A Systematic Review of Adolescent Resilience in the Context of Community Violence and Delinquency

• In Event: Roundtable: Juvenile Justice

Abstract

This paper discusses a systematic review exploring how resilience is conceptualized
in the literature among adolescents exposed to community violence. Guided by Critical Race
Theory (CRT) and Quantitative Critical Methodologies (QuantCrit), the review critically
examines empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025 in the United States.
Inclusion criteria required studies to examine community violence exposure as an independent
variable, delinquency as an outcome, and at least one protective or moderating factor. Findings
highlight three major gaps: (1) limited focus on delinquency as a distinct outcome separate from
general externalizing behaviors, (2) persistent racial bias in sampling and framing, with
adolescents racialized as Black and Latinx overrepresented in risk-based models, and (3) under-
theorized or overly individualistic definitions of resilience. We discuss how these patterns
reinforce deficit-based paradigms and argue for a justice-oriented reframing of resilience. Final
results and conclusions may shift as the review progresses, and updated insights will be
presented during the session. The roundtable invites dialogue on how resilience can be more
equitably studied and supported in youth facing structural adversity.

Authors

• Nagham Abouzeid, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

• Elizabeth I. Johnson, University of Tennessee

• Raegan K. Hooks, King's College, London