The Impact of Religiosity and Violence Prevention Programs on Violence amongst Adolescents in the U.S.

Youth violence is a societal concern in the United States due to its negative consequences on individuals and communities. The current study aimed to examine the potential mitigating factors of violence prevention programs and religiosity in reducing youth violence among African American, White, Hispanic, and Asian American adolescents in the United States. It also tested the moderation effects of sex on religiosity and violence prevention programs with youth violence. Results of the main effects revealed that adolescents who attended violence prevention programs were generally less likely to engage in violence than those who did not; and that adolescents who were more religious were also less likely to engage in future aggression. Sex had a moderating effect on the relationship between religiosity and youth violence in the sample, however, there was no significant prediction of the interaction of violence prevention programs with sex to youth violence among the study participants. Recommendations for families, communities, and schools are discussed. Key words: Youth violence, violence prevention programs, religiosity, and adolescents.