Distributional properties and correlates of the Children's Depression Inventory were presented for a sample (n = 221) of low-income, African-American youths (aged 7–18 yrs). The results showed that younger children and those living in a household without their mother reported more depressive symptoms. Regression analyses revealed that victims of violence reported more depressive symptoms. However, chronic exposure to violence, in the form of witnessing violent acts, was not significantly related to depression. On further inspection, it was discovered that witnessing violence had a negative effect on depression. This finding, although somewhat unexpected, may be the result of some youths possessing a set of extraordinary coping mechanisms that help to insulate them from negative environmental experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).