Youth Society

Satellite children are children of ethnically Chinese immigrants to North America who have returned to their country of origin after immigration. Based on interview transcripts of 68 adolescent satellite children, an analysis on the negotiation of ethnic identity was performed using the NUD*IST software. The analysis showed multiple ways of ethnic identity negotiation, ranging from an essentialist approach to differentiation and to confusion. Existing approaches to theoretical conceptualization are critically examined, drawing implications for practice.

The following study examined the association between race, ethnicity, referral source, and reasons for attrition from substance use treatment in a sample of 72,643 discharges of adolescent youth in the United States from 2014 to 2016. Black and Hispanic adolescents were more likely to be discharged due to incarceration and termination by the facility compared to White adolescents. Adolescents referred by probation, diversion, other juvenile justice organizations, health care providers, community agencies, and individual referrals were significantly more likely to be discharged due to incarceration and terminated by the treatment facility compared to youth who were referred by schools. Findings suggest that enhancing linkage to treatment from systems in the social environment may play a role in attenuating racial and ethnic disparities in rates of attrition from substance abuse treatment among adolescent youth in the United States.

The construction industry is a significant contributor to global resource consumption and waste generation, prompting a shift towards sustainable practices. This study explores the integration of circular economy (CE) principles into construction contracts, with a focus on mega projects in Qatar. By analyzing case studies of large-scale developments, the research identifies key strategies for embedding CE principles such as resource efficiency, waste minimization, and material reuse into contractual frameworks. The study highlights the role of stakeholder collaboration, innovative procurement models, and performance-based incentives in fostering circular practices. Findings reveal that while challenges such as cost implications and regulatory barriers exist, integrating CE principles into contracts can enhance sustainability outcomes and align with Qatar's national vision for economic diversification and environmental stewardship. This research provides actionable insights for policymakers, contractors, and project managers aiming to transition towards a circular construction economy in mega projects.

Grit—passion and perseverance for long-term goals—has been linked to a wide array of positive academic and psychological outcomes. However, limited research has been conducted to explore the association of grit with different indicators of well-being and psychological health. The primary objective of this study was to assess the associations among grit, meaning in life, and depression. There were 447 Filipino high school students who participated in the study. Results of structural equation modeling showed that grit was linked to higher levels of meaning in life dimensions (i.e., presence of meaning and search for meaning in life) and presence of meaning was associated with lower depression. Bias-corrected bootstrapping revealed that grit had an indirect negative influence on depression through the intermediate variable—presence of meaning in life. Theoretical and practical implications are elucidated.

To better understand how young Alaska Native (Inupiaq) people are creatively responding to the tensions of growing up in a world markedly different from that of their parents and grandparents, the pilot study examined youth-produced digital stories as representations of their everyday lives, values, and identities. Two hundred and seventy-one youth–produced digital stories were examined and assigned descriptive attributes; of these, 31 stories were selected and subjected to a more rigorous coding and a thematic analysis. Findings fall into three main categories: self-representation, sites of achievement, and relationships. Participants’ digital stories overwhelmingly depicted positive self-images that included both codified cultural values and pop cultural images to construct novel forms of cultural identity. The gendered depictions of achievement signal a need for more varied, valued, and accessible avenues for success for boys. Lastly, relationships were prominent in the stories, ...

The use of CCTV cameras has been increasing in educational settings due to their potential benefits in enhancing security, monitoring student behavior, and promoting a conducive learning environment. This study aims to explore the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and students regarding the use of CCTV cameras in schools and their impact on learning mathematics. The study adopts a mixed-method approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews and observations to examine the presence of CCTV cameras and their influence on classroom dynamics and behaviors in teaching and learning mathematics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with school administrators, teachers, and students from six schools in Nepal. The analysis of the data revealed five main themes: individual privacy, autonomy and trust, school context and learning environment, discipline and safety measures, and school management system, along with limitations and constraints. These themes encompassed discussions on the potential benefits of CCTV cameras in promoting discipline, safety, and classroom management, as well as concerns related to privacy, autonomy, trust, student motivation, engagement, critical thinking skills, and classroom dynamics. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, school administrators, and educators to make informed decisions and develop appropriate guidelines for the responsible integration of CCTV cameras in educational settings.

