Table 3. Direct and indirect effects of exposure to community violence on sexual debut and sexual risk behaviors among males.
Dependent variable (DV) | Mediating variable (M) | Independent variable (IV) | Effect of IV on Ma B(SE) | Effect of M on DVb B (SE) | Indirect effect point estimate (95 % CI) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sexual debut | Psychological symptoms | Community violence | |||
PTSD | 0.18 (0.06)** | −0.10 (0.04)* | −0.07 (−0.17, −0.01)* | ||
Internalizing behaviors (anxiety/withdrawal/depression) | 0.12 (0.05)* | −0.08 (0.06) | −0.04 (−0.14, 0.01) | ||
Externalizing behaviors (aggression) | 0.21 (0.04)** | 0.13 (0.07)* | 0.11 (0.02, 0.24)* | ||
School engagement | |||||
Student–teacher connectedness | −0.09 (0.06) | −0.04 (0.04) | 0.01 (−0.01, 0.07) | ||
Core GPA | −0.002 (0.01) | −0.67 (0.23)** | 0.01 (−0.04, 0.06) | ||
Negative peer influences | |||||
Negative perceptions of peer attitudes toward safer sex | 0.19 (0.05)** | 0.03 (0.04) | 0.02 (−0.04, 0.10) | ||
Gang involvement | 0.02 (0.02) | 0.87 (0.59) | 0.02 (−0.01, 0.09) | ||
Total | 0.06 (−0.08, 0.21) | ||||
Risky sex | Psychological symptoms | Community violence | |||
PTSD | 0.21 (0.07)** | −0.05 (0.03) | −0.04 (−0.14, 0.01) | ||
Internalizing behaviors (anxiety/withdrawal/depression) | 0.14 (0.05)** | −0.06 (0.05) | −0.03 (−0.13, 0.01) | ||
Externalizing behaviors (aggression) | 0.22 (0.04)** | 0.12 (0.06)* | 0.10 (0.02, 0.24)* | ||
School engagement | |||||
Student–teacher connectedness | −0.09 (0.06) | −0.06 (0.03)† | 0.02 (−0.004, 0.09) | ||
Core GPA | −0.003 (0.01) | −0.31 (0.20) | 0.003 (−0.02, 0.05) | ||
Negative peer influences | |||||
Negative perceptions of peer attitudes toward safer sex | 0.17 (0.05)** | 0.09 (0.04)* | 0.07 (0.02, 0.15)* | ||
Gang involvement | 0.02 (0.02) | 0.46 (0.43) | 0.01 (−0.01, 0.08) | ||
Total | 0.13 (0.01, 0.27)* |
p < 0.10;
p < 0.05;
p < 0.01
Effect of independent variable on mediator, controlling for age
Effect of mediator on sexual risk variables, controlling for age