Violence Exposure in South African Adolescents: Differential and Cumulative Effects on Psychological Functioning

This study examined the associations between different types of violence victimization and psychological functioning in South African adolescents. Both differential and cumulative effects of violence were investigated. A multi-ethnic (Black, White, people of mixed heritage, and people of Indian/Asia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of interpersonal violence 2021-05, Vol.36 (9-10), p.4084-4110
Main Authors: Sui, Xincheng, Massar, Karlijn, Kessels, Loes T. E., Reddy, Priscilla S., Ruiter, Robert A. C., Sanders-Phillips, Kathy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Bullying
Crime Victims
Emotional abuse
Ethnic groups
Exposure to Violence
Female
Humans
Male
Mental depression
Pessimism
Secondary schools
South Africa
Teenagers
Victimization
Victims of Crime
Violence
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Summary:This study examined the associations between different types of violence victimization and psychological functioning in South African adolescents. Both differential and cumulative effects of violence were investigated. A multi-ethnic (Black, White, people of mixed heritage, and people of Indian/Asian descent) sample of adolescents in secondary schools in the Western Cape Province (N = 1,574; boys = 46.5%, girls = 53.5%; Mage = 16 years) completed a survey on their experiences of exposure to violence (across different contexts and polyvictimization) and their levels of hopelessness, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and suicidal ideation. The results showed that indirect and direct victimization in the community, and indirect political victimization were consistent predictors for adverse psychological functioning, whereas victimization in home and school contexts did not emerge to be significant. Polyvictimization had a consistent linear effect on psychological symptoms. Interventions in South Africa should focus on addressing the psychological effects of community and political victimization on adolescents. Adopting a holistic treatment approach would be useful to gain a comprehensive understanding of adolescents’ victimization experiences and maximize the impact of support to enhance their psychological functioning.
ISSN:0886-2605
1552-6518
1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/0886260518788363