| The purpose of this study was to estimate a path model examining the paths of influence from 7th grade student's background (race, gender, family, school) and victimization on depression and anxiety. Existing data from a Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant was used for this analysis. The questionnaire was administered to all seventh-grade students (N = 1,394) attending eight middle schools located in a small southern city. Of these students, approximately 47% were male and approximately 53% were female. The majority of the students were African American (67%), followed by Caucasian (28%), and other (5%). Path analysis was conducted to examine the three hypotheses that (1) the total effects of exposure to violence will be strong and positive, resulting in higher levels of exposure to violence being associated with higher levels of victimization; (2) the mediational model linking exposure to violence to anxiety and depression through victimization would also be associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression; and (3) the association between exposure to violence and depression and anxiety would be observed for males, African Americans, single parent households, and neighborhood schools. To test the three hypotheses, two separate path analyses were examined based on the two dependent variables of anxiety and depression. The findings of the study indicate that exposure to violence and victimization were mediating variables for indirect effects on anxiety and depression. Exposure to violence is also a mediating variable for the indirect effects of gender on the anxiety model and the depression model. However, victimization is the dominant mediating variable in that it carried the indirect effects of four of the seven variables in the study. These findings offer the support of a theoretical formulation linking background variables (i.e., gender, race, school), exposure to violence, and victimization to depression and anxiety which supports the hypothesized relationships of the causal model. With regards to this study, males, African Americans, and students attending magnet schools tend to experience higher levels of higher levels of victimization, which mediates anxiety and depression. Victimization is a stronger mediator for race, gender, and school carrying indirect effects on anxiety and depression. |
