Neighborhood violence impacts children's brain development

Feb 22 2024American Psychological Association Living in neighborhoods with high levels of violence can affect children's development by changing the way that a part of the brain detects and responds to potential threats, potentially leading to poorer mental health and other negative outcomes, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

To study whether exposure to neighborhood violence might also affect children's amygdala reactivity, the researchers analyzed data from 708 children and teens ages 7 to 19, recruited from 354 families enrolled in the Michigan Twins Neurogenetic Study. Most were from neighborhoods with above-average levels of poverty and disadvantage, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. Fifty-four percent of the participants were boys, 78.

Related Stories"This makes sense as it's adaptive for adolescents to be more in tune to threats when living in a more dangerous neighborhood," said Hyde.

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