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Sexual Sensation Seeking, Social Stress, and Coping Styles as Predictors of HIV/STD Risk Behaviors in Adolescents

Teva, I., Bermudez, M. P., Buela-Casal, G. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:57 PST

The aim of this study was to assess whether coping styles, social stress, and sexual sensation seeking were predictors of HIV/STD risk behaviours in adolescents. A representative sample of 4,456 female and male Spanish high school students aged 13 to 18 years participated. A stratified random sampling procedure was used. Self-report questionnaires on coping styles, social stress, sexual sensation seeking, and sexual behavior were administered to participants at their high schools. Sexual sensation seeking predicted whether sex was with a casual partner and whether drugs were used at the last sexual intercourse in males and females. Nonproductive coping was a risk factor in the use of drugs at the last sexual intercourse in males. Problem-solving coping style was related to a lower likelihood in the use of drugs at the last sexual encounter in females and to a higher likelihood of condom use at last sexual intercourse in males. Social stress increased the likelihood of having used drugs at last sexual intercourse in females.This study highlights the need to incorporate sexual sensation seeking, social stress, and coping styles in HIV/STD prevention programs aimed at adolescents.

Resilience and Political Violence: A Cross-Cultural Study of Moderating Effects Among Jewish- and Arab-Israeli Youth

Lavi, I., Slone, M. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:56 PST

Children in countries involved in violent national conflicts experience difficult and, at times, extreme events such as spending long hours in shelters, witnessing terror attacks, or having a family member absent or injured while participating in battle. This study explores the moderating effect of resilience factors, self-esteem, and self-control, on relations between political violence and children’s difficulties. Children and mothers from 104 Jewish- and 108 Arab-Israeli families complete questionnaires assessing political violence exposure, self-esteem, self-control, and the child’s social, psychological, and behavioral difficulties. Findings show that Israeli children exhibited heightened levels of psychological difficulties with high impact of political violence, a relationship that is partially moderated by self-control. In addition, significant ethnic group differences are found. First, political life events (PLE) are positively related to the child’s social, psychological, and behavioral difficulties in the Arab group. Second, the relationship between political life events and the child’s difficulties is moderated by self-control in the Jewish group and by self-esteem in the Arab group. Consequences of these results to understanding the impact of political violence and the role of individual resilience during conflict are discussed.

Understanding the Impact of Poverty on Critical Events in Emerging Adulthood

Berzin, S. C., De Marco, A. C. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:56 PST

Current trends have allowed some youth a lengthened transition to adulthood, in part because of demographic shifts that delay the time until adolescents assume adult roles. Although these trends are well documented, less research has examined how this impacts vulnerable subgroups. Using a sample of predominantly White youth (ages 18-33) from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 1,517), this study traces the timing of critical events in emerging adulthood. Using survival analysis, results suggest poverty impacts youth experiences of home leaving, marriage, and parenthood. Low-income youth are at greater risk of early home leaving but less likely to leave after age 18. They are less likely to marry, though they have a greater risk of parenthood prior to age 25. Taken as whole, these outcomes can set youth up for negative trajectories throughout adulthood and may not allow poor youth the same opportunity for an extended period of emerging adulthood.

Preadolescent Violence Among Girls

Boyer, W. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:55 PST

This research study explored preadolescent girl-to-girl violence based on the perceptions of the victim at 14 years of age and those of her family. Using a heuristic research design (Moustakas, 1990), this constant comparative analysis of multiple data sources found (a) a clearly delineated progression of girl-to-girl violence, (b) blindness surrounding girl-to-girl violence in the responses of not only the victim’s family but also the victim herself, and (c) proactive factors and strategies for early recognition and prevention of girl-to-girl violence. The implications based on these findings include examining when and under what conditions various forms of aggression emerged, alternative trajectories of victimization, and future research that can inform the prevention of girl-to-girl violence.

Gender, Alcohol Consumption Patterns, and Engagement in Sexually Intimate Behaviors Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Nha Trang, Viet Nam

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:56 PST

A randomly selected cross-sectional survey was conducted with 880 youth (16 to 24 years) in Nha Trang City to assess relationships between alcohol consumption and sexual behaviors. A timeline followback method was employed. Chi-square, generalized logit modeling and logistic regression analyses were performed. Of the sample, 78.2% male and 56.1% female respondents ever consumed alcohol. Males reporting sexual behaviors (vaginal, anal, oral sex) had a significantly higher calculated peak BAC of 0.151 compared to 0.082 for males reporting no sexual intimacy (p < .0001). Females reporting sexual behaviors had a peak BAC of 0.072 compared to 0.027 for those reporting no sexual intimacy (p = .016). Fifty percent of (33/66) males and 30.4% (7/23) females report event specific drinking and engagement in sexual behaviors. Males reporting 11+ drinks in 30 days had more sexual partners than those reporting 1 to 10 drinks (p = .037). Data suggest different physical and psychosocial mediators between alcohol consumption and sexual behaviors by gender.

