African-American Violence

Term Paper # 91530

African-American Studies
Criminology

An analysis of the preponderance of violence among the African-American Community.

1,344 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2006 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the high occurrence of violence among black youth is an alarming situation that must be addressed with a sincere commitment towards a viable outcome. It looks at how a strong social structure, coupled with an advancement of education is an essential component towards reducing the rates of violence within the black community. It also discusses how, in order to mitigate the prevalence of violence, it is important to restrict the factors that perpetuate the problems, such as abuse problems, mental health impairments, family instability, lack of employment, and a host of other general and specific concerns.

Outline
Relevant Research and Summary of Findings
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"The age of the individual exposed to violence helped suggest that older children and those cohabitating with at least one female reported having fewer stressful symptoms than did younger children. Although the inclusion of the primary female was not found to be statistically significant, the authors explained that the presence of the primary female can not be overlooked. Indeed, studies have indicated the importance of primary females upon the development of black youth (Fitzpatrick & Boldizar, 1993). Within the black family system, mothers serve as both formal and informal social support systems, whether by educating youth or presenting the youth with a defined social construct."

Sample of Sources Used:

Fitzpatrick, Kevin M. & Boldizar, Janet P. (1993). The Prevalence and Consequences of Exposure to Violence Among African-American Youth. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(2), pp. 424-431.
Mahiri, Jabari & Conner, Erin. (2003). Black Youth Violence has a Bad Rap. Journal of Social Issues, 59(1), pp. 121-141.
Uehara, Edwina S., Chalmers, Deborah, Jenkins, Esther J., & Shakoor, Bambade H. (1996). African American Youth Encounters with Violence: Results from the Community Mental Health Council Violence Screening Project. Journal of Black Studies, 26(6), pp. 768-781.