Learning Under Fire: The Impact of Community Violence on Educational Outcomes for African American Youth
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
Keywords: community violence, trauma, deliberate practice model, educational outcomes, African American youth
Community violence is perpetuated in many African American communities and has contributed to a trauma feedback loop that sustains continued violence across generations. Community violence refers to exposure to intentional acts of interpersonal violence occurring in public spaces, such as shootings, assaults, and neighborhood conflicts. In many cases, a “kill-or-be-killed” survival mentality emerges as an adaptive response to chronic exposure. This mentality is further reinforced by racialized policies and practices, economic and social disenfranchisement, and intrapsychic factors that collectively shape developmental and educational outcomes.
This research proposal aims to understand protective factors that can break the observed cycles of community violence in communities of color. More specifically, examine the impact community violence exposure has on academic outcomes, including persistence, high school graduation, and college enrollment, among African American high school girls. In addition, this study explores whether applying the Baron and Henry (2010) Deliberate Practice Model, along with Envision Lead Grow deliberate practice framework, can serve as protective factors. These models emphasize intentional skill development, domain expertise, cognitive skill growth, self-efficacy, self-control, conscientiousness, delayed gratification, and personal leadership as mechanisms for academic achievement.
The central hypothesis is that high school girls engaged in ELG programming will be more likely to persist academically, graduate from high school, and pursue higher education compared to those not engaged in the program. Data will be collected annually in June through questionnaires assessing grade-level progression, graduation status, and college enrollment.
Understanding how exposure to community violence affects academic outcomes is important because educational achievement is a key pathway to breaking cycles of violence, economic marginalization, and social disenfranchisement. Identifying strengths-based interventions that promote resilience and academic success may provide a sustainable strategy for disrupting the community violence feedback loop and fostering long-term opportunity for African American girls.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Denise McKinney
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
dclaibor@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
TRiO McNair Scholars Program
College/School Affiliation
College of Arts & Letters
Student Level Group
Undergraduate
Presentation Type
Poster
Learning Under Fire: The Impact of Community Violence on Educational Outcomes for African American Youth
Keywords: community violence, trauma, deliberate practice model, educational outcomes, African American youth
Community violence is perpetuated in many African American communities and has contributed to a trauma feedback loop that sustains continued violence across generations. Community violence refers to exposure to intentional acts of interpersonal violence occurring in public spaces, such as shootings, assaults, and neighborhood conflicts. In many cases, a “kill-or-be-killed” survival mentality emerges as an adaptive response to chronic exposure. This mentality is further reinforced by racialized policies and practices, economic and social disenfranchisement, and intrapsychic factors that collectively shape developmental and educational outcomes.
This research proposal aims to understand protective factors that can break the observed cycles of community violence in communities of color. More specifically, examine the impact community violence exposure has on academic outcomes, including persistence, high school graduation, and college enrollment, among African American high school girls. In addition, this study explores whether applying the Baron and Henry (2010) Deliberate Practice Model, along with Envision Lead Grow deliberate practice framework, can serve as protective factors. These models emphasize intentional skill development, domain expertise, cognitive skill growth, self-efficacy, self-control, conscientiousness, delayed gratification, and personal leadership as mechanisms for academic achievement.
The central hypothesis is that high school girls engaged in ELG programming will be more likely to persist academically, graduate from high school, and pursue higher education compared to those not engaged in the program. Data will be collected annually in June through questionnaires assessing grade-level progression, graduation status, and college enrollment.
Understanding how exposure to community violence affects academic outcomes is important because educational achievement is a key pathway to breaking cycles of violence, economic marginalization, and social disenfranchisement. Identifying strengths-based interventions that promote resilience and academic success may provide a sustainable strategy for disrupting the community violence feedback loop and fostering long-term opportunity for African American girls.