| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between violence exposure
and internalizing symptomatology (PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation). This study also
examined the role of gender and social support within this relationship. There are several
reasons for examining the impact of exposure to violence on PTSD, depression and suicidal
ideation symptomatology. Perhaps the most prominent of theses is the recent publicity
regarding the extent of violence in schools and communities. For this study, violence
exposure was defined as being physically near, and/or observing a violent event. Past studies
have shown that violence exposure is pervasive for adults, children and adolescents
(O'Keefe, 1997; Singer et al., 1995). As the limited literature on gender differences in
violence exposure has revealed differing results, further investigation of gender differences in
violence exposure is warranted.
Studies have shown a positive relationship between different types of internalizing
symptomatology (depression, traumatic stress, suicidal ideation) and violence exposure; the
greater the violence exposure, the higher the symptoms exhibited by the individual. An
important facet of the relation between violence exposure and internalizing symptomatology
often neglected is the issue of social support. In this study negative life events was entered as
a controlling variable.
The present study examined the following hypotheses and questions: (1) There will be
significant differences between levels of social support and violence exposure for
internalizing symptomatology, controlling for negative life events; (2) What are the
differences in levels of internalizing symptomatology between males and females with high
violence exposure and high social support?, and, What are the differences in levels of
internalizing symptomatology between males and females with high violence exposure and
low social support?; and (3) Do the proportions of females and males with the low. Moderate
and high violence exposure levels significantly differ from one another?
Respondents included 431 high school students attending four schools in the Lower
Mainland of British Columbia. Students ranged in age from 13 to 20 years, attending grades
8 through 12. Of the total sample, 38% were males and 62% were females. Respondents
were asked to complete self-report measures including the Exposure to Violence
Questionnaire (EVQ), the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS), the PTS scale of
the Adolescent Psychopathology Scale ( A P S ) , the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Jr. (SIQJr),
the Adolescent Support Inventory (ASI) and the Negative Life Events Scale (NLE).
Of the total sample, 57% and 44% of females reported moderate or high levels of
violence exposure/ Eighty-nine percent of students reported and incidence of violence at their
school, and over half reported knowing someone who had been attacked.
Upon examining levels of internalizing symptomatology between males with high or
moderate levels of violence exposure and high social support and males with high or
moderate levels of violence exposure and low social support, results revealed no significant
differences between the groups on measures of internalizing symptomatology. No significant
differences between females with high or moderate levels of violence exposure and high
social support and females with high or moderate levels of violence exposure and low social
support were evident on measures of PTSD or suicidal ideation. Results revealed a
significant main effect for social support on a measure of depression.
Upon examining the levels of internalizing symptomatology between males and
females with high or moderate levels of violence exposure and high and low social support,
no significant differences were present between the groups on all measures of internalizing
symptomatology. A greater proportion of females than males were within the low group.
However, there was a greater proportion of males within the medium and high violence
exposure groups.
The high levels of violence exposure of adolescents in their communities and schools
suggest the need for developing school and community intervention programs to treat
violence and its impact on adolescent mental health. As well, the results of this study suggest
that social support may not have the previously believed buffering effect once violence
exposure is high. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate
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