Sarah E. Kelly, PhD, RN; and Debra G. Anderson, PhD, RN

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Gang membership has in-creased in recent years in the United States (Egley &

O’Donnell, 2009), and gangs and gang violence have had a negative impact on communities. Exposure to gangs and gang violence has led many adolescents to fear for their safety (Kelly, Anderson, & Peden, 2009). Adolescents’ exposure to gang violence has also influenced their perceptions of their neighbor-hood, family, and peers (Erwin, 2002; Hill & Jones, 1997). The purpose of this article is to describe a study that explored adolescents’, parents’, and community center employees’ percep-tions of adolescents’ use of community centers and the influence family and friends may have on adolescents’ ex-periences with gangs. Recommenda-tions regarding the use of health care professionals at community centers are proposed.

BACKGROUNDAdolescents are influenced by the

experiences and relationships they

have in their community with their families and peers. Adolescent devel-opment is affected by the interactions they have with others, the physical environment, and the culture of that environment (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Benn and Garbarino (1992) suggested that the community environment has an impact on how adolescents react to different experiences. It is in the com-munity that adolescents are exposed to various situations and circumstances that require them to make choices. The community environment can have a positive effect on adolescents’ ability to socialize with others and feel safe (Kelly et al., 2009).

Coulton and Irwin (2009) found that adolescent concerns about their safety reduced participation in neighborhood-sponsored activities. Caucasian adolescents were less likely to participate than African American and Hispanic adolescents when safety was a concern. However, in another study, Kelly et al. (2009) found that many adolescents in neighborhoods

with gang violence participated in sponsored activities at local community centers, regardless of race or ethnicity. The community centers functioned as “safe havens” for socializing with oth-ers. Daly, Shin, Thakral, Selders, and Vera (2009) also found that communi-ty centers served as safe environments for adolescents who lived in areas with high crime rates. The supervision at the centers gave the adolescents a sense of security not found in communities lacking such resources.

Safe havens, such as community centers, serve many purposes. The pri-mary goal of community centers is to provide a place where children of all ages can engage in sponsored activities without the worry of violence. After-school programs and activities at com-munity centers can aid in decreasing adolescent exposure to and use of violence. Adolescents have a place to go where they can feel protected and shielded from negative influences and experiences. They have the op-portunity to participate in structured

ABSTRACTAdolescents are exposed to various forms of gang violence, and such exposure has led them to feel unsafe in their neigh-borhood and have differing interactions with their parents and peers. This qualitative study explored adolescents’, par-ents’, and community center employees’ perceptions of ado-lescents’ interaction with their neighborhood, family, and peers. Three themes emerged from the data: Most adolescents reported that the community center provided a safe environ-

ment for them; parental engagement influenced adolescents’ experiences with gangs; and adolescents were subjected to peer pressure in order to belong. Exposure to gang violence can leave an impression on adolescents and affect their men-tal health, but neighborhood safety and relationships with parents and peers can influence adolescents’ exposure to gang violence. Recommendations regarding the use of health care professionals at community centers are proposed.

21Journal of Psychosocial nursing • Vol. 50, no. 10, 2012

programs and activities that facilitate their socialization with peers (Kelly et al., 2009).

Parental support and social accep-tance by peers can have a positive or negative effect on adolescents’ experi-ences (Bracken & Lamprecht, 2003; Neumann, Shafer, Kaminski, & Ra-mos, 2002) and development (Ozer, 2005). Parents want their children to grow up in a safe environment and protect them from harmful situations. Protecting children is instinctive to many parents; however, exposure to harmful situations, such as gangs and gang violence, can test parents’ abil-ity to provide that safe environment (Ozer, 2005).

Parents have used various methods to decrease their children’s exposure to negative experiences (Jarrett, 1997), such as having established house rules, monitoring their interaction with friends, and guiding them to make the right choice when faced with a dilem-ma. The amount of parental support also influences how adolescents will react to harmful situations (Hill & Jones, 1997). Parents play a vital role in protecting their children; however, their peers may have a greater impact on adolescents’ activities and deci-sions.

