The Interplay of Community and Family Risk and Protective Factors on Adjustment in Young Adult Immigrants

Abstract

We examined the direct and interactive effects of community violence and both family cohesion and conflict on collective efficacy and aggressive behaviors among immigrant young adults. Participants included 221 young adults (ages 18-26; mean age = 21.36; 45.7% female, 190 born outside the U.S.) who completed self-report measures of their exposure to neighborhood violence, social cohesion, collective efficacy, and prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers. Results, in general, showed that community violence and family cohesion were positively associated with collective efficacy whereas community violence and family conflict were positively associated with aggressive behaviors. Family cohesion and conflict also moderated the links between community violence and aggressive behaviors. Discussion focuses on the interplay of community and family processes and the relations to adjustment of immigrant young adults.