Robert Motley, Whitney Sewell, and Yu-Chih Chen (2017)
Highlights
- High levels of exposure to community violence is a predictor of substance abuse
- Mixed study results concerning both the relationship between community violence exposure and violence perpetration and the relationship between community violence exposure and sexual risk-taking behaviors
- Future research should seek to identify “gold standard” measures and consider whether they have been examined with black emerging adults or similar populations and whether they capture the experiences of this unique population
- Studies investigating factors that might moderate and/or mediate the relationship between CVE, violence perpetration, substance use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults are warranted
Abstract
Black emerging adults ages 18-29, particularly those residing in predominantly black urban communities, are at risk for community violence exposure (CVE). This potentially traumatic event may induce traumatic stress reactions for black emerging adults that contribute to their engagement in violence perpetration, substance use and/or sexual risk-taking behaviors as a way to cope with their experiences. To address these identified concerns and make recommendations for future research, this article identifies and synthesizes results from studies that have examined CVE and its association with violence perpetration, substance use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults. We use the term “black” throughout the article to refer to a socially constructed racial group or identity and recognize that this group, like all other racial groups in the United States, are ethnically heterogeneous. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies that (1) included a measure of CVE (2) included a measure of violence perpetration, substance use, or sexual risk-taking behaviors, and (3) included primarily black emerging adults. Results showed CVE rates as high as 83% for black emerging adults. CVE was significantly associated with substance use, but findings on the association of CVE with violence perpetration and sexual risk-taking behaviors were mixed. Also, there was a lack of consistency in measures used to assess CVE, suggesting that future research should seek to identify “gold standard” measures and consider whether they have been examined with black emerging adults or similar populations and whether they capture the experiences of this unique population. Furthermore, studies investigating factors that might moderate and/or mediate the relationship between CVE, violence perpetration, substance use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults are warranted.
Objective
To address these identified concerns and make recommendations for future research, this article identifies and synthesizes results from studies that have examined CVE and its association with violence perpetration, substance use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults..
Methods
A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies that (1) included a measure of CVE (2) included a measure of violence perpetration, substance use, or sexual risk-taking behaviors, and (3) included primarily black emerging adults. The majority (n=5) of studies included in the review used urban low-income community samples.
Results
Results showed CVE rates as high as 83% for black emerging adults. In addition, 32% of the black emerging adults sample reported engaging in violence perpetration, 6.5% substance abuse, and 33-67% sexual risk-taking behaviors (early sexual debut, high number of total lifetime sexual partners, and engaging in unprotected sex). CVE was significantly associated with substance use, but findings on the association of CVE with violence perpetration and sexual risk-taking behaviors were mixed.
Conclusions
The collection of studies presented in this systematic review suggest that black emerging adults who are exposed to high levels of community violence are more likely to experience substance abuse, compared to black emerging adults who are not exposed to high levels of community violence. However, both the relationship between community violence exposure and violence perpetration and the relationship between community violence exposure and sexual risk-taking behaviors is unclear. Because there was a lack of consistency in measures used to assess CVE, future research should seek to identify “gold standard” measures and consider whether they have been examined with black emerging adults or similar populations and whether they capture the experiences of this unique population. Furthermore, studies investigating factors that might moderate and/or mediate the relationship between CVE, violence perpetration, substance use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors among black emerging adults are warranted.