Juvenis · 2023
This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of eight young Black men (aged 19–32) in London who were exposed to gang-affiliated violence, focusing on how they make sense of trauma and PTSD. Participants described the normalisation of violence in their communities, hypervigilant coping behaviours, interactions with the police as a traumatic stressor, and the socioeconomic factors that shaped their exposure to danger. The research finds that existing PTSD frameworks fail to capture the chronic, ongoing nature of trauma faced by this population, and that mental health services are poorly equipped to meet their needs. Recommendations are made for mental health professionals, statutory services, and future research to better recognise and respond to trauma among gang-affiliated Black men.