Peers play an integral role in the experiences and social interactions of adolescents. The interaction ado-lescents have with their peers can be positive or negative and affect their values and behavior (Prinstein, Boerg-ers, & Spirito, 2001; Stanton-Salazar & Spina, 2005). Adolescents should have the opportunity to cultivate and explore relationships with peers so they can develop interpersonal skills and increase their autonomy, self-es-teem, and identity. Socialization may also serve as a way to increase social support among peers, specifically those in neighborhoods prevalent with vio-lence. Adolescents need socialization with others their age; however, their exposure to peer pressure and ques-tionable behavior can lead to prob-lems.

METHODDesign and Sample

A qualitative research design was used to explore the perceptions adoles-cents, parents, and community center employees had of the community cen-ters and the influence parents and peers have on adolescents’ experiences with gangs. Thirty-two potential individuals (13 adolescent boys, their parents, and 6 community center employees) were invited to participate in this study. In-clusion criteria for the boys were ages 11 to 17, in the sixth grade or higher, and exposure to gang violence in the past 2 years; however, they should have no self-reported association with a gang. The only inclusion criterion for parents or primary caregivers was their son’s participation in the research study. The community center employ-ees had to have direct interaction with adolescents and be currently employed at the center for at least 6 months (Kel-ly, Anderson, Hall, Peden, & Cerel, 2011). Those who chose to participate were given a $10 gift card to a discount retail store after interviews were com-pleted. The participating university’s Institutional Review Board and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department granted approval to conduct the study.

Three community centers in Lou-isville, Kentucky were chosen as sites for recruitment and data collection because of the neighborhoods that sur-round each center. The neighborhoods have a known history of violence, re-quiring law enforcement agencies to routinely patrol the area. Also, law en-forcement officers are typically on site until closing and during events that were sponsored at the centers. There was a known history of physical vio-lence at the centers when group sport-ing events, such as basketball, were tak-ing place.

Louisville is the largest city in Ken-tucky, with an estimated population of 629,679 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). Louisville is home to many gangs (e.g., Bad Newz, Taliban, Victory Park Crips) with a known history of community vi-olence. Louisville has seen an increase

in reported community violence inci-dents from 3,026 in 2006 to 8,612 in 2008. According to Kentucky State Po-lice (2011) crime statistics from 2006 to 2008, murder rates increased from 28 to 71, reported rapes went from 88 to 220, and physical assaults increased from 951 to 2,253.

Data CollectionA semi-structured guide that fo-

cused on adolescents’ perceptions of their neighborhood, family, and peers was used to collect data from the partic-ipants. Sample questions to adolescents included: Are you ever concerned for your safety in your neighborhood? How do you think gang violence can affect your friendships with other kids? How do you think gang violence can affect you in your neighborhood? Is the com-munity center safe from violence and violent people?

The interviews were conducted in private rooms at three local com-munity centers. The interviews lasted approximately 45 minutes and were audiorecorded. Interviews were con-ducted until repetitive information was obtained or data saturation occurred. To maintain data trustworthiness, Lin-coln and Guba (1985) suggested using member checks and peer debriefing. In member checks, the researcher (S.E.K.) shared the data with participants to de-termine if the information was inter-preted accurately. The researcher also participated in peer debriefings after each interview. The data were analyzed using content analysis. From the codes, themes emerged (Creswell, 1998; Den-zin & Lincoln, 2000). Each participant was given a pseudonym to maintain anonymity.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONSample Characteristics

A total of 26 participants contrib-uted to this research study. Ten were African American male adolescents, with an mean age of 14 (SD = 1.9 years) and a mean grade level of 9 (SD = 2.1 years). Six lived with their mother, a cousin, or a sister; 2 lived with their

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mothers and their mothers’ boyfriends; 1 lived with his mother and stepfather; and only 1 adolescent lived with both his birth mother and birth father. The number of siblings living in the home ranged from one to six.

Ten African American women who were either parents or primary caregivers and 6 (5 African American and 1 Cau-casian) community center employees (4 women and 2 men) participated in the study. The average age of the parents and primary caregivers was 36 (SD = 5.4 years). The mean age of the commu-nity center employees was 44 (SD = 8.4 years). Employment at the community center ranged from 6 months to 8 years (mean = 3.5 years, SD = 3.1).

