Connection between Neighborhood Crime and academic performance - Annotated Bibliography Example

?Bowen, N. K., & Bowen, G. L. (1999). Effects of crime and violence in neighborhoods and schools on the school behavior and performance of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 14(3), 319-342. doi: 10.1177/0743558499143003 This study examined the relationship between neighborhood and school violence and adolescents' behavior and academic performance. Specifically, the authors wanted to discover how violence affects student's attendance, behavior, and grades. Data on students' self-reported exposure to neighborhood and school violence was gathered from a sample of middle and high school students who completed the National School Success Profile (SSP). The SSP revealed reports of high exposure to environmental danger among African-Americans, males, high school students, school lunch recipients, and urban students. The study found that both neighborhood and school danger predicted attendance and behavior. Neighborhood danger, however, was more predictive of school outcomes than do school danger. This study contributed in the early identification of adolescents living in dangerous school and neighborhood environments. The authors suggested taking an ecological approach in assessing school environments to encourage excellent academic performance among adolescent students. Ceballo, R., McLoyd, V. C., & Toyokawa, T. (2004). The influence of neighborhood quality on adolescents’ educational values and school effort. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19(6), 716-739. doi: 10.1177/0743558403260021 This study determined the relationship among neighborhood quality, educational values, and school effort of adolescents. For this study, a model that incorporates both objective and subjective measures of neighborhood conditions was tested. Confounding variables related to concepts of school and family was controlled. The authors interviewed 262 poor African-American single mothers along with their 7th and 8th grade children. The authors also gathered data on household income from the United States Census. To explain the processes that link neighborhood quality and adolescents' educational values, the authors drew on social and psychological theories. The study found that middle-class neighborhoods and self-perceived academic abilities is associated with adolescent's educational values and, consequently, to school effort. Specifically, associations were found between neighborhood quality and educational values of African-American females. In addition, the study yielded gender-specific results when the model was tested separately for males and females. Dearing, E. (2004). The developmental implications of restrictive and supportive parenting across neighborhoods and ethnicities: Exceptions are the rule. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25(5), 555-575. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2004.08.007  This study explored the effect of neighborhood crime and income on the relationship between parenting style and child behavior. Restrictive and supportive parenting styles are said to influence a child's emotional well-being and academic performance. Using a longitudinal design, elementary school-age children of African-American, European-American, and Latino-American descent were studied. Positive associations were found between restrictive parenting style and depression, and between supportive parenting style and academic performance. Negative association, meanwhile, was found between restrictive parenting style and academic performance. In riskier neighborhoods, the negative effect of restrictive style in European-American children was exacerbated. On the other hand, both restrictive and supportive styles were found to be a protective factor among African-American children in riskier neighborhoods. The results for Latino-American children were generally similar with those of African-American. The author concluded that parenting styles and neighborhood context influenced children's development. Eamon, M. K. (2005). Social-demographic, school, neighborhood, and parenting influences on the academic achievement of Latino young adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(2), 163-174. doi: 10.1007/s10964-005-3214-x This study analyzed the effect of social demographics, school, neighborhood context, and parenting practices on Latino young adolescents' academic performance. For this study, the influences of three parenting practices (cognitive stimulation, parent-youth conflict, and academic involvement), lower- and better-quality neighborhoods, and demographics on reading and mathematics achievement scores were evaluated. The author used data drawn from a national sample of 388 Latino young adolescents. The study found association between the three parenting practices and achievement on reading and mathematics. Lower levels of cognitive stimulation, parent-youth conflict, poverty, and residence in lower quality neighborhoods, meanwhile, is associated with lower reading achievement. In addition, association was found between residence in better-quality neighborhoods and reading achievement. When it comes to demographics, older, Mexican-American youths who had English language problems had lower reading and mathematics achievement. The author concluded that social environment, demographics, and parenting practices predicted youth academic achievement. Fantuzzo, J. W., & Mohr, W. K. (1999). Prevalence and effects of child exposure to domestic violence. The Future of Children, 9(3), 21-32. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1602779 This study proposed a model that improved data gathering procedures in the study of domestic violence effects in children's social, emotional, and psychological well-being. The authors pointed to the lack of credible data sources on domestic violence and the methodological flaws of research in this area. The Spousal Assault Replication program, the authors propose, collects data from the police and university researchers. The authors also examined literature on domestic violence which revealed detrimental effects on children's well-being. Specifically, associations were found between exposure to domestic violence and children's aggressive behavior, depression and/or anxiety, social incompetence, and low academic achievement. It is suggested to conduct more research on intervention programs and management of public and private funds devoted to children. The authors concluded that improving data gathering practices is necessary in conducting research about the effects of domestic violence on children. Fauth, R. C., Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). Does the neighborhood context alter the link between youth’s after-school time activities and developmental outcomes? A multilevel analysis. Developmental Psychology, 43(3), 760-777. