In This Story
Neighborhoods matter, according to new research. Assistant Professors Anna Parisi and Melissa L. Villodas and Graduate Research Assistant Nana Acquah at George Mason University’s Department of Social Work used secondary data to study the relationship between trauma exposure, perceptions of neighborhood crime, and substance use among women under community supervision (probation or parole).
Their study, published in Victims & Offenders, finds:
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Community-supervised women with histories of sexual abuse had a greater risk of problematic substance use when they perceived their neighborhoods to have higher levels of crime.
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Other forms of victimization (child physical/emotional abuse or adult physical abuse) did not predict substance use, suggesting that different types of trauma may influence substance use in distinct ways.
Parisi, Villodas, and Acquah’s study is grounded in ecological systems theory, which posits that human behavior is connected to the broader social and ecological environments in which people live—environments that matter a great deal for health. In this case, prior sexual abuse is conceptualized as an individual-level risk factor for problematic substance use, while perceptions of neighborhood crime represent an environmental risk. To fully understand their influence on substance use, it is essential to examine not only their individual effects but also how these risk factors interact with one another.
About the Authors
Anna Parisi is a licensed clinical social worker and assistant professor in the College of Public Health’s Department of Social Work at George Mason University. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying the development, maintenance, and recurrence of addictive behaviors, including the intersection between addiction and mental health. She is particularly interested in improving services for individuals with comorbid mental health and substance use disorders in the criminal legal system.
Melissa L. Villodas is a licensed social worker and assistant professor in the College of Public Health’s Department of Social Work at George Mason University. Her primary research centers on understanding how social determinants of health impact the mental health of vulnerable young people with a focus on the neighborhood environment, policy, systemic, and community influences on mental health and well-being, and mental health interventions and support services.
Nana Acquah is a Master of Social Work student and Graduate Research Assistant in the College of Public Health’s Department of Social Work at George Mason University.