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Article
A Comparison of the Effects of Witnessing Community Violence and Direct Victimization Among Children in Cape Town, South Africa
Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2009)
  • Nancy Shields, University of Missouri–St. Louis
  • Kathy Nadasen, University of the Western Cape
  • Lois Pierce, University of Missouri–St. Louis
Abstract
This study is based on a sample of children from the Cape Town area in South Africa. The study compares the effects of witnessing school or neighborhood violence compared with being victimized in each context on psychological distress. The findings suggest that in the context of the school, victimization has a somewhat stronger effect on distress than witnessing violence. However, in the neighborhood, the opposite was the case. “Unknown locus of control” was also analyzed as a moderating variable. The findings are interpreted in the context of violence in South African society. The study also investigates the overlap between witnessing violence, victimization, and perpetration in the child's school and neighborhood. The vast majority of victims had been witnesses as well as perpetrators. Longitudinal research, which could track involvement in various forms of violence starting at a very early age, is needed to clearly assess the differential impact of each form of violence.

Disciplines
Publication Date
July 1, 2009
DOI
10.1177/0886260508322184
Citation Information
Nancy Shields, Kathy Nadasen and Lois Pierce. "A Comparison of the Effects of Witnessing Community Violence and Direct Victimization Among Children in Cape Town, South Africa" Journal of Interpersonal Violence Vol. 24 Iss. 7 (2009) p. 1192 - 1208
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/lois-pierce/6/