Adolescent Social Networks and Violence in Rural Colombia 

This dissertation examines violence in adolescent social networks in a rural community in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Utilizing socio-centric and focus group data from 242 school-enrolled adolescents, three empirical studies explore adolescents' violent interactions with a social complexity theoretical approach. Study one uses a mixed-method design and centers on physical and psychological victimizations across the community, household, school, and adverse social networks. Findings highlight the importance of considering multiple types of ties and social networks' socio-cultural niches. The second study concentrates on school peer violence perpetration (physical, psychological). Findings indicate that adolescents who engage in peer violence perpetration are not more likely to be socially connected to similar peers. Adolescent victims of peer violence were more likely to engage in perpetration controlling by demographic characteristics and non-school victimization. Study three focuses on physical intimate partner violence. Results show that the proportions of socially connected peers who perpetrate/are victims of intimate partner violence affect the probability of having similar status.  Finally, the last study reflects developing and implementing this projects' Community-Engaged Research design to address violence in a high-risk setting. This dissertation provides unique insights into adolescents' social networks and violence experiences in an understudied high-risk context.

Major Professor: Dionne P. Stephens