Examining protective factors against violence among high-risk youth: Findings from the Seattle Social Development Project

• Higher levels of protective factors in early and middle adolescence reduced the odds of violence in late adolescence
• Specific protective factors against violence varied across different risk groups
• Protective factors had a greater effect in reducing violence among youth with high levels of cumulative risk exposure.

PurposeThis paper examined proximal and distal effects of protective factors specified in the social development model (SDM) on youth violence among high-risk youth.MethodsData come from the Seattle Social Development Project, a longitudinal study of development from childhood into adulthood. A community sample of 808 participants from the Seattle Public School District was surveyed from the 5th grade through adulthood. This paper uses data from participants' adolescent years, ages 10–18.ResultsHigher levels of protective factors in early and middle adolescence reduced the odds of violence during late adolescence in the full sample and in two different risk groups (high cumulative risk and low SES). Although risk exposure increased the odds of violence, protective factors in middle adolescence predicted lower odds of violence during late adolescence. Importantly, protective factors had a greater effect in reducing violence among youth exposed to high levels of cumulative risk than among youth exposed to lower levels of cumulative risk. This difference was not observed between youth from higher and lower SES families.ConclusionProtective factors specified in the SDM appear to reduce violence in late adolescence even among youth from low SES families and youth exposed to high levels of cumulative risk.