The Effect of Cumulative Risk on Paternal Engagement: Examining Differences Among Adolescent and Older Couples

Farrie, D., Lee, Y., Fagan, J. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:56 PST

This study examined the association between fathers’ and mothers’ risk factors and paternal engagement 1 and 3 years postbirth. Distinguishing between new and persistent risk factors, we tested whether cumulative risk has unique effects on couples where one or both parents are adolescents at birth. Results indicated that although fathers’ and mothers’ risk factors affected levels of paternal engagement with 1-year-olds, these effects did not differ among couples with at least one adolescent and older couples. However, when the child was 3, fathers’ risk factors were stronger predictors of decreased engagement for couples with at least one adolescent partner, but mothers’ risk factors increased engagement only for adolescent fathers with older mothers. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Moving Beyond Youth Voice

Serido, J., Borden, L. M., Perkins, D. F. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:55 PST

This study combines research documenting the benefits of positive relationships between youth and caring adults on a young person’s positive development with studies on youth voice to examine the mechanisms through which participation in youth programs contributes to positive developmental outcomes. Specifically, the study explores whether youth’s perceived quality relationships with adults contribute to strengthening of youth voice and in turn how the two combine to affect youth’s perception of the benefits of program participation. The findings derived from survey data regarding 748 youth who participated in youth–adult partnership programs in 29 states suggest that young people who develop positive relationships with adults perceive they have more voice in the program and in turn perceive more benefits to program participation. Implications for research and practice are presented.

The Role of Community Technology Centers in Promoting Youth Development

London, R. A., Pastor, M., Servon, L. J., Rosner, R., Wallace, A. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:24:55 PST

Recent data suggest that the digital divide betweenWhite and minority youth persists, particularly in terms of home access to computers and the Internet. Community technology centers (CTCs) are an important alterative access point, especially for low-income youth of color. Such institutions, however, do much more, providing not just access, but general youth development, including the opportunity for youth to voice their stories, contribute to community-building, and expand networks. The authors use qualitative data collected at five CTCs nationwide to examine the ways that youth engage in CTCs and link these activities to a youth development framework.The authors draw lessons for future CTC practice, highlighting the importance of both bonding and bridging social capital in thinking through future programming.

Chronic Offenders: A Life-Course Analysis of Marijuana Users

Ragan, D. T., Beaver, K. M. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:04:34 PST

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug, and the use of marijuana has been linked to a wide array of maladaptive outcomes. As a result, there is great interest in identifying the factors that are associated with the use of marijuana and with desistance from marijuana. The current study employed a life-course framework to examine the factors associated with early onset of marijuana use, with the use of marijuana during adolescence, and with desistance from marijuana use in young adulthood. Analysis of data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health revealed that low self-control and delinquent peers were predictive of marijuana use, an early onset of marijuana use, and desistance from marijuana use. In addition, the models revealed that marriage increased the odds of desistance from marijuana use, even after controlling for delinquent peers, low self-control, and selection effects. The implications of our findings are noted.

Latino and Asian Students' Perception of the Quality of Their Educators: The Role of Generational Status and Language Proficiency

Watkins, A. M., Melde, C. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:04:35 PST

Extant research has primarily assessed the quality of the American school experience for immigrant students by focusing on performance-based outcomes (e. g., grade point average [GPA]). Unlike such research, the current study examines the impact of generational status and language proficiency on Latino and Asian students’ (n = 2,261) attitudes regarding the quality of their educators, a nonperformance outcome. Multivariate findings of data from two waves of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study reveal that first- and second-generation immigrant students offered similar appraisals of the quality of their educators, whereas students fluent in an ethnic language generally expressed more favorable impressions of the quality of their school officials than did exclusively English-speaking students. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Adolescents' Hopes for Personal, Local, and Global Future: Insights From Ukraine

Nikolayenko, O. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:04:35 PST

This study explores adolescents’ hopes for personal, local, and global future in postcommunist Ukraine. The research is based on a survey of 200 sixth-graders in the cities of Donetsk and Lviv in fall 2005. The analysis identifies six domains related to personal aspirations of adolescents: education, career, self-actualization, personal relationships, material possessions, and physical well-being. The findings also indicate that local concerns of respondents focus on the quality of public services and the environment. The study further finds that students fear most the deterioration of crossborder interpersonal relations.In addition, the analysis suggests that Ukrainian adolescents are more concerned about domestic politics than their peers in mature democracies. Moreover, the findings reveal gender and regional variations in the content of adolescents’ hopes.

Aspiring, Consuming, Becoming: Youth Identity in a Culture of Consumption

Deutsch, N. L., Theodorou, E. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:04:35 PST

This article focuses on how consumerism, as a social ideology, and consumption, as an individual activity, are used by adolescents to mark and mask differences in the process of identity construction. Data are drawn from an ethnographic study of urban youth.The act of consuming for the adolescents in this study forms an integral part of their identity performance across the intersectionality of the self’s experience of gender, race, and class. For females in this study, consumption is linked to gender performances based on the maintenance of an attractive and fashionable appearance as dictated by social perceptions of femininity. Girls’ future aspirations are indirectly associated to consumptive acts through the ambition for financial emancipation. Consuming, or aspiring to consuming, for males in this study facilitates the achievement of a morality realized through the fulfillment of male responsibility toward the