Abstract
Inner city youths are at particular risk for violence. The social effects of violence on our adolescents have profound implications on their development, now and as they mature into adulthood. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of exposure to violence in an inner city community on aspects of adolescent identity development during this critical phase. The collection of data was pursued to answer specific questions: (a) what are adolescents' experiences with exposure to violence in their community as revealed in their self narratives, (b) what interpretations and meanings do adolescents ascribe to their exposure to violence in the community, (c) how does exposure to violence affect adolescents' self image, view of a just and benevolent world, value of human life, ideology of right and wrong, and thoughts of their future? The conceptual orientation for this study was psychobiography, or life history. Personal narratives are significant resources for understanding individual persons. The ascribed meanings for life experiences influence how persons organize their self identity. The methodology for this study was a qualitative exploratory design that used a non-probability sample. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 were recruited from inner city community programs. Data were collected from a demographic sheet and written transcripts of audio-taped stories. The chronological arrangement of events of exposure on an Age Line helped participants organize their stories. Data were analyzed according to the methodologies of narrative and constant comparative analysis. Thirteen participants, 11 Blacks, 1 Hispanic, 1 Mixed race, completed the study by telling their personal stories describing their exposure to community violence. The numbers of exposures to community violence ranged from 2 to 6 per person. The young persons in this study used coping strategies of distrust, detachment, distraction, and minimization. A major theme was one of oppression. Further research is needed to expand the knowledge of the impact of violence on adolescent identity development.
Sigma Membership
Kappa
Type
Dissertation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Inner City Youths, Violence, Social Effects, Identity Development
Advisors
Flaherty, Sr. Mary Jean||Hallal, Janice||Grosso, Camille
Degree
PhD
Degree Grantor
The Catholic University of America
Degree Year
2000
Recommended Citation
Schiavone, Deborah L., "A descriptive study of the effects of exposure to violence in an inner city community on aspects of adolescent identity development during this critical phase" (2024). Dissertations. 580.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dissertations/580
Rights Holder
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Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2024-03-13
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9969561; ProQuest document ID: 304586312. The author still retains copyright.