Three major themes emerged from the interviews: Security, Parental En-gagement, and Peer Pressure. The theme of security emerged from the ex-periences described by the participants, with the subthemes of safety, neutrality, and socialization. Parental engagement included the subthemes of concerns, involvement, and communication; and peer pressure included the subthemes of friendship and trying to belong with others in a peer group. Each of the fol-lowing sections will include a defini-tion of the theme and subtheme.

SecurityA major theme of security emerged

from the participants’ descriptions. The community center provided an envi-ronment suitable for adolescents, a safe place for them to socialize and partici-pate in activities. The center had rules and regulations that enabled adoles-cents to feel secure.

Adolescent Perceptions. Several ado-lescents saw the community centers as a secure place for them to socialize with their peers. Colt suggested that he is paranoid about being outside but that the center “is where everybody comes to have fun and you don’t have to worry about nothing happening.” Jason hoped that others used the cen-ter for a safe place, but recognized that “some people use it for sports and just when they are bored in the house.”

Chris believed that adolescents “come to the center because they can get their homework done, they don’t have to worry about it, and [they] get to eat.”

Patrick saw the center as a place where adolescents could go and have fun; however, he also thought that the center would “stop gangs and stuff be-cause when they enter the community center, they got their mind on some-thing else.” Pete reported that gang

activity was low in the center because of other options available: “Gangs can’t really do much, because like the com-munity center, can’t no gangs really come in here, and do a lot of stuff in here, that I have seen.” He uses the center to avoid negative situations; he is “not just out and about because I know people who have died just from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Evan believed that “they ain’t nothing [completely] safe but it is one of the safest place, it is easier for me to come in here and feel safe than just be-ing at the park.” One adolescent, Greg, verbalized, “I’m just aware of a lot of things. You don’t live forever but if I died tomorrow I wouldn’t be surprised. You can come here [community cen-ter] and just have fun and stay out of trouble.” These adolescents wanted a place where they could go and have fun without worrying about exposure to gang violence, and they believed that the center offered that to them.

For these adolescents, the commu-nity center was an integral part of their everyday lives. At the center, they were able to socialize with others and participate in sports and activities they might otherwise not be able to do in the neighborhood because of the vio-lence. Therefore, youth spent a large amount of time at community centers, where they were able to socialize and participate in structured activities.

The center plays a pivotal role in keeping adolescents safe. Many partici-pants viewed the center as a safe haven, a place where adolescents could go to escape from the violence in their neigh-borhood. This supports previous re-search findings (Kelly et al., 2009; Swe-att, Harding, Knight-Lynn, Rasheed, & Carter, 2002). Sweatt et al. (2002) re-ported that adolescents who spend time outside and with gang members have a higher exposure to violence. Some of these adolescents were aware of the ef-fect gangs could have and used the cen-ters as a way to decrease their exposure to negative influences.

Adolescents participate in youth programs and activities for various rea-sons. In a study with 77 adolescents, Perkins et al. (2007) reported that “staying off the streets” was a major reason why adolescents decided to be active in youth-sponsored programs. These adolescents felt a sense of secu-rity while engaging in structured ac-

He is “not just out and about because I know people who have died just from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

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tivities. Further, the use of sponsored programs has had a positive influence on adolescents’ quality of life in their neighborhood (McGrath, Brennan, Dolan, & Barnett, 2009). Having an opportunity to engage in activities and socialize with peers without the fear of violence is important to these adoles-cents and it may have a positive influ-ence on their development.

Parental Perceptions. Parents sup-ported the aims of the center and hoped it was a safe place for adolescents. Ms. Jason said, “They have a lot of stuff go-ing on there to help kids. To, you know, get them out of the environment even if it is just for a couple of hours.” Ms. Pete said that the center “gives them

something to do besides run around out there, and trying to find something to do like breaking in cars, like being on the basketball team. You know, just have somewhere to go.” The parents believed that the centers had positive attributes, but they also had questions about the role the centers played in keeping adolescents secure.

However, several did not think that the center was a secure place. For ex-ample, Ms. Colt said that they, the staff, kept the center as safe as they could, but there were problems:

Like, if the police is outside or they just running around, all of a sudden we get people we haven’t seen in here com-ing in, and wants to play basketball or

whatever. To me that is not keeping our kids safe, because all of a sudden they can come in here and they take over, you know, and I hate that because they use it as just as something to get them out of the way, so the police don’t find them. That is what really makes me mad.