Human capital theory suggests that job opportunities will create incentives for students to invest, or not invest, in education. If the economic structure of the community does not reward education, students might drop out of school. The existing research on this topic, which is based on several disciplinary perspectives, is reviewed. Data from Virginia indicate that a higher percentage of service occupations in the county increases the dropout rate. A higher percentage of managerial/professional occupations decreases the dropout rate and increases the percentage of graduates continuing their education. In addition, the model tested for differences in educational achievement in Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties. Appalachian counties differ from urban, but not from other rural counties. Urban counties have a higher percentage of both dropouts and graduates continuing their education.

Relationship dynamics develop early in life and are influenced by social environments. STI/HIV prevention programs need to consider romantic relationship dynamics that contribute to sexual health. The aim of this study was to examine monogamous patterns, commitment, and trust in African American adolescent romantic relationships. The authors also focused on the differences in these dynamics between and within gender. The way that such dynamics interplay in romantic relationships has the potential to influence STI/HIV acquisition risk. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 African American adolescents aged 14 to 21 living in San Francisco. Our results discuss data related to monogamous behaviors, expectations, and values; trust and respect in romantic relationships; commitment to romantic relationships; and outcomes of mismatched relationship expectations. Incorporating gender-specific romantic relationships dynamics can enhance the effectiveness of prevention programs.

Successful community partnerships for youth are based on the premise that reciprocity exists between all parties, but to what extent is equal power actually present? The current investigation examines the benefits and contributions associated with partnerships from community partners' perspectives. Respondents from 15 different Connect to Protect® coalitions initiated by the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions were interviewed at the onset of their partnerships. Community partners asserted that their contributions to partnerships are more varied than researchers', yet they perceived that researchers acquire more kinds of benefits. Findings indicate nuances regarding reciprocity and power inequities between partners. Community partners' insights have implications for defining best practices within partnerships that benefit youth.

Education. Grantees undertaking such projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their judgement in professional and technical matters. Points of view of opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official U.S. Department of Education position or policy. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Therefore, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education project, like. every program or activity receiving financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education, must be operated in compliance with these laws. decision-making and progress toward the realization of vocational goals. Vocational development during adolescence is influenced by experiences in a wide range of contexts, including the family, school, workplace, volunteer settings, and broader community. These contextual sources of work orientations in adolescence are the focus of an ongoing longitudinal study entitled, "Influences on Adolescents' Conceptions of Work: Values, Identity, and Aspirations," sponsored by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE). emphasizes the importance of considering multiple contexts in the study of development, as do Vondracek, in their developmental-contextual framework. In this paper, we report on five different influences during adolescence and their implications for vocational development. First, we investigate the potential importance of allowance arrangements in the family for the socialization of economic concepts. Second, we compare vocational development in the school setting for high-and low-risk adolescents. Third, we examine the implications of adolescent work experience for the formation of occupational values. Fourth, we assess patterns of volunteerism among contemporary youth. Finally, we explore gender differences in adolescent orientations toward future educational, vocational, and familial plans which reflect societal shifts in gender roles.

Although increasing numbers of youth are seeking help to reduce or abstain from marijuana use, little research has investigated the contextual facilitators and barriers to doing so among urban youth utilizing primary care. We qualitatively investigated contextual facilitators and barriers to marijuana reduction/abstinence in an ethnically diverse primary care sample of youth who frequently use marijuana. We interviewed thirteen (Black/ African American (69%), Hispanic (8%), White (8%) unknown (15%)) youth (eight females) aged 15-23 years (mean = 19.46). Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants' motivations for marijuana reduction/abstinence included physical health, cognitive functioning, future goals, and money. Barriers to reduction/abstinence were psychological (e.g. stress and boredom), and sociocontextual (e.g. family, friends, and the neighborhood). Our findings suggest using a twopronged approach to support marijuana reduction/abstinence in youth: individual-level interventions to address psychological factors that impede behavior change, and broader community-based interventions to address sociocontextual factors.

This study examines ethnic minority girls' perceptions of risk factors for female gang involvement. Thirty-one female students at an alternative school in a high-crime, urban environment were interviewed with regard to their beliefs about why adolescents join gangs. Peer pressure was believed to be the largest influence on female gang involvement. In addition, it was thought that girls might turn to gangs for protection from neighborhood crime, abusive families, and other gangs. Family characteristics linked to gang involvement included lack of parental warmth and family conflict. Furthermore, gangs, through their participation in illegal activities, were viewed as providing access to excitement and moneymaking opportunities not available through more legitimate societal institutions. Finally, adolescents may view gang membership as a way of obtaining respect. Implications for intervention programs and future research are discussed.

