Speaker
Description
Theoretical Background and Objective of the Study
Although ethnic minority children living in poor urban communities are disproportionately exposed to violence, there is little known about their perceptions of violence and lived experiences in violence-embedded school and community. The objective of this study is to explore minority children's perceptions, victimized experiences, and perceived underlying risk and protective factors of violence (including bullying) that are associated with their socio-economic-cultural community context.
Methodology and Results
Using a series of focus group interviews with 27 children, this study found that most minority children were severely exposed to multiple forms of violence (e.g., shootings, murders, fist fights, bullying) every day in schools and neighborhoods. As a consequence, they were scared to go outside, worried of being victimized, and expressed anxiety about gun shootings in their community and nation. In addition, most children perceived violence exposure as a part of everyday normal life and depicted violent acts as an acceptable way of being cool or protecting themselves from aggressive peers and dangerous neighborhoods. In other words, they need to be ‘tough’ to protect themselves and promote the idea that "if someone hits you, you hit them back." Regarding multifaceted social determinants of violence, they identified various individual traits, dysfunctional family situations, peer/gang pressure and violent ridden community environments.
Conclusion
Children’s sophisticated recognition of the multifaceted risk and protective factors demonstrates their credibility and potential contributions to design a violence prevention program and suggests child-centered, community-based, and culturally competent violence reduction services in poor urban communities.
Keywords
Minority child; perception of violence; lived experience; prevention; risk factors;
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Qualitative method study |
|---|---|
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
