Adolescent girls speak about violence in their community

Abstract

Adolescent girls growing up in urban environments have been placed at increased risk for being exposed to violence in their communities. Yet few studies have examined their perceptions of the risk factors, violence, and the pressures they face on a daily basis. The present research describes two adolescent girls' perspectives concerning the challenges, fears, hopes, risks, and pressures they have experienced growing up in their community. The results have implications for violence intervention and prevention programs with adolescent girls living in urban environments.