Implications for understanding adolescent development are discussed.

Three-month follow-up of brief computerized and therapist interventions for alcohol and violence among teens

OBJECTIVES

Alcohol use and violent behaviors are well documented among adolescents and have enormous effects on morbidity and mortality. The authors hypothesized that universal computer screening of teens in an inner-city emergency department (ED), followed by a brief intervention (BI), would be 1) feasible (as measured by participation and completion of BI during the ED visit) and well received by teens (as measured by posttest process measures of intervention acceptability) and 2) effective at changing known precursors to behavior change such as attitudes, self-efficacy, and readiness to change alcohol use and violence.

METHODS

Adolescent patients (ages 14-18 years) at an urban ED were approached to complete a computerized survey. The survey was conducted daily from 12 noon to 11 pm from September 2006 through November 2008. Adolescents reporting both alcohol use and violence in the past year were randomized to a control group or a 35-minute BI delivered by a computer or therapist as part of the SafERteens study. Validated measures were administered, including demographics, alcohol use, attitudes toward alcohol and violence, self-efficacy for alcohol and violence, readiness to change alcohol and violence, and process questions, including likeability of intervention.

RESULTS

A total of 2,423 adolescents were screened. Thirteen percent of those approached refused. The population was 45% male, 58% African American, and 6.2% Hispanic. Of those screened, 637 adolescents (26%) screened positive; 533 were randomized to participate, and 515 completed the BI prior to discharge. The BIs were well received by the adolescents overall; 97% of those randomized to a BI self-reported that they found one intervention section "very helpful." At posttest, significant reductions in positive attitudes for alcohol use and violence and significant increases in self-efficacy related to alcohol/violence were found for both therapist and computer interventions. At 3-month follow-up there was 81% retention, and generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis showed that participants in both interventions had significant reductions in positive attitudes for alcohol use (therapist p = 0.002, computer p = 0.0001) and violence (therapist p = 0.012, computer p = 0.007) and significant increases in self-efficacy related to violence (therapist p = 0.0.04, computer p = 0.002); alcohol self-efficacy improved in the therapist BI condition only (therapist p = 0.050, computer p = 0.083). Readiness to change was not significantly improved.

CONCLUSIONS

This initial evaluation of the SafERteens study shows that universal computerized screening and BI for multiple risk behaviors among adolescents is feasible, well received, and effective at altering attitudes and self-efficacy. Future evaluations of the SafERteens study will evaluate the interventions' effects on behavioral change (alcohol use and violence) over the year following the ED visit.

Young adults' media use and attitudes toward interpersonal and institutional forms of aggression

Links between media violence exposure and favorable attitudes toward interpersonal violence are well established, but few studies have examined whether associations extend to include favorable attitudes toward institutional forms of aggression. Studies on this topic have not assessed multiple forms of media use and statistically controlled for individual characteristics likely to influence attitudes beyond sociodemographic information. In this study, undergraduate students (N=319) aged 18-20 years (56% male) completed a survey assessing media use (number of hours per week spent playing videogames, watching movies/TV shows, watching TV sports) and attitudes toward interpersonal violence, punitive criminal justice policies, and different types of military activities (preparedness/defense and aggressive intervention). Greater number of hours spent watching TV contact sports was associated with more favorable attitudes toward military preparedness/defense, aggressive military intervention, and punitive criminal justice policies among men independently of parental education, lifetime violence exposure within the home and community, aggressive personality, and constrained problem solving style. Greater number of hours spent watching violent movies/TV was associated with more favorable attitudes toward military preparedness/defense among men and with more favorable attitudes toward interpersonal violence and punitive criminal justice policies among women, but these associations became non-significant when adjusting for covariates.

Violence-Related Attitudes and Beliefs: scale construction and psychometrics

The 50-item Violence-Related Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (V-RABS) includes three subscales measuring possible causes of violent behavior (environmental influences, biological influences, and mental illness) and four subscales assessing possible controls of violent behavior (death penalty, punishment, prevention, and catharsis). Each subscale demonstrates good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Thus, the V-RABS and its component subscales can be valuable research tools for understanding people's beliefs about the causes and controls of violent crime.

Brief report: Acceptance of physical violence (APV) among adolescents in a Norwegian normal sample; statistical description of the assessment

The article presents a psychometric description of 11 statements related to use of physical violence. The items were tested in a normal sample (N=1700, age: 15-16) from urban and rural areas in Western Norway. The internal reliability was alpha=0.86, and the factor analysis resulted in two factors. Boys had higher mean scores than girls. Self-reported violence was predicted by acceptance of physical violence.

Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization?

It is believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization. The goal of the present study was to determine if there are relationships between real-life and media violence exposure and desensitization as reflected in related characteristics. One hundred fifty fourth and fifth graders completed measures of real-life violence exposure, media violence exposure, empathy, and attitudes towards violence. Regression analyses indicated that only exposure to video game violence was associated with (lower) empathy. Both video game and movie violence exposure were associated with stronger proviolence attitudes. The active nature of playing video games, intense engagement, and the tendency to be translated into fantasy play may explain negative impact, though causality was not investigated in the present design. The samples' relatively low exposure to real-life violence may have limited the identification of relationships. Although difficult to quantify, desensitization to violence should be further studied using related characteristics as in the present study. Individual differences and causal relationships should also be examined.