The present study was designed to examine (a) family and school functioning and (b) personal and ethnic identity are associated with conduct problems, drug use, and sexual risk taking in a sample of 227 high-risk Hispanic adolescents. Adolescents participated in the study with their primary parents, who were mostly mothers. Adolescents completed measures of family and school functioning, personal and ethnic identity, conduct problems, and drug use. Parents completed measures of family functioning and adolescent conduct problems. Results indicated that school functioning and personal identity confusion are related to alcohol use, illicit drug use, and sexual risk taking indirectly through adolescent reports of conduct problems. Adolescent reports of family functioning are related to alcohol use, illicit drug use, and sexual risk taking through school functioning and conduct problems. Results are discussed in terms of the problem behavior syndrome and in terms of the finding of relati...

Self-report questionnaires on alcohol use are commonly used in both research and in clinical work with adolescents, but little is known about how adolescent responders perceive and interpret them. This study explores how adolescents think while responding to two alcohol-related questionnaires. It also investigates whether the instruments can initiate self-reflective processes on alcohol use. Data were collected among adolescents visiting a center for young people with substance use problems in Sweden. The participants found the questionnaires easy to complete and widely relevant, and the questionnaires commonly initiated a process of self-reflection. Results support the use in clinical settings.

This study explores the extent to which parental and peer behaviors and norms may affect substance use, personal antidrug norms, and intentions to use drugs in a group of Mexican heritage preadolescents in the Southwest United States, and whether these parental and peer influences differ according to gender. Secondary data from a randomized trial of a drug prevention program were used. The sample consisted of 2,733 adolescents. The outcomes were recent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, personal antidrug norms, and intentions to use drugs. In this study, peer variables were more consistently related to the outcomes than parent variables, with the exception of parental injunctive norms, which were the most predictive parent factor. Recommendations are provided to further study the protective processes that are maintained through the transition into adolescence and acculturation as a foundation for the design of resiliency-focused prevention interventions.

This article examines the intertwined roles of gender labels (male/female) and gender identity in predicting drug-use behaviors and experiences of middle school students in a large, ethnically diverse, southwestern city. Three dimensions of gender identity are derived through factor analysis, one relating to femininity and nurturance, another relating to masculinity and self-confidence, and a third relating to masculinity and dominance. In bivariate and multivariate tests the authors find that masculine dominance is associated with higher frequency of recent drug use, particularly for boys' use of marijuana and hard drugs, with more drug offers and a greater variety of drugs used over their lifetimes. Gender identity measures do not supersede gender labels in predicting drug outcomes, but they are shown to be more powerful predictors in combination than separately. Possible relationships between gender identity and early adolescents' relationships with their ethnic groups, f...

A sample of 60 male and 91 female Mexican-American adolescents (age 13-18) were administered measures of positive (i.e., assertive masculinity, affective femininity) and negative (i.e., aggressive masculinity, submissive femininity) gender roles, internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors, peer substance use, and own substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana). Negative gender roles were significantly correlated with internalizing and externalizing problems for both boys and girls, with aggressive masculinity also predicting peer substance use for both genders. Assertive masculinity significantly predicted lower alcohol use in boys, and this effect was not mediated by internalizing problems, externalizing problems, or peer substance use. Negative gender roles significantly predicted higher alcohol use in girls, but this effect was almost completely mediated by internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and peer substance use. Results are discussed in terms of gender r...

In light of the increasing global population of young people, practitioners and policy makers face formidable challenges in promoting positive youth development and the successful transition to adulthood. Youth participatory research is one promising and rapidly growing approach for generating evidence to inform policy and intervention strategies to best serve youth populations. Here, we consider how developmental science contributes to our understanding about the benefits—for youth, as well as for programs and policies—of engaging youth at different developmental stages in research. We link insights from developmental science to evidence from youth-engaged research to determine where the most fruitful developmental matches may occur. We can maximize the benefits for youth and simultaneously improve research projects when developmental needs, capacities, priorities, and constraints of youth in various stages are thoughtfully considered.

