Associations Between Social and Structural Limitations of Neighborhoods and Youth Personality Traits

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are at a higher risk for adverse behavioral outcomes, including antisocial behavior. The relationship between the physical features of a neighborhood and personality development have long been studied. Less is known about the respective differences in social and structural limitations of neighborhoods, and the strength of the relationship to youths’ personality development. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development—Social Development sub-study (ABCD-SD) is a prospective study on adolescent delinquency and victimization, and relationships to the developing brain. The ABCD-SD study collected data on delinquency, victimization, risks, and outcomes for participants from 2, 426 parent-child dyads at baseline at 5 sites across the United States. The ABCD-SD study is a sub-study of the nationwide ABCD Study. The present analyses, based on parent and child self-reports, suggest that neighborhood disorder and lack of efficacy relate to the presentation of antisocial personality traits in youth (p<0.01). However, this relationship becomes insignificant when controlling for other social variables like physical victimization by peers and parenting style. These findings suggest that family intervention and community empowerment programs must continue to sensitively target aspects of neighborhoods that support self-regulation and social control.

Authors

• Emalee Dauginikas, University of Pittsburgh

• Lia Ahonen, University of Pittsburgh

• Douglas FitzGerald, University of Pittsburgh

• Duncan Clark, University of Pittsburgh