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Journal of Interpersonal Violence
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A Comparison of the Effects of Witnessing Community Violence and Direct Victimization Among Children in Cape Town, South Africa

Nancy Shields

University of Missouri-St. Louis, Nancy_Shields{at}umsl.edu

Kathy Nadasen

University of the Western Cape

Lois Pierce

University of Missouri-St. Louis

This study is based on a sample of children from the Cape Town area in South Africa. The study compares the effects of witnessing school or neighborhood violence compared with being victimized in each context on psychological distress. The findings suggest that in the context of the school, victimization has a somewhat stronger effect on distress than witnessing violence. However, in the neighborhood, the opposite was the case. "Unknown locus of control" was also analyzed as a moderating variable. The findings are interpreted in the context of violence in South African society. The study also investigates the overlap between witnessing violence, victimization, and perpetration in the child's school and neighborhood. The vast majority of victims had been witnesses as well as perpetrators. Longitudinal research, which could track involvement in various forms of violence starting at a very early age, is needed to clearly assess the differential impact of each form of violence.

Key Words: children • community violence • witnessing violence • victimization • psychological distress

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 24, No. 7, 1192-1208 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0886260508322184
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