Direct and mediated associations between religious coping, spirituality, and youth violence in El Salvador.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the direct and mediated relationships between religious coping, spirituality, social developmental factors, and violence among high-risk and gang-involved youth in a high-crime, Latin American country. METHODS: Using a community sample of 290 high-risk and gang-involved youth in San Salvador, El Salvador, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the relationships between religious coping, spirituality, social developmental factors (e.g., antisocial bond and antisocial beliefs), and violence. RESULTS: Religious coping (ß = - 0.14, P < 0.05) and spirituality (ß = - 0.20, P < 0.01) were both significantly associated with antisocial bond. Antisocial bond, in turn, was directly associated with violence (ß = 0.70, P < 0.001) and was associated with antisocial beliefs (ß = 0.54, P < 0.001); however, the path from antisocial beliefs to violence was not statistically significant. No direct paths were identified from religiosity and spirituality to violence. The goodness-of-fit statistics (root mean square error of approximation, 0.034; comparative fit index, 0.974; and Tucker-Lewis index, 0.966) suggest that the final model had acceptable fit. CONCLUSIONS: This study is among the first to shed light on the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and youth violence in the Latin American context. Elevated levels of religious coping and spirituality are associated with less antisocial bonding, which, in turn, is associated with lower levels of violent behavior among high-risk and gang-involved Salvadoran youth. Study findings suggest that religious coping and spirituality are indirectly protective for youth violence among this high-risk population.

Direct and mediated associations between religious coping, spirituality, and youth violence in El Salvador / Asociaciones directas y mediadas entre el afrontamiento religioso, la espiritualidad y la violencia juvenil en El Salvador

OBJECTIVE: To examine the direct and mediated relationships between religious coping, spirituality, social developmental factors, and violence among high-risk and gang-involved youth in a high-crime, Latin American country. METHODS: Using a community sample of 290 high-risk and gang-involved youth in San Salvador, El Salvador, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the relationships between religious coping, spirituality, social developmental factors (e.g., antisocial bond and antisocial beliefs), and violence. RESULTS: Religious coping (β = - 0.14, P < 0.05) and spirituality (β = - 0.20, P < 0.01) were both significantly associated with antisocial bond. Antisocial bond, in turn, was directly associated with violence (β = 0.70, P < 0.001) and was associated with antisocial beliefs (β = 0.54, P < 0.001); however, the path from antisocial beliefs to violence was not statistically significant. No direct paths were identified from religiosity and spirituality to violence. The goodness-of-fit statistics (root mean square error of approximation, 0.034; comparative fit index, 0.974; and Tucker-Lewis index, 0.966) suggest that the final model had acceptable fit. CONCLUSIONS: This study is among the first to shed light on the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and youth violence in the Latin American context. Elevated levels of religious coping and spirituality are associated with less antisocial bonding, which, in turn, is associated with lower levels of violent behavior among high-risk and gang-involved Salvadoran youth. Study findings suggest that religious coping and spirituality are indirectly protective for youth violence among this high-risk population.

OBJETIVO: Analizar las relaciones directas y mediadas entre el afrontamiento religioso, la espiritualidad, los factores de desarrollo social, y la violencia en jóvenes de alto riesgo y pertenecientes a pandillas de un país latinoamericano con una alta incidencia de criminalidad. MÉTODOS: Se seleccionó una muestra de la comunidad de 290 jóvenes de alto riesgo y pertenecientes a pandillas de San Salvador (El Salvador). Mediante el modelado de ecuaciones estructurales se analizaron las relaciones entre el afrontamiento religioso, la espiritualidad, los factores de desarrollo social (por ejemplo, el vínculo antisocial y las creencias antisociales), y la violencia. RESULTADOS: El afrontamiento religioso (β = - 0,14, P < 0,05) y la espiritualidad (β = - 0,20, P < 0,01) se asociaron ambos significativamente con el vínculo antisocial. El vínculo antisocial, a su vez, se asoció directamente con la violencia (β = 0,70, P < 0,001) y también se asoció con las creencias antisociales (β = 0,54, P < 0,001); sin embargo, la vía de las creencias antisociales a la violencia no fue estadísticamente significativa. No se identificaron vías directas de la religiosidad y la espiritualidad a la violencia. La prueba estadística de bondad de ajuste (error de aproximación cuadrático medio, 0,034; índice de ajuste comparativo, 0,974; índice de Tucker-Lewis, 0,966) indica que el modelo final mostraba un ajuste aceptable. CONCLUSIONES: Este estudio es uno de los primeros en clarificar la relación entre la religiosidad, la espiritualidad y la violencia juvenil en el entorno latinoamericano. Los niveles elevados de afrontamiento religioso y espiritualidad se asocian con vínculos menos antisociales que, a su vez, se asocian con menores niveles de comportamiento violento entre los jóvenes salvadoreños de alto riesgo y pertenecientes a pandillas. Los resultados de este estudio indican que el afrontamiento religioso y la espiritualidad son protectores indirectos de la violencia juvenil en esta población de alto riesgo.