Neighborhood trauma due to violence: A multilevel analysis

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36 Scopus citations

Abstract

In Syracuse, New York the social determinants of trauma from neighborhood violence are rooted in historical processes, including urban renewal, the Rockefeller drug laws, and de-industrialization. These contributed to destabilizing Syracuse communities of color, resulting in disproportionate incarceration, family disruption, and economic devastation. Community violence, clustering in densely populated neighborhoods, creates unmanageable stress for the families who live in them. A map of gunshots and gun fatalities (2009 to 2014) illustrates the continuing onslaught of bullets being fired, oft en in close proximity to elementary schools. A community survey indicated that over half of respondents personally knew more than 10 murder victims. Half the respondents scored positive on the Civilian PTSD Checklist; there thus is a great deal of unaddressed traumatic stress in the community. This analysis, conducted to prepare for planning future interventions to reduce the community trauma and violence, is part of an ongoing university-community collaboration.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)446-462
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2017

Keywords

  • Historical trauma
  • Post-traumatic
  • Social determinants
  • Stress disorders
  • Structural racism
  • Violence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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