Antecedents and Consequences of Control-Related Belief Trajectories

Introduction: With recent increases in violence in Baltimore city, understanding the impact of exposure to violence is becoming increasingly important. Control-related beliefs are often defined as beliefs in one’s ability to cause an effect in one’s environment. Previous work has shown that these beliefs have an impact on concurrent psychopathology (Han, Weisz, & Weiss, 2001). Further, work has suggested that exposure to violence influences an individual’s control related belief system (Sanchez, Lambert, & Ialongo, 2011). The present study examines whether witnessing violence during early adolescence will have a significant impact on trajectories of control-related beliefs. Further, we explore the impact of these trajectories on distal outcomes in early adulthood. 

Method: Using data from a longitudinal preventive intervention study (N=678), we model trajectories of control-related beliefs using growth mixture modeling from 9^th through 12^th grade. Exposure to violence was measured from 6^th through 8^th grade, and defined as witnessing someone being shot or stabbed. Outcomes of interest included post high school suicide attempt, a substance use disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, having a criminal justice record, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Results: The growth mixture model, performed in Mplus, identified two trajectories. The first trajectory (63%of the sample) has a relatively low intercept and a significant, decreasing slope. The second trajectory ( 37% of the sample) has a moderate intercept and a significant, increasing slope meaning that individuals feel they have increasing control over their environments.  Individuals who were exposed to violence were significantly more likely to be in the low trajectory (est.=1.63, p=.004). Distal outcomes were explored. No significant differences were found for post-high school suicide attempt or substance use disorder. However, results indicated that those in the low trajectory were more likely to have a criminal justice record, and meet diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Conclusion: Results suggest that exposure to violence can have an impact on control-related beliefs and that trajectories characterized by beliefs that the individual has very little control over their own destiny are associated with particularly negative outcomes. Prevention efforts focused on helping urban youth who may have been exposed to violence to process and cope with their experiences should specifically target control and contingency beliefs. The development of an internal locus of control will help adolescents feel more empowered or in control of their future and will, perhaps, would alter long term outcomes.