Establishing a coherent meaning in life has long been considered to be a protective factor of well-being, but this construct has been understudied in early adolescent development. The current study investigated the relationships between family allocentrism and depressive symptoms as well as the mediation effect of meaning in life in 214 Chinese and 201 Italian early adolescents. Although family allocentrism was higher in Chinese than Italian participants, it was significantly associated to lower depressive symptoms in both countries. Moderated mediational analyses showed that in both countries: (a) family allocentrism was positively related with presence of meaning; (b) family allocentrism and presence of meaning were negatively related to depressive symptoms; and (c) presence of meaning mediated the relationship between family allocentrism and depressive symptoms. In conclusion, family allocentrism and presence of meaning in life are important

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a financial inclusion project on youth’s sexual risk behaviors and victimization. The project occurred in Ghana, where 100 schools were assigned to either a school-based savings program (SBSP), a marketing campaign, or a control group. Pretest and posttest data were collected in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Given our study objective, we restricted our sample to sexually experienced youth ( n = 957). Using doubly robust methods to estimate treatment effects, the overall financial inclusion project was not associated with positive changes in sexual risk behaviors and victimization. In contrast, SBSP was significantly associated with higher likelihood of condom use and lower probability of sexual victimization. SBSP may be another promising tool that may help young people accumulate material and nonmaterial resources to reduce sexual risk taking and victimization.

Because addiction is a socially isolating disease, social support for recovery is an important element of treatment planning. This study examines the relationship between social isolation, giving and receiving social support in Alcoholics Anonymous during treatment, and post-treatment outcomes among juvenile offenders court-referred to addiction treatment. Adolescents (N = 195) aged 14 to 18 years were prospectively assessed at treatment admission, treatment discharge, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment discharge. The influence of social isolation variables on relapse and severe criminal activity in the 12-months post-treatment was examined using negative binomial logistic regressions and event history methods. Juveniles entering treatment with social estrangement were significantly more likely to relapse, be incarcerated, and commit a violent crime in the 12-months post-treatment. Giving help to others in Alcoholics Anonymous during treatment significantly reduced the risk of relapse, incarceration, and violent crime in the 12months post-treatment whereas receiving help did not.

While it is well understood that adolescent religiosity is associated with the use and abuse of licit and illicit substances, few studies have revealed the pathways through which religiosity buffers youth against involvement in such behavior. The aim of this study is to examine the complexity of the relationships between religiosity, sensation seeking, injunctive norms, and adolescent substance use. Using a national sample of adolescents ( N = 18,614), negative binomial regression and path analysis were used to examine the various components of the relationship between religiosity and the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Results indicate that private religiosity moderates the relationship between key risk factors and substance use. Public and private religiosity were associated with tolerant injunctive substance use norms which, in turn, were associated with substance use. Implications for research and theory related to religiosity and adolescent substance use are discussed.

Few studies have examined sexual partnerships and HIV risk in diverse samples of African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino adolescent and young adult men who have sex with men (YMSM), a group that have a high burden of HIV in the United States. A community–venue recruitment approach was used, which identified significant differences in HIV risk by sexual partner type among 1,215 YMSM. Those with casual partners had a higher number of sexual partners, had more sexually transmitted infections (STIs), were more likely to engage in transactional sex, and to use alcohol, marijuana, or other substances compared with those with main partners only. Among those with female sexual partners, many used condoms “every time” when engaging in vaginal sex with casual partners, but a sizable proportion “never/rarely” used condoms with their main partners. Our findings demonstrate a need for tailored HIV prevention education and counseling with necessary skills regarding consistent and correct condo...

Bullying is a kind of antisocial behavior, which causes physical and mental harm to the victims, and even death in severe cases. Many countries have adopted a "zero tolerance" approach to it and have developed countermeasures early on. In contrast, China's campus bullying incidents are worsening, involving severe and harmful behaviors, the governance has been ineffective, and the whole society has condemned them, and there is limited academic research on the subject. This study analyzes 15 typical incidents reported by news media between 2015 and 2023 using a combination of multiple case studies and literature research. It explores the main characteristics of bullying behavior, the deficiencies in education and laws concerning bullying, etc. The paper proposes intervention measures from four perspectives: governance policy community, family and school education, bystander participation, and laws and regulations. This paper uses many cases to prove that Chinese education needs to learn more from international education experience when dealing with bullying cases, and this is an imperative reform.

