Exposure to violence during adolescence as a predictor of perceived stress trajectories in emerging adulthood

Early exposure to violence during adolescence is related to negative psycho-social outcomes later in life. In the present study, we examined the influence of cumulative exposure to violence during adolescence and trajectories of perceived stress in emerging adulthood in a sample of at-risk urban youth (N = 850; 80.1% African American; 50% female). Growth curve modeling indicated an overall decrease in reported stress as individuals aged. Baseline levels of violence exposure (M-age = 14.9) were associated with higher perceived stress levels in emerging adulthood (M-age = 20.1), but also slightly more negative perceived stress slopes from adolescence into emerging adulthood (M-age = 15.9-22.1). Individuals reporting increased violence exposure over time during adolescence also reported higher perceived stress levels in emerging adulthood (M-age = 20.1). Associations held after controlling for demographics and baseline functioning variables. The results suggest that violence exposure may disrupt normative adaptation to daily stressors in emerging adulthood. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.