Academic and Community Antecedents of Civic Participation of Black Youth in Chicago Neighborhoods, 1997–2001

• In Event: Pushing Out—Reaching In: Multidirectional Influences, Adolescents, Their Neighborhoods

Abstract

Community violence is a pervasive and damaging social phenomenon, and while the detrimental consequences of violence exposure in adolescents are well understood comparatively little is known about how youth are empowered to engage in their communities in the face of adversity. The relationship between community violence, various psychosocial factors, identification as “gifted,” and civic and community engagement was examined utilizing data from Black/African American youth participating in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Civic engagement in the late teen years was the best predictor of formal and informal community engagement in young adulthood, while voting attitudes were not predicted by any model variables. Post-hoc analyses revealed differential effects for those who were and were not identified as “gifted.”

Authors

• Jessica Ross, University of Missouri - Kansas City

• Carolyn E. Barber, University of Missouri - Kansas City