Adolescent behavior is often negatively viewed especially regarding work experience. By introducing a concept of prosocial behavior, our study attempts to provide an alternative view on the effects of teenage job and work experience. We hypothesized that work experience could generate more prosocial behaviors. By surveying a large group of working-class youth (N = 2,860) from eight Chinese vocational schools and using structural equation modeling, we confirmed that the pattern of "having less, giving more" could be found in our sample. Our findings revealed that work experience could facilitate prosocial behavior via the increase of knowledge of both contract-based rights and labor action. By understanding working-class youth's prosocial behavior as a positive outcome of work experience, this study calls for further research on other positive outcomes, such as cooperation, civic engagement, and solidarity, among working-class youth.

Adolescent behavior is often negatively viewed especially regarding work experience. By introducing a concept of prosocial behavior, our study attempts to provide an alternative view on the effects of teenage job and work experience. We hypothesized that work experience could generate more prosocial behaviors. By surveying a large group of working-class youth ( N = 2,860) from eight Chinese vocational schools and using structural equation modeling, we confirmed that the pattern of “having less, giving more” could be found in our sample. Our findings revealed that work experience could facilitate prosocial behavior via the increase of knowledge of both contract-based rights and labor action. By understanding working-class youth’s prosocial behavior as a positive outcome of work experience, this study calls for further research on other positive outcomes, such as cooperation, civic engagement, and solidarity, among working-class youth.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to obtain youth perspectives on consensual and non-consensual sexting. We began this study on young people’s (12–19) sexting practices in a large urban center. Before the study was put on pause due to COVID-19 physical distancing measures, we conducted 12 focus groups with 62 participants (47 girls, 15 boys). A key finding was that many girls had received unsolicited sexts (e.g., “dick pics”) or unwanted requests for sexts. Analysis revealed four interconnected themes: (1) unsolicited sexts; (2) unwanted requests for sexts; (3) complexity associated with saying “no”; and (4) general lack of adult support. Using our findings from before COVID-19, we discuss the potential impact of COVID-19 on teens’ sexting experiences and outline the ways in which social workers and other mental health practitioners can support adolescents and their parents in navigating this new context of sexting during and beyond the global pandemic.

The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the portrayal of bullying in three parenting magazines from 2000 to 2014. Heightened awareness and recording of the problem of bullying began after the Columbine school shooting in 1999. Recently cyber-bullying has become a grave concern. This study found that stories focused on parental responsibility. Parents are exhorted to be constantly alert to evidence of a child being involved in bullying and to intervene as soon as possible. Bullying was frequently represented as caused by and causing psychological pathologies in individuals. Theoretical explanations of these findings include intensive parenting, risk society, medicalisation and criminalisation.

This article examines neighborhood-level factors to help explain why adolescent birth rate trajectories differ in certain communities in California, with rates in some areas remaining elevated or increasing while rates in other areas with similar demographic characteristics declined. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 94 community stakeholders and 22 focus groups with 186 adolescents from five “promising” communities (with declining adolescent birth rates) and five “struggling” communities (persistently elevated or increasing rates). Promising communities had more employment prospects, better neighbor interactions, and greater educational opportunities for youth. Parent–child communication around sex and youth knowledge of clinics were also more common. In contrast, struggling communities tended to have higher perceived levels of crime and poverty and more negative attitudes toward youth. These findings illustrate the complexity of factors that influence adolescents’ liv...

Bullying among students is prevalent problem in schools and is difficult to eradicate. Teachers can play a key role in preventing and reducing peer bullying by adequately intervening in bullying incidents. However, and surprisingly, theory and research regarding teachers' responses to bullying are scarce to date. This special issue contributes to filling this gap by presenting ten original studies involving nine European countries and the US. This introduction gives an overview of literature about the conceptualization and measurement, the consequences, antecedents, and malleability of teacher responses to bullying, identifies limitations in the current research, and introduces the studies in this issue addressing these limitations.

h i g h l i g h t s We identify predictors of targets' telling adults at school about their plight. We determine which adult responses were most helpful to targets. We identify predictors of targets' ratings of outcomes of adult responses. Students in special education reported less positive outcomes of adult responses. Students who were more distressed rated adult responses as less helpful.

