Children's Attributions of Community Violence Exposure and Trauma Symptomatology

This study examines the association between community violence exposure and trauma symptomatology among young children (6-16 years; N = 120). Further, the study explores whether children's attributions of violence mediate the relationship between their exposure and their trauma symptoms. Youth completed the Kid-SAVE measure of exposure to violence, the CAPS measure of attributions/perceptions, and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). Multiple regression analyses supported the expectation that exposure to violence would produce more negative perceptions and were associated with higher TSCC symptom scores. Exposure to violence both directly and indirectly (through the negative attributions) led to higher symptom reports, and this effect was separate from the child's report of having been a victim of aggression or violence. Implications of this study include targeting children's attributions within treatment modalities for youth to reduce distress and post-traumatic stress symptomatology. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.