Ms. Patrick agreed with Ms. Colt: “I think it is a haven for kids…but then at the same time you can get your older teenagers…. I can see it both ways.” Ms. Jet also had mixed emotions about the community center. She said it could be a safe place, but also one where trouble could start.

Several parents had some ambiva-lence about the center because of the gang activity that could take place

there. Although the goal of the cen-ter is to provide a secure environment, parents felt that gang activity could cause problems, especially with older adolescents. As one parent noted, “Nothing is 100% safe.” Yet parents still allowed their children to go to the center, suggesting that the center may have been the only available option. They believed that the centers were safer than being outside.

The idea that parents may be con-cerned about children playing outside is not new. Osofsky (1995) reported that many parents have a negative view of their neighborhood and per-ceive it to be unsafe for their children. These parents and primary caregivers

may have not been in a position to have their children stay home without supervision, and the center, even if it was perceived to have problems, was the best choice available to them.

Community Center Employee Percep-tions. Contrary to the above feelings, community center employees saw the center as a safe place for adolescents. Ms. Bell suggested, “It is a safe place for them, and keep them out of trouble, because they don’t fight in there.” Mr. Brown add-ed, “You know, they still get in trouble, but this is a place where they can go.”

Other employees shared the senti-ments of Ms. Bell and Mr. Brown. Mrs. Evan and Mr. Smith, who worked at the same center, believed the center al-lowed adolescents to have a few hours away from violence. Mrs. Evan report-ed that it “gives them a place to go and basically people they know care about them, they don’t have to worry about anybody.” Mr. Smith said, “It just gives them somewhere, that you know, it is just like I can go in there for a few hours and get away from it…. It is a safe ha-ven for them.” To illustrate, Ms. Rich described an experience at the center:

I have had experiences where a child came in and said that they [gang mem-bers] were trying to jump him and I said, well just stay in here and we will get you home, and we put that particular child in a vehicle and took that child home and they didn’t follow that vehicle.

In addition to providing a safe hav-en, many considered the center neutral territory for gangs. Ms. Dean said:

We don’t put up with nothing; they know that when they come in. We have different gangs that have come in and while they are here, it is neutral terri-tory. It’s perfect, a safe place. You leave it outside, you can’t talk it, you can’t flash it. Nothing, it stops the minute you walk in the door.

Obeying the rules at the center was important. One such rule was no fight-ing. Ms. Rich acknowledged that gangs were a presence in the neighborhood; however:

Gangs don’t come into the center. They may act crazy outside, but once

“We don’t put up with nothing; they know that when they come in.... It’s perfect, a safe place. You leave it outside, you can’t talk it, you can’t flash it.

~Ms. Dean

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they walk through the door, they won’t do it on the inside. If they want to do the gang fights, they will go outside, do it in the park…. Inside the center they don’t fight at all.

Mr. Brown said that he had pun-ished kids for breaking the rules. He reported that:

They still going to try you, but we put them out…. I will see you in 2 weeks…you are mad because I am punishing you now, but we got rules you got to go by. If you don’t go by the rules, then you have to get punished. That’s life.

Mr. Smith took a similar approach in dealing with adolescents who broke the rules: “As soon as I see anything that looks funny, they got to go, that is just how we do it.” These employees took their responsibilities seriously and tried to do what was best for the adolescents.

Employees felt responsible for ensur-ing a secure environment. Mrs. Evan said, “Sometimes the issues do come in the door, but that is when we accept it is our responsibility to nip it in the bud and try to implement mediation if we can.” According to the community center employees, the goal of the cen-ter was to provide a safe environment for adolescents. Established rules and regulations were enforced by employees to maintain order. They did not hesi-tate to remove people from the center if they caused trouble. Further, adoles-cents appeared to appreciate what the community center employees did to ensure their security.

Helping children escape from the violence and have opportunities to participate in activities not threatened by violence was the goal of the com-munity centers. The employees cared about adolescent safety and tried to provide an environment where they could safely socialize with others. Most participants believed that community centers could have a positive influence on adolescents’ ability to socialize and foster healthy peer relationships.

