A Comparative Analysis of Exposure to Violence Among Veterans and Urban Residents

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Prior research has well documented the variety of psychological traumas of men returning home for war. Most widely documented is the prevalence of PTSD among veterans. For war veterans, PTSD is most often a consequence of exposure to violence, witnessing violence, engaging in violence and so on. Often times these men come back home with serious trauma that impacts their everyday life. However, what is often not discussed in the trauma literature, is the effects of trauma among urban residents. The criminological literature has well documented that offenders also tend to become victims of violence. This study proposes a comparative qualitative analysis of war veterans and urban residents in order to understand how exposure to violence can impact one’s daily functioning. Specifically, the effects of living in neighborhoods riddled with violence and victimization. This analysis hopes to bridge the gap in the victimization literature as well, where offending men are often less likely to be perceived as victims.

Author

• Cherrell Green, University of Missouri-St. Louis