We use the method of situational decomposition in an attempt to identify the causal effect of alcohol intoxication on adolescent sexual intercourse and contraception use. This approach assumes that the relationship between frequency of alcohol intoxication and behavior while sober is entirely spurious. With this in mind, the total association between drinking and behavior can be decomposed into spurious and “non-spurious” (i.e., causal) components. The larger the magnitude of the total association relative to the spurious association, the larger the influence of alcohol on behavior. This method was employed to analyze data from the first wave of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) in-home interview ( N = 20,743). The results suggest that almost all of the relationship between alcohol and sexual intercourse is spurious. On the contrary, alcohol intoxication was found to reduce the use of contraceptives during sexual intercourse, especially among boys.

To better understand how young Alaska Native (Inupiaq) people are creatively responding to the tensions of growing up in a world markedly different from that of their parents and grandparents, the pilot study examined youth-produced digital stories as representations of their everyday lives, values, and identities. Two hundred and seventy-one youth–produced digital stories were examined and assigned descriptive attributes; of these, 31 stories were selected and subjected to a more rigorous coding and a thematic analysis. Findings fall into three main categories: self-representation, sites of achievement, and relationships. Participants’ digital stories overwhelmingly depicted positive self-images that included both codified cultural values and pop cultural images to construct novel forms of cultural identity. The gendered depictions of achievement signal a need for more varied, valued, and accessible avenues for success for boys. Lastly, relationships were prominent in the stories, ...

Our longitudinal, qualitative study with 29 pregnant adolescents who smoke used a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to understand experiences and the function of tobacco through pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. The young women described complex lives of overlapping oppressions interspersed with expressions of resistance; these were lived experiences on the threshold of both adulthood and an anticipated better life. Our research implicated tobacco use as a value laden action at the border of oppression and resistance. Thinking about tobacco as a component of and a flag for oppression, we combined a gender based focus with the social ecological model to create a rich understanding of the opportunities for designing equitable interventions that address a range of interconnected influences on an adolescent mother’s health. Opportunities for interventions open briefly in the space between the early idealism displayed by adolescent mothers and the impinging potential reality o...

A process model which included the-influences of social origin, encouragement, and the formation of adolescent period attitudes as antecedents of early marital and fertility behavior was constructed and evaluated/using three-wave panel data Obtained from 176 nonmetropolitan females from selected Alabama, Georgia, Texas, 'and South Carolina high schools. Developed to integrate demographic andstatus attainment perspectives, the model depicted a network of relationships in which the exogenous factor, social origins, influenced young adult timing of marriage and fertility through a complex of intervening variables. The mod I was evaluated within a

While previous research has shown alcohol use to increase developmentally throughout adolescence, the age of alcohol initiation has rarely been incorporated into developmental trajectories. Simultaneous estimation of the effects of early alcohol initiation was made in relation to the recency and frequency of alcohol use utilizing a sample of 1,209 low-income, minority adolescents initiating alcohol between 12 and 18. Significant effects of both age of alcohol initiation and gender were found. Initial alcohol use was higher the later the adolescent initiated alcohol use. Following initiation, trajectories of the recency and frequency of alcohol use for female adolescents increased more rapidly the earlier they initiate alcohol use, while trajectories for male adolescents increased independent of their year

The primary aim of this study was to examine gender and racial differences in the association between system involvement types (i.e., child protective services [CPS] only, juvenile justice system only, and dual involvement) and academic outcomes (i.e., grade failure, chronic absenteeism). This study used records from a linked database of public youth-serving institutional records within a county’s youth court, law enforcement agencies, and CPS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. The impact of systems involvement on academic outcomes was most salient among Black males, while none of the system involvement types were associated with chronic absenteeism or grade failure among White males. Findings highlight the need for the development of intervention strategies to address educational needs of youth involved in the CPS and juvenile justice systems, with a heightened attention to Black and male youth, to improve their attendance and academic performance.

Using Hofstede's cultural dimension of masculinity/femininity, this quantitative content analysis investigated the coverage of virginity loss (i.e., occurrence, tone, and association with negative consequences) and pregnancy (i.e., occurrence, tone, and negative consequence of sex) in 2,496 feature stories from all issues of three U.S. and three Dutch teen girl magazines from 2006 to 2008. Stories about virginity loss and pregnancy occurred equally often in the U.S. and Dutch magazines. Pregnancy was attached with a negative tone in both the United States and Dutch coverage. Virginity loss, however, was portrayed with a positive tone more often in the Dutch coverage than in the U.S. coverage. In addition, pregnancy was depicted as a negative consequence of sex more often in the U.S. coverage than in the Dutch coverage. Implications are discussed in terms of differences in adolescent sexual socialization in the United States and the Netherlands.

