This study directed by Dr. Wendy Kliewer focuses on stressors in the lives of youth living in impoverished areas of the city of Richmond., and how these stressors are linked to adjustment. We are particularly interested in exposure to violence – experiencing, witnessing, or hearing about violence. We are studying a number of aspects of the lives of these families, including the children’s coping resources, parent/guardian and family resources, and child and parent/guardian adjustment. This study is built on a model of risk and resilience, with attention to risk factors for adjustment difficulties, and individual and family-level protective factors. Core assumptions underlying the study include: