Cognitive Geocoding: African American Males Navigating Community Violence Exposure and Educational Success

Introduction:African American males have a higher probability of being exposed to violence than any other demographic group (Bell & Jenkins, 1994; U.S. Surgeon General, 2001; Bowen & Bowen, 2002). Moreover, African American males aged 15 to 19 die from homicide at 49 times the rate of their white counterparts (National Urban League, 2007). Individuals exposed to community violence are more likely to combat depression, PTSD, anxiety and aggression. These emotional factors may have also been linked to school performance. However, there are a number of African American males living in violent neighborhoods that have identified how to strategically navigate community violence exposure and maintain a positive identity and strong school values. This study identifies strategies adolescent African American males use to navigate community violence exposure that can prevent future victimization and promote positive school values.

Methods: This study uses an inductive qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews of twenty (20) high achieving (2.5 GPA and above) African American males ages 14-18 from a charter high school located in Chicago. Participants were interviewed twice over nine months; four individuals participated in one follow-up interview. Questions explored neighborhood conditions, community violence, schooling, and sources of support.

Results: Several themes emerged. First, participants managed their community violence exposure by becoming precisely aware of safe and unsafe locations in their neighborhoods. I have termed the ways the participant’s interacted with their community as cognitive geocoding. Cognitive geocodingdescribes what an individual knows: precise neighborhood boundaries, the "right" people in the neighborhood, and relevant landmarks and institutions. These facets of knowing become the basis for one's mental coding of the environment, a process similar to a Geographic Information System (Rengert & Pelfrey, 1997). Second, participant's maintained: (1) a positive identity; (2) remained focused on their future, which often meant pursuing high academic achievement and career goals.; and (3) embodied a dual identity, a neighborhood self and a school self, which allowed them to move successfully between these environments. Third, participant’s accessed various forms of emotional, academic and instrumental support from family members, “street” friends and school staff to buffer the effects of community violence exposure.

Conclusion: Results from this study highlight risk and protective factors associated with navigating community violence exposure and its impact on well-being and school value. Participants demonstrate how cognitive geocoding can be used as a tool for managing community violence, maintaining a positive identity and strong school values.