This research sought to identify a potential process by which intergenerational crime occurs, focusing on the effect of parental incarceration on adolescents' subsequent arrests. We drew from Matsueda's work on reflected appraisals as an explanatory mechanism for this effect. Thus, the present research examined whether caregivers' and adolescents' expectations for adolescents' future incarceration sequentially mediated the effect of parental incarceration on adolescents' actual arrest outcomes. Propensity score matching was used to examine this effect in a sample of 1,735 15-to 16year-olds using NLSY97 data. Parental incarceration was positively related to caregivers' expectations of adolescents' future arrest. Moreover, caregivers' expectations were strongly associated with adolescents' expectations. Finally, the effect of parental incarceration on adolescents' actual future arrest likelihood was partially mediated by caregivers' and adolescents' expectations for this outcome. This study revealed support for the proposition that the experience of parental incarceration may influence adolescents' negative outcomes through reflected appraisals.

During adolescence, adolescents are given more freedom to independently interact with a variety of social contexts. The eco-developmental model suggests that the activity spaces where adolescents spend their time affect substance-use behaviors beyond peer influences, and that the relationships may differ based on the adolescent’s demographic characteristics. This study examines adolescent patterns of reported substance use across activity spaces to determine whether the patterns of use are related to problematic substance use, and whether the relationships differ based on the participants’ race. Cross-sectional survey data from the study, Drug Use Among Young American Indians: Epidemiology and Prediction, 1993-2006 and 2009-2013, were used. Five patterns of adolescent alcohol use and six patterns of adolescent drug use in activity spaces were identified. There were significant differences in the relationship between class membership and problematic substance use by race, suggesting ...

This paper contains a systematic review of articles about the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and alcohol and drug use that were published between 1997 and 2006. Summaries of methodological characteristics (e.g., study design, sample size and composition, specific dimensions of religiosity, and substances investigated) and general findings of 105 studies provide an overview of the field. The association between religiosity/spirituality and reduced risk of substance use is well established, but a well defined body of knowledge on this relationship has been slow to emerge. The development of more sophisticated instrumentation to measure religiosity and spirituality, the investigation of samples that include users of major drugs of abuse, and the integration of the study of religion and drug use into the broader literature on religion and health can help the field build upon the considerable work that has been published.

Self-regulation is a well-known construct in educational and psychological research, as it is often related to academic success and well-being. Drawing from criticisms of a lack of context applied to the investigation of this construct, the current study examined the multi-dimensional role of social support (teachers, parents, peers) and coping skills as predictors of self-regulated learning among a diverse sample of urban youth ( N = 229). Based on a cross-sectional and longitudinal design, structural equation modeling was used to test two models. Social support predicted self-regulated learning at Time 1 and Time 2 after controlling for grades. Results further indicated that coping skills did not predict self-regulated learning in either model. The implications for practice, limitations of the study, and future directions for research are discussed.

The following study examined the association between race, ethnicity, referral source, and reasons for attrition from substance use treatment in a sample of 72,643 discharges of adolescent youth in the United States from 2014 to 2016. Black and Hispanic adolescents were more likely to be discharged due to incarceration and termination by the facility compared to White adolescents. Adolescents referred by probation, diversion, other juvenile justice organizations, health care providers, community agencies, and individual referrals were significantly more likely to be discharged due

There is a lack of research that examines and compares the perspectives of students and their parents and teachers with respect to cyberbullying. Qualitative data were drawn from a mixed methods study on cyberbullying among students in grades 4, 7, and 10, in a large urban school board. Interviews with 13 students and their parents and teachers took place during year one and with students and parents in year three. Data analysis occurred through an ongoing process of open, axial, and selective coding. Overall, the youth and adults demonstrated similar understanding of cyberbullying. It emerged, however, that for the youth participants, telling about their cyberbullying experiences was a relational process. In contrast, the adult participants made little mention of these relational aspects in their explanations. We characterize this relational process as students' use of benchmarks (point of reference) and bellwethers (someone or something that is used as a predictor), throughout their decision-making (both implicit and explicit). It is important that this relational process of telling, for example, deciding whether and to whom to disclose, informs education and intervention strategies. Keywords Cyberbullying. Relational aspects of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying perspectives of youth and adults. Understanding cyberbullying. Cyberbullying disclosure