Having a neutral place where ado-lescents can participate in activities without the fear of violence is impor-tant. Many considered the center neu-

tral territory in that gang activity did not occur within the confines of the center. Community center employees recognized the importance of having a safe environment. Because of the rules and regulations, many adolescents felt secure at the center. They believed that gang members would not cause prob-lems because if they did, they would be asked to leave. Thus, these adolescents were aware of the value of the center.

Parental Engagement Parental engagement is a process

that can foster active participation and communication between parents and children. In this study, parental engage-ment was evident. Several parents and primary caregivers reported that they attempted to guide their children in the right direction and educate them about the evils of gangs.

Parental Perceptions. According to Ms. Patrick, “I tell my son, you know, you don’t need no gangs, I got your back. You know I am your mother. I got your back and you don’t have to be in no gang.” Ms. Jason suggested that “if you don’t have the right guidance com-ing from home, then the kids won’t be ready for what is going on in the out-side; you have to prepare them for it.” Certain situations made parents con-cerned for the adolescents. Ms. Colt described an experience that left her very concerned for Colt:

One night he came home real late during a school night and I was scared shitless, you know I can’t even described [sic] it no other way because he don’t usu-ally, he is usually home by curfew, you know, I called all of his friends and no-body know where he was, so I just knew something had happen to him, so when I found or seen him, I didn’t know whether to knock his head off or hug him.

This experience propelled her to speak to him about problems with gangs and the negative influence they could have on him; she was concerned enough to educate him about the haz-ards of gang involvement. However, not all parents and primary caregivers took that approach.

Other parents and primary caregiv-ers had similar concerns about gangs and gang violence, but they had differ-ent ways of dealing with the problem. Parents tried to insulate their children from the violence, although that was not always possible. Ms. Jet reported, “[I] really don’t let Jet go out too much because I am afraid of him getting to-gether [with gangs] and drinking and drugs.”

A number of parents were actively involved in their children’s lives. Quite a few monitored their adolescents’ ac-tivities to decrease their exposure to gangs. Ms. Patrick said she tries “to prevent it. I try to keep him away from certain areas; you know I try to moni-tor him.” Mrs. Pete and Ms. Chris also tried to steer their children away from bad situations. Ms. Colt said she “stays on him because I think right now little gangs [are] breaking out,” so he would not be attracted to gangs. Community center employees noticed the amount of parental involvement these adoles-cents had. Mr. Brown said that “Ms. Jet keeps tabs on Jet” so he did not get in-volved with gang violence.

The relationship between parents and their children is affected by their ability to communicate effectively. Open dialogue about gangs was one method parents used in this study to shield adolescents from violence. Sev-eral parents and primary caregivers dis-cussed gangs and gang violence with adolescents; however, two parents did not have that kind of relationship with their children. Several acknowledged that their children did not share many experiences with them. Ms. Pete said, “Pete doesn’t talk about it.” Ms. Chris, who commented that she found out about some of Chris’s experiences from other people, also described the lack of communication between adolescents and parents and primary caregivers: “He didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to come up there and get involved.”

Many of the parents and primary caregivers had concerns about their child’s involvement with gangs. Sev-eral believed that if they supported

Journal of Psychosocial nursing • Vol. 50, no. 10, 2012 25

their children, provided the right guid-ance, and protected them, gangs might not influence them. Thus, monitoring adolescent situations seemed to be an important factor in reducing adolescent risky behavior (Flannery, Williams, & Vazsonyi, 1999; Forehand, Miller, Du-tra, & Chance, 1997). Some parents and primary caregivers tried to steer their children away from bad influences because they did not want their chil-dren interacting with people known to cause problems. Parents use various strategies to decrease adolescent expo-sure to negative influence in the com-munity. Isolation and chaperoning are two such methods (Jarrett, 1997).

Community Center Employee Percep-tions. Clearly, these parents perceived that their children did not discuss their experiences with them; however, these adolescents did communicate with others. Several talked to community center employees about their experi-ences. Indeed, there appeared to be a bond between the adolescents and em-ployees that allowed for open dialogue about gangs and gang violence. Mr. Smith said, “Evan did not want to tell his mom but that is pretty much it. When it came down to it, he talked to me about stuff like this.” Ms. Rich had similar experiences:

I get a lot of kids that come and talk to me…at home their mom or dad, some

of their parents are in jail, some parents are dead, some parents stay high and we find out then that somebody’s kid is hanging out with a gang member.

