ABSTRACT
Youth are at the nexus of the ecological framework, and this chapter outlines how youth characteristics shape experiences with violence and exposure to violence. Youth characteristics, behaviors, and traits place youth in situations where violence is more or less likely to occur. Several demographic variables explain youth violence and victimizations, including age, race, ethnicity, immigration status, past behavior, socioeconomic status, academic achievement, and personality traits (e.g., self-control, locus of control). Depending on their conceptualization, these variables may be a protective or risk factor to reduce or increase youth violence. The narrative describes how these variables can simultaneously inform motivation, target suitability, and capable guardianship. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how violence is uniquely part of the American cultural identity, which desensitizes people to the adverse effects of violence.
