Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Stressful Life Events, Culture, and Violence

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study explored the contributions of stressful life events and their interactions with social support and cultural factors in predicting serious violence among American adolescent immigrants of Chinese and Southeast Asian origins. Youth differed in their exposure to stressors and how they responded to them. Cambodian and Laotian youth reported the highest levels of stressors, except for emotional abuse. Only physical abuse was an independent predictor of serious violence for all groups, except Chinese. Perceived social support buffered the effects of some stressors, whereas increased levels of acculturation, intergenerational/intercultural conflict, and individualism placed youth at increased risk for serious violence. The results suggest that the moderating effects of culture and social support need to be considered when examining the association between life stressors and serious violence for Chinese and Southeast Asian youth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The University of Hawaii's Institutional Review Board limited the researchers to asking about abuse by a non-family member rather than by a family member due to the sensitive nature of inquiring about family abuse.

References

  1. Grant KE, Compas BE, Stuhlmacher AF, Thurn AE, McMahon SD, Halpert JA: Stressors and child and adolescent psychopathology: moving from markers to mechanism of risk. Psychol Bull 2003; 129:447–466

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Adam EK, Chase-Lansdale PL: Home sweet home(s): parental separations, residential moves, and adjustment problems in low-income adolescent girls. Dev Psychol 2002;38:92–805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Holmes CS, Yu Z, Frentz J: Chronic and discrete stress as predictors of children's adjustment. J Consult Clin Psy 1999; 67:411–419

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. West SG, Sandler I, Pillow DR, Baca L, Gersten JC: The use of structural equation modeling in generative research: toward the design of a preventive intervention for bereaved children. Am J Commun Psychol 1991; 19:459–480

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Youngstrom E, Weist MD, Albus KE: Exploring violence exposure, stress, protective factors and behavioral problems among inner-city youth. Am J Commun Psychol 2003; 32:115–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chang JJ, Chen JJ, Brownson RC: The role of repeat victimization in adolescent delinquent behaviors and recidivism. J Adolesc Health 2003; 32:272–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Flannery DJ, Singer MI, Wester K: Violence exposure, psychological trauma, and suicide risk in a community sample of dangerously violent adolescents. J Am Aca Child Psy 2001; 40:435–442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Baron RM, Kenny DA: The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol 1986; 51:1173–1182

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. O’Donnell DA, Schwab-Stone ME, Muyeed AZ: Multidimensional resilience in urban children exposed to community violence. Child Dev 2002; 73:1265–1282

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Weist MD, Freedman AH, Paskewitz DA, Proescher EJ, Flaherty LT: Urban youth under stress: empirical identification of protective factors. J Youth Adoles 1995; 24:705–721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Gorman-Smith D, Henry DB, Tolan PH: Exposure to community violence and violence perpetration: the protective effects of family functioning. J Clin Child Adolesc 2004; 33:439–449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Le TN: Delinquency among Asian/Pacific islanders: review of literature and research. Justice Prof 2002; 15:57–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Soriano FI, Rivera LM, Williams KJ, Daley SP, Reznik VM: Navigating between cultures: the role of culture in youth violence. J Adolesc Health 2004; 34:169–176

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Chiu YW, Ring JM: Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant adolescents under pressure: identifying stressors and interventions. Pro Psychol: Res Pr 1998; 29:444–449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Moyerman DR, Forman BD. Acculturation and adjustment: a meta-analytic study. Hispanic J Behav Sci 1992;14:163–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lim KV, Levenson M, Go CG: Acculturation and delinquency among Cambodian male adolescents in California. In: Lonner WJ, Dale L, et al. eds. Merging past, present, and future in cross-cultural psychology: selected papers from the fourteenth international congress of the international association for cross-cultural psychology. Lisse, Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers; 1999. p. 231–244

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bankston CL III, Zhou M: Valedictorians and delinquents: the bifurcation of Vietnamese American youth. Deviant Behav 1997; 18:343–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Mai TT. An examination of the Vietnamese family environment and the acculturation difference between parents and children. Maters Thesis. California State University, Fresno; 1999, Masters Abstracts International.