Ms. Bell thought it important to continually educate adolescents about gangs and gang violence. She did this with Sam, stating “I stay on him to keep him away from all that.”

Unfortunately, for several parents and primary caregivers, their children did not share experiences with them. Parents, therefore, were not aware of what their children had been exposed to and they did not know whether gangs and gang violence had affected their children. It is unknown why some of these adolescents did not feel com-fortable sharing their experiences with their parents. However, adolescent perceptions of parental support and in-volvement have been shown to influ-ence their experiences (Ozer, 2005).

Although many of these adoles-cents were not open with their par-ents and primary caregivers, they did discuss their experiences with employ-ees at the community center. It is not surprising that these adolescents did so, since they were at the center every day and may have felt more comfort-able discussing their experiences with community center employees with whom they had developed close re-lationships. Also, community center

employees did not judge or restrict the adolescents as parents might, because these employees did not have that kind of control over the adolescents. Adolescents’ choice to seek support and guidance from others can be a pro-tective factor (Carothers, Borkowski, & Whitman, 2006). In their study, Carothers et al. (2006) found that high levels of social support had a positive influence on adolescents’ de-velopment.

Peer PressurePeers play a vital role in adolescent

development. It is not uncommon for adolescents to emphasize the relation-ships they have with their peers, but these relationships can have a positive or negative influence.

Adolescent Perceptions. Many of the adolescents were aware of the influence their peers had on them. Jet believed that “if I hang around with a certain person I could get jumped just as well.” In addition, Jason acknowledged that gangs:

stopped me from being, from being friends with a lot of people because of maybe how they are, maybe they in a gang and you know, I have seen a lot of people that I thought I could be friends with cause you know I’m being around them so much, they going to parties, dancing, and stuff like that but we can’t be friends because their big brother is in the gang and he don’t like my friend or something like that so it kind of stops me from having as many friends as I want to.

Pete recognized that peers can lead to bad decisions. He said:

I never even tried to hang with them because, you know, it might be, because honestly, I’m a daredevil…. If they dare me to do something, and then I’d be like no I ain’t going to do it, and they would be like, you scared.

Ms. Rich agreed that Pete has a daredevil streak in him “but he wants to do something better with his life…so he does not give in to his peers.” She believes that because “he is outgoing, friendly, and makes his own decisions…he doesn’t give into peer pressure.”

KEYPOINTSKelly, S.E., & Anderson, D.G. (2012). Adolescents, Gangs, and Perceptions of Safety, Parental Engagement, and Peer Pressure. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 50(10), 20-28.

1. Safety, parental engagement, and peer relationships can influence adolescents’ exposure to gangs and gang violence.

2. Community centers provide a safe environment for adolescents to participate in activities.

3. Nurses who work in adolescent health care are well positioned for interventions with vulnerable populations and are able to provide services for the parents and siblings of vulnerable adolescents, as well as the adolescents themselves.

Do you agree with this article? Disagree? Have a comment or questions?Send an e-mail to the Journal at jpn@healio.com.

Copyright © SLACK Incorporated26

“Greg came home a couple of times trying to wear the colors they wear out on the street…but… I made him stop that.”

~ Ms. Greg

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Erwin (2002) suggested that peer pressure could be mitigated if adoles-cents avoided decisions that conflicted with their personal values. The ado-lescents in this study were known to be friendly with others, but they were able to recognize the negative influ-ence peers could have on their ability to make good decisions. Many of them were careful with the people they called “friends.” These adolescents wanted to limit the contact they had with those who could pressure them into making bad choices.

Parental Perceptions. Parents also thought that peers influenced their children. Ms. Colt thought that Colt “still has to worry about fights when he goes to school, because all of the kids tempt him and they tell each other, you know, who is going to get into it with whom.”

Several parents attempted to lim-it the amount of pressure that peers could put on their child. Ms. Chris tried to “steer Chris away from the gang-related friends because they always want him to do stuff.” Limit-ing adolescents’ contact with some friends was one way of addressing the problem. For example, Evan had a lot of friends in the neighborhood, and Mrs. Evan conveyed that his friends might have a negative influence on him. She suggested “at one point Evan was trying to fit in, so I stopped him from coming [to the center] for a while.… I don’t really allow him to socialize with them.” She added that when he is at the center, “they may joke with him, but he has a temper so it will lead to other things.… I de-cided to keep him away from the cen-ter because some of the people have made bad choices.”

Evan’s mother suggested that people make bad choices and that peer pres-sure can influence one’s actions. Fur-ther, Ms. Greg explained that “Greg came home a couple of times trying to wear the colors they wear out on the street…but me knowing that those bandanas are influenced by gang rela-tions…I made him stop that.” These

parents and primary caregivers realized that peers can have a strong impact on adolescents and tried to prevent their influence.

Previous studies have explored the influence peers have on adolescent be-havior (Erwin, 2002; Kelly et al., 2009; Schreck & Fisher, 2004). Adolescents’ exposure to peer pressure can lead to questionable activities and bad deci-sions (Erwin, 2002). Some of the ado-

lescents in this study wanted to fit in with their peers and would participate in activities to facilitate that. Wear-ing certain pieces of clothing and par-ticipating in activities considered to be inappropriate were some of the ways these adolescents tried to fit in. Ado-lescents were also influenced by their peers to participate in risky behaviors. This notion supports a previous study that found peers support illegal activity (Prinstein et al., 2001). Yet, Stanton-Salazar and Spina (2005) suggested that adolescents living in low-income areas need peer support to promote their socialization skills.

Community Center Employee Percep-tions. Several community center em-ployees acknowledged that adolescents were influenced by their peers and tried to fit in with them. Mr. Brown noted “there is so much peer pressure on them.” Mr. Smith supported this idea:

Wayne is a friend with both, but one is trying to force him to one way or the

other [and the other friend is trying to influence him the other way]. I tell him, you are in the middle, try not to go ei-ther way; you don’t want that peer pres-sure on you.

Adolescents may be outgoing and friendly, but that does not mean they are not influenced by peer pressure. Ms. Rich said that Pete was “friends with everybody,” but “they try to make him pick and choose.”

CONCLUSION AND NURSING IMPLICATIONS

Exposure to violence, specifically gang violence, can leave a lasting im-pression on adolescents. Safety, paren-tal engagement, and peer relationships can influence adolescents’ exposure to gangs and gang violence. The percep-tions of living in an unsafe neighbor-hood and having unhealthy relation-ships with their parents and peers may affect how adolescents cope with those experiences. Adolescents deserve every opportunity to grow up in a safe, secure environment surrounded by supportive people who care about them. To live in that environment, adolescents have to perceive that those opportunities are available to them.

In addition to parents and com-munity center workers, health care providers can play an important role in the behavior of adolescents through the development of trust-ing relationships. Community health

27Journal of Psychosocial nursing • Vol. 50, no. 10, 2012

centers provide multiple services for community members and are natural partners for the community center providing after school, evening, and weekend services for adolescents. In-deed, in many communities these ac-tivities are housed in the same build-ing, allowing time for adolescents to develop relationships with health care providers. Nurses who work in adolescent health care are well po-sitioned for interventions with vul-nerable populations and are able to provide services for the parents and siblings of vulnerable adolescents, as well as the adolescents themselves.

Security, parental engagement, and peer pressure are developmen-tal issues with which nurses who work with adolescents are familiar, and they are comfortable tackling these difficult concerns with adoles-cents, parents, and caregivers. Pub-lic health nurses and school nurses, working with community members, can strongly influence interventions and policy to improve the quality of life for the adolescent members of a community, as well as the commu-nity as a whole.

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Dr. Kelly is Assistant Professor, College of Nurs-ing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey; and Dr. Anderson is Associ-ate Professor, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, including research support.

The authors acknowledge Whitney Kutz-Ogilvie, Lecture and Academic Writing Specialist at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing.

Address correspondence to Sarah E. Kelly, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, College of Nursing, Ackerson Hall, Room 366, 180 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102; e-mail: sarah.kelly@rutgers.edu.

Received: April 16, 2012Accepted: July 18, 2012Posted: September 17, 2012doi:10.3928/02793695-20120906-99

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