The authors seek to document the need for interventions addressing the psychological sequelae of violence exposure in immigrant children This study examines the rates of violence exposure and associated symptoms among recent immigrant children in Los Angeles by surveying more than 1,000 recent immigrant schoolchildren about their prior exposure to violence; and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Participants reported high levels of violence exposure, both personal victimization and witnessing violence, in the previous year and in their lifetimes. Thirty-two percent of children reported PTSD symptoms in the clinical range, and 16% reported depressive symptoms in the clinical range. Although boys and older children were more likely to have experienced violence, girls reported more PTSD and depressive symptoms. Linear multiple regressions revealed that PTSD symptoms were predicted by both recent and lifetime violence exposure (p values < .001 and p < .05, respectively), when depressive symptoms and gender were controlled. On the other hand, depressive symptoms were predicted by recent victimization only (p < .001) when PTSD and gender were controlled.
