W. Rodney Hammond

Psychology's role in the public health response to assaultive violence among young African-American men.

African-American male adolescents face disproportionate risk for death or injury resulting from assaultive violence. This article presents a public health framework for examining the problem and developing interventions. A brief interdisciplinary review of research is provided on the nature and extent of the problem, its etiology, and current approaches to prevention. Attention is called to intra- and intergroup differences in patterns among White and ethnic minority youth and to specific theories and research about assaultive violence among young African-American men. Emerging imperatives in the search for solutions are identified, emphasizing the need for cultural sensitivity in the design of preventive interventions and an expanded role for psychologists in the public health response to this critical health problem.

Preventing Violence in At-Risk African-American Youth

Homicide and nonfatal injuries resulting from interpersonal violence are significant contributors to the excess early mortality and morbidity of African-American youth. Although there is growing recognition of the need for prevention programs specifically directed to these youth, culturally relevant programs to reduce aggression and victimization in high-risk racial and ethnic groups are virtually nonexistent. This article reports preliminary findings of a program to train African-American adolescents in social skills, an approach which shows promise as a means of preventing violence. The pilot study suggests a need for continued research on this and other prevention approaches to reduce the disproportionate-and preventable-risk of injury or death for this vulnerable population.

Panel IV: Risk-Taking and Abusive Behaviors Among Ethnic Minorities

The health status and health outcomes of many ethnic minorities have remained poor, or have deteriorated, despite massive health promotion campaigns. Multiple factors that encourage ethnic minorities to engage in high-risk behaviors and those that discourage health promotive behaviors must be closely examined before any health interventions are likely to be successful in decreasing substance abuse, high-risk sex, accidental deaths and injuries, and violence. Cultural and contextual factors may put some ethnic minorities in jeopardy and at higher risk for poorer health than their White counterparts (B. W. K. Yee, 1995, in press). This review article identifies contributing factors in high-risk behaviors and highlights research gaps for Americans of African, Indian, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic descent.

Breaking the Cycle

Although our knowledge of violence prevalence is far from complete, there is virtually no question that male and female African Americans of all ages are consistently overrepresented as the victims and perpetrators of interpersonal violence. This fact appears to hold true across the continuum of severity, from relatively inconsequential fights among school children to the violent deaths reflected annually in national mortality data. Evidence further suggests that within African-American families and communities there is a greater reported incidence of violent acts affecting all types of relationships (spouse/partner, parent/child, and youth and their peers) than is found among all other groups.