Rural Neighborhoods and Child Aggression. Issue 3 (10th September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bowen, Natasha K.; Wretman, Christopher J.
• Is Part Of: American journal of community psychology. Volume 54:Issue 3/4(2014)
• Page Start: 289
• Page End: 303
• Publication Date: 2014-09-10
• Subjects: Neighborhood -- Aggression -- Pre-adolescence -- Structural equation model -- Contagion -- Social control; Community psychology -- Periodicals; Community mental health services -- Periodicals; Community psychiatry -- Periodicals; Community Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Community Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1007/s10464-014-9673-z
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0091-0562

Abstract

Abstract: Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to evaluate the direct and mediated effects of a neighborhood risk factor (negative teen behaviors) on the parent‐report aggressive behavior of 213 students in grades 3 through 5 attending a school in a low‐income, rural community. Contagion and social control hypotheses were examined as well as hypotheses about whether the neighborhood served as a microsystem or exosystem for rural pre‐adolescents. Analyses took into account the clustering of students and ordinal nature of the data. Findings suggest that rural neighborhoods may operate as both a microsystem and exosystem for children, with direct contagion effects on their aggressive behaviors as well as indirect social control effects through parenting practices. Direct effects on aggression were also found for parenting practices and child reports of friends' negative behaviors. Pre‐adolescence may be a transitional stage, when influences of the neighborhood on child behavior begin to compete with influences of caregivers. Findings can inform the timing and targets of violence prevention in rural communities.