ABSTRACT

Exposure to community violence was first identified in the early 1990s as a problem of epidemic proportion in the United States affecting the lives of a substantial number of children and youth (USDHHS/PHS, 1992). Although serious violent crime against youth has decreased in major US, cities during the past decade (Brener, Simon, Krug, & Lowry 1999), a substantial number of families with limited resources continue to live in inner city neighborhoods characterized by high levels of violence, crime, and drug activity (Hill & Jones, 1997), In particular, children from ethnic minority backgrounds, such as African American and Latino, are disproportionately represented in neighbor­ hoods with high levels of poverty, substance use, and local crime. They are at a considerably higher risk of developmental harm related to their socially toxic environment than children from nonethnic minority backgrounds, particularly those of higher socio-economic status (SES; Randolph, Koblinsky, 8c Roberts, 1996), Due to this tremendous public health burden, it is crucial to understand the impact of community violence, early in development, on ethnic minority children of low SES background. Such knowledge is necessary to inform effective and ecologically sound prevention and treatment interventions for this vulnerable population.