In Their Own Words: Girls’ Perception of Neighborhood Safety

• In Event: Gendered Voices and the Intersectionality of Victimization

Abstract

Exposure to neighborhood violence is an unrelenting presence in the lives of urban youth which impacts their lives in profound ways. Much research indicates that, for these youth, it is a persistent source of danger, stress, and other adverse outcomes. This paper utilizes data from focus groups, individual interviews, and the written work of young women in order to understand how they experience their surroundings, the perception of their level of safety, and the various coping strategies they utilize in order to navigate their neighborhood. The data indicate that for these young women, living with violence is a way of life, and something that is never going to change. Thus, they have developed multiple modes of adaptation ranging from denial to complex strategies in order to remain safe.

Authors

• Jill Rosenbaum, California State University, Fullerton (Retired)

• Lindsay Kahle Semprevivo, West Virginia University