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THE ROLE OF SLEEP IN THE RELATION BETWEEN COMMUNITY VIOLENCE EXPOSURE AND DELINQUENCY AMONG LATINO ADOLESCENTS
Author(s) -
Rubens Sonia L.,
Fite Paula J.,
Cooley John L.,
Canter Kimberly S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.21648
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , psychology , psychological intervention , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , sleep (system call) , suicide prevention , poison control , psychiatry , medicine , environmental health , computer science , operating system
Little is known about factors that account for the link between community violence exposure (CVE) and delinquency among adolescents. Sleep is one factor that warrants attention, given the poor sleep habits found among many adolescents and its relation to CVE and delinquent behaviors. Further, given the growing rate of Latino youth in the United States, and their risk for CVE, examining factors that account for this relation among Latino youth is essential for developing culturally sensitive interventions. This study evaluated whether sleep problems accounted for the link between CVE and delinquency among a sample of 144 Latino adolescents (54% male; ages 14–19 years). CVE and sleep problems were uniquely related to delinquency. Further, Meeker's test of indirect effects indicated that sleep problems partially accounted for the relation between CVE and delinquency. Interventions targeting sleep problems in Latino adolescents may aid in reducing delinquency among Latino adolescents, particularly for those with CVE.