  19. Singelis TM, Triandis HC, Bhawuk D, Gelfand MJ: Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: a theoretical and measurement refinement. Cross-Cult Res 1995; 29:240–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Le TN, Stockale G: Individualism, collectivism, and youth delinquency. J Clin Child Psychol 2005; 34:681–691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Liu X, Kurita H, Uchiyama M, Okawa M, Liu L, Ma D: Life events, locus of control, and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents. J Clin Psychol 2000; 56:1565–1577

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Thornberry TP, Huizinga D, Loeber R: The causes and correlates of delinquency. CYC-Online. 2005, Issue 74. Available at: http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0305-thornberry.html. Accessed May 26, 2005

  23. Elliot DS, Huizinga D, Ageton SS: Explaining delinquency and drug use. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage; 1985

    Google Scholar 

  24. Huizinga D, Esbensen F, Weiher AW: Are there multiple paths to delinquency? J Crim Law Crim 1991; 82:83–118

    Google Scholar 

  25. Marsella AJ, Horvath AM: Ethnocultural identity behavior index. Asian Am Pac Isl J Health 1998; 6:45

    Google Scholar 

  26. Gorman-Smith, D, Tolan PH, Henry DB, Florsheim P: Patterns of family functioning and adolescent outcomes among urban African American and Mexican American families. J Fam Psychol 2000; 14:436–457

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ogbu JU: Minority status and schooling in plural societies. Comp Educ Rev 1983; 27:168–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhou M: Once excluded, now ascendant. In: Lai E, Arguelles D, eds. The new face of Asian Pacific American: numbers, diversity, & change in 21st century. Los Angeles: UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press; 2003. p. 37–44.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zhou M, Bankston CL III: Straddling two social worlds: the experience of Vietnamese refugee children in the United States. Urban Diversity Series No. 111. U.S., New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ima K: A handbook for professionals working with Southeast Asian Delinquent and at-risk youth. San Diego: SAY San Diego; 1991

    Google Scholar 

  31. Ying Y, Akutsu PD, Zhang X, Huang LN: Psychological dysfunction in Southeast Asian refugees as mediated by sense of coherence. Am J Commun Psychol 1997; 25:839–859

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hsu E, Davies CA, Hansen DJ: Understanding mental health needs of Southeast Asian refugees: historical, cultural, and contextual challenges. Clin Psychol Rev 2004; 24:193–213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Kinzie JD, Sack W, Angell R, Clarke G, Ben R: A three-year follow-up of Cambodian young people traumatized as children. J Am Acad Psy 1989; 28:501–504

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. U.S. Department Health and Human Services. Mental health: culture, race and ethnicity—a supplemental to mental health: a report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Huang LN, Lee Y, Arganza G: Promising approaches to youth development and risk prevention for Asian American Pacific Islander youth. Washington, DC: George Washington University, Center for Child and Human Development; 2004

    Google Scholar 

  36. Le TN, Arifuku I, Louie C, Krisberg M: Not invisible: Asian Pacific islander arrests in San Francisco County. Oakland, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency; 2001a

    Google Scholar 

  37. Le TN, Arifuku I, Louie C, Krisberg M: Not invisible: Asian Pacific islander arrests in Alameda County. Oakland, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency; 2001b

    Google Scholar 

  38. Kim TE, Goto SD: Peer delinquency and parental social support as predictors of Asian American adolescent delinquency. Deviant Behav 2000; 21:331–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Hahm HC, Lahiff M, Guterman NB: Acculturation and parental attachment in Asian-American adolescents’ alcohol use. J Adolescent Health 2003; 33:119–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Vega WA, Gil AG, Warheit GJ, Zimmerman RS: Acculturation and delinquent behavior among Cuban American adolescents: toward an empirical model. Am J Commun Psychol 1993; 21:113–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the assistance of Isami Arifuku, Mary Lai, Lila Booth, and the 18 field interviewers and interns in conducting this study. We also acknowledge Judy Wallen for providing statistical support. This publication was supported by Grant R49/CCR918619-01 from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Council on Crime and Delinquency, Oakland, California, USA

    Hieu M. Ngo & Thao N. Le

  2. Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

    Thao N. Le

  3. 1970 Broadway Suite 500, Oakland, CA, 94612, USA

    Hieu M. Ngo

Authors
  1. Hieu M. Ngo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thao N. Le
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hieu M. Ngo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ngo, H.M., Le, T.N. Stressful Life Events, Culture, and Violence. J Immigrant Health 9, 75–84 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-006-9018-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-006-9018-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation