A culturally-informed approach to trauma, suicidal behavior, and overt aggression in African American adolescents

In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o Trauma is a risk factor for suicidal behaviors and overt aggression among youth. Culture is important to consider when examining the links between trauma and these types of aggression, as well as when considering the risk and protective factors (intrapersonal, social and situational, cultural, and environmental) that mediate and/or moderate these associations. Using a cultural lens, we suggest that a public health based model, referred to as the Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI), provides a useful framework for examining the linkages among trauma, various risk and protective factors, and both suicidal behaviors and overt aggression. Because African American youth are more likely to experience trauma, focused and model-driven research is needed that can unravel cultural influences on the links from trauma, suicidal behaviors, and aggression. Trauma, suicide, and overt aggression all have been noted as major public health concerns. These problems are particularly prevalent among low-income, African Americans (Jones, 2007; Tjaden & Thoeness, 2000). A plethora of research has documented many risk and protective factors that make it more and less likely for those youth who have experienced trauma to develop propensities toward suicidal behaviors Kenny, 2003). However, to date, there is a lack of theory-driven, culturally-informed research that examines the interplay among trauma, risk and protective factors, and both suicidal behaviors and overt aggression in a systematic and thorough way. In this article, we review briefly the literature on trauma and both suicidal behaviors and overt aggression among youth, with particular attention to these constructs in African American youth, as well as the links between trauma and both internalized and externalized aggression. Particular attention is paid to these constructs among African American youth. One potential theory, the Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI) is offered as a framework for examining risk and protective factors among African American youth who have experienced trauma