Neighborhood matters: Neighborhood violence, collective efficacy, and social emotional development in early childhood

Exposure to community violence has been associated with a range of negative behavioral outcomes among school-age children and adolescents; yet there is limited evidence in the preschool setting. In the current study we examined the association between objective and parent-perceived neighborhood safety, and perceived collective efficacy, on behavioral concerns of children aged 3–5 enrolled at an early childhood school in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 2014 to 19 (n = 165). Teachers collected data on outcome measures of child social emotional well-being in the classroom setting. A parent survey included data on residential address, how safe they felt in their neighborhood, and perceived collective efficacy. Addresses were geocoded and linked by Census tract number to data on violent crime rates (per 1,000 tract residents). Associations between neighborhood violent crime, perceived safety, perceived collective efficacy, and child social emotional development were assessed with generalized estimating equations. After mutually adjusting for perceived neighborhood safety and violent crime rate, children of parents with the lowest perceived neighborhood collective efficacy had similar findings: children of parents that perceive the neighborhood as unsafe had a lower attachment (β = −6.55, 95 % CI 1.44, 11.66) and protective score (β = −4.51, 95 % CI 0.89–8.13) and a 10-unit increase in violent crime was associated with a decrease in attachment score (β = −2.77, 95 % CI −4.22, −1.32). Overall, child attachment and protective scores were significantly associated with perceived unsafe neighborhoods and violent crime, and the relationship was moderated by perceived neighborhood efficacy. These findings suggest a negative impact of perceived neighborhood safety and protective impact of collective efficacy on early childhood social emotional development.