The Role of Neighborhood Income Inequality in Adolescent Aggression and Violence

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 571 - 579
• Main Authors: Pabayo, Roman, Ph.D, Molnar, Beth E., Sc.D, Kawachi, Ichiro, M.D., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Aggression; Female; Humans; Income; Income inequality; Male; Multilevel analysis; Neighborhood characteristics; Pediatrics; Residence Characteristics; Social Environment; Socioeconomic Factors; Violence; Violence - statistics & numerical data; Income inequality; Neighborhood characteristics; Multilevel analysis; Aggression; Violence; Socioeconomic factors
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.04.012

Abstract Purpose Being a perpetrator or victim of assaults can have detrimental effects on the development and health of adolescents. Area-level income inequality has been suggested to be associated with crime and aggressive behavior. However, most prior research on this association has been ecological. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to describe the association between neighborhood-level income inequality and aggression and violence outcomes. Methods Data were collected from a sample of 1,878 adolescents living in 38 neighborhoods participating in the 2008 Boston Youth Survey. We used multilevel logistic regression models to estimate the association between neighborhood income inequality and attacking someone with a weapon, being attacked by someone with a weapon, being physically assaulted, being shown a gun by someone in the neighborhood, shot at by someone in the neighborhood, witnessing someone getting murdered in the past year, and having a close family member or friend murdered. Race and income inequality cross-level interactions were tested. Analyses were stratified by sex. Results Among nonblack boys, after adjusting for nativity, age, neighborhood-level income, crime, disorder, and proportion of the neighborhood that is black, income inequality was associated with an increased risk for committing acts of aggression and being a victim of violence. Among nonblack girls, those living in neighborhoods with high-income inequality were more likely to witness someone die a violent death in the previous year, in comparison to those in more equal neighborhoods. Conclusions Income inequality appears to be related to aggression and victimization outcomes among nonblack adolescents living in Boston.