Youth victims of community violence: developmental outcomes and prevention challenges

This work was financed by National Funds through FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) under the project LookCrim - Looking at Crime: Communities and Physical Spaces - PTDC/DIR-DCP/28120/2017 and within the framework of the CIEC (Research Center for Child Studies of the University of Minho) project under the reference UID/CED/00317/2019.Community violence (CV) is recognized as a complex problem, with multiple origins and expressed in variable ways, encompassing different types of violence and crimes (e.g., assault, rape, robbery), as a result of circumstances that are related to the characteristics of the environment. Due to socialization and independence processes that are part of youth developmental pathways, young people tend to spend more time away from home and on the street, becoming more exposed to violence and thus also contributing to repeated victimization processes. Different studies have shown that distinct situations may promote numerous victimization processes, with a particular impact on the developmental outcomes of youth and causing great suffering. It has been reported that exposure to violence in the community is associated with mental health issues, i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, aggressive and antisocial behaviours, alcohol and substance abuse, along with multiple adverse health risk behaviours, suicidal ideation, and also resulting in subsequent homelessness in adulthood. With this review chapter, it is intended to analyse and discuss the impact that CV exposure has on youth, accompanied with practical proposals to prevent it. The concept of CV and the different types of violence and crimes that could be involved are examined, mapping the prevalence of youth affected by this form of violence, analysing the effects of exposure to CV, and concluding with initiatives aimed to contribute to the prevention against this sort of violence, and to minimize the consequences and suffering involved.