This recent award for a three-year study provides support to undertake a thorough review of conception and measurement of neighborhood effects on youth development, particularly as relates to risk for youth violence. From the initial work of review we have developed a cadre of measures to capture key neighborhood influences and will validate these through neighborhood sampling and then apply in a short-term study of a sample of families with young children (ages 5-6) and of families with adolescents (ages 12-13). The focus is on direct relation of neighborhood characteristics to problem behavior, but also to prosocial and effective development and through impact on parenting and family stress. Results will provide methods for measurement of recognized important processes that have been hampered by little or no measurement development, absent developmental conceptualization or inadequate validation as neighborhood indicators. Findings can help clarify the relative value of community-focused efforts to more individual focused approaches and determine how settings moderate risk and preventive efforts.
PI: Deborah Gorman-Smith, Research Scientist, Chapin Hall, University of Chicago
Co-Is: Patrick Tolan Ph.D., Youth-Nex, University of Virginia;
David Henry Ph.D., Professor, College of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago;
Michael Schoeny, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Chapin Hall, University of Chicago