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.43.3.760 This study examined the effect of neighborhood context on the relationship between children's after-school time activities and developmental outcomes. For this study, associations between 5 activities which include participation in sports, arts, student government, community-based clubs, and church groups, and developmental outcomes such as anxiety/depression, delinquency, and substance abuse were explored. Using a longitudinal design, a sample of 9- and 12-year old children was drawn from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) and was subjected to a multilevel analysis. The study found associations between participation in activities and developmental outcomes. Neighborhood context was also found to influence, to a certain degree, those outcomes. Negative associations, meanwhile, were found between participation in the arts, student government, and average substance use. In violent neighborhoods, positive association was found between participation in community-based clubs and anxiety/depression. In contrast, participation in church groups served as a protective factor against substance use in nonviolent neighborhoods. Gonzales, N. A., Cauce, A. M., Friedman, R. J., & Mason, C. A. (1996). Family, peer, and neighborhood influences on academic achievement among African-American adolescents: One-year prospective effects. Journal of Community Psychology, 24(3), 365-387. doi:10.1007/BF02512027 This study analyzed the influences of family, peer, and neighborhood on the school performance of high school students. Family status variables were identified as family income, parental education, and family structure. Parenting variables, on the other hand, were identified as maternal support and restrictive control. Using a 1-year prospective design, 120 African-American junior high school students were studied. The study found that family status variables do not students' school performance. Specifically, a prospective relationship was found between maternal support at Time 1 and adolescent grades at Time 2. In the prospective analysis of riskier neighborhoods, the students achieved lower grades while peer support predicted better grades. In addition, the effects of maternal restrictive control and peer support on students' grades were tempered in riskier neighborhoods. The authors concluded that the problem of academic performance in African-American communities should be tackled with an ecological approach. Grogger, J. (1997). Local violence and educational attainment. The Journal of Human Resources, 32(4), 659-682. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/146425 This study determined the relationship between violence and educational attainment. It is stated that violence occurrence in and around schools has generated concern from policymakers and the general public. The lack of research in this area has prompted the author to conduct his own study on the topic. Using data from the High School and Beyond survey, the author analyzed the effect of violence in high school graduation and college attendance. The study found that local violence produced moderate effects on educational attainment. Specifically, moderate levels of violence reduced the likelihood of high school graduation by 5.1 percentage points. Consequently, violence reduced the likelihood that a student will attend college by 6.9 percentage points. The author concluded that school violence combined with neighborhood violence produced significant effects on educational attainment. It is suggested that policies that aim at reducing local violence can prove beneficial on educational attainment. Henrich, C. C., Schwab-Stone, M., Fanti, K., Jones, S. M., & Ruchkin, V. (2004). The association of community violence exposure with middle-school achievement: A prospective study. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25(3), 327-348. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2004.04.004  This study explored the relationship between exposure to community violence and academic performance. It is hypothesized that depression, aggression, and parental support mitigated the effects of violence exposure on students. This study utilized a prospective design to examine the long-term effects of exposure to community violence among 759 urban middle-school students. The study yielded different patterns of effects for witnesses of violence and victims of violence. Association was found between witnessing a violence and low academic achievement over time. Depressive symptoms, aggression, and parental support, however, did not mitigate those effects. Victimization, meanwhile, was not related to low academic achievement. Specifically, boys who reported low parental support felt less safe in school over time. The authors suggested taking an ecological approach in dealing with problems of academic achievement among students living in communities with high occurrence of violence. Lord, H., & Mahoney, J. L. (2007). Neighborhood crime and self-care: Risks for aggression and lower academic performance. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1321-1333. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1321  This study established the relationship between crime and children's behavior. Literature suggested that neighborhood context influenced children's behavior and academic performance. Working on a hypothesis that child supervision through self-care influences the effect of crime, the authors explored possible associations among neighborhood official crime rates, academic performance, and aggression. Operating on a longitudinal design, the average weekly hours spent in self-care by 581 children in 1st to 3rd grades were clustered into low, moderate, and high. For children in high crime areas, the study found a link between moderate and high amounts of self-care and increased aggression and decreased academic performance when neighborhood, family, and child covariates were controlled. On average-crime areas, however, the authors did not find a link. In addition, when self-care was combined with participation in after-school programs, the academic performance of children in high crime areas was favorable. The authors concluded that neighborhood crime and self-care are risk factors in child aggression and academic performance. Maguin, E., & Loeber, R. (1996). Academic performance and delinquency. Crime and Justice, 20, 145-264. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1147645 This study explored the relationship between academic performance and delinquent behavior. The effect of intervention and prevention programs in academic performance and delinquency was also studied. The authors subjected naturalistic studies of academic performance-delinquency relationship and intervention studies for reducing delinquency and improving academic performance to meta-analysis. The study found associations between low academic performance and frequent offenses, serious and violent offenses, and persistent offenses. Specifically, a stronger association was found for whites than for African-Americans, and for males than for females. In addition, academic performance was found to predict delinquency when socioeconomic status is controlled. For intervention studies of adolescent children, programs that use law-related or moral education components were found to improve academic performance and decrease delinquency. For intervention studies of young school-age children, meanwhile, significant improvements were also reported in academic performance and delinquency when self-control, social skills, and parent training components were used. Overstreet, S., & Braun, S. (1999). A preliminary examination of the relationship between exposure to community violence and academic functioning. School Psychology Quarterly, 14(4), 380-396. doi:10.1037/h0089015 This study determined the relationship between exposure to community violence and academic functioning. Literature suggested that family achievement expectations and religion were compensatory factors that strengthened the academic resilience of students. The authors hypothesized that family achievement expectations and religion influence the relationship between community violence and academic functioning. For this study, a group of 45 African-American children who currently live in a high risk urban environment comprised the sample. The study found a weak relationship between exposure to violence and academic functioning. That relationship, however, was strengthened in specific circumstances. Specifically, exposure to community violence was found to influence the relationship between family achievement expectations, religion, and academic functioning. When exposed to high levels of community violence, children possessing high academic aspirations and a strong religious background are said to be most at risk for low academic achievement. Ozer, E. J., McDonald, K. L. (2006). Exposure to violence and mental health among Chinese American urban adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(1), 73-79. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.09.015  This study established the relationship between exposure to violence and mental health of Chinese-American urban adolescents. For this study, the authors examined self- and teacher-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, adaptive functioning, and perpetration of violence. Using a cross-sectional design, 71 Chinese-American young adolescents from nine urban middle schools were selected. To predict self-reported symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and teacher-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, adaptive functioning, and perpetration of violence, the data gathered from the sample was subjected to hierarchical multiple regressions. The study found that exposure to violence predicted higher self-reported symptoms of PTSD and depression when daily hassles are controlled. In addition, exposure to violence predicted higher perpetration of violence when prior academic achievement and daily hassles were controlled. The authors concluded that exposure to violence have detrimental effects on mental health and served to perpetrate violence among Chinese-American adolescents in urban areas. Schwartz, D., & Proctor, L. J. (2000). Community violence exposure and children's social adjustment in the school peer group: The mediating roles of emotion regulation and social cognition. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 670-683. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.68.4.670 This study explored the relationship between exposure to community violence and peer group social adjustment of children. Literature suggested that emotion regulation and social cognition influence the relationship between community violence exposure and children's social adjustment. Positive and negative associations are hypothesized between emotion regulation and social cognition practices and children's adjustment mechanism to violence. For this study, a cross-sectional design was used in examining 285 inner-city children from 4th to 6th grades. The children underwent a survey that detailed their exposure to violence through witnessing or actual victimization. To assess their social adjustment with peers, a peer nomination inventory was administered. The study found an association between victimization and negative social adjustment which is influenced by emotion dysregulation. In addition, social information processing was found to influence the association between witnessing a violence and aggressive behavior. The authors concluded that exposure to violence is linked to social maladjustment. Schwartz, D., & Gorman, A. H. (2003). Community violence exposure and children’s academic functioning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 163-173. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.95.1.163 This study explored the relationship between exposure to community violence and children's academic performance. Literature suggested that exposure to violence can have detrimental effects on children's academic functioning. The authors hypothesized that cognitive and behavioral practices influenced the relationship of violence exposure and academic performance. Using a cross-sectional design, 237 urban elementary school children were given a self-report inventory that assessed their exposure to community violence. The researchers also obtained achievement test scores and GPAs from school records, and took a multi-informant approach to determine the psychosocial adjustment of children. The study found association between exposure to community violence and poor academic performance. Specifically, depressive symptoms and disruptive behavior were found to influence children's adjustment practices to violence. In addition, this relationship remained strong when peer bullying was controlled. Read More