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The Impact of Culture‐Based Protective Factors on Reducing Rates of Violence among African American Adolescent and Young Adult Males
Author(s) -
Wallace Candice M.,
McGee Zina T.,
MaloneColon Linda,
Boykin A. Wade
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12287
Subject(s) - homicide , psychological intervention , psychosocial , suicide prevention , injury prevention , public health , demography , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , young adult , race (biology) , occupational safety and health , medicine , psychology , gerontology , environmental health , psychiatry , sociology , gender studies , nursing , pathology
Rates of violence in the United States have steadily declined over the last decade. However, there continues to be a disproportionate number of homicides among African American young men compared to their race and gender counterparts. Among African American males between the ages of 15–24, homicide is the leading cause of death. This is a public health issue that seems very preventable and a plethora of research and interventions have explored psychosocial causes that might aid in reducing rates of violence. Although there have been a significant number of efforts to understand and reduce violence, few studies or interventions have explored the unique cultural factors that might serve as buffers against violence for African American males. This study examines the role of culture in reducing rates of violent behavior among adolescent and young adult males. Findings suggest that culture plays an important protective role in the likelihood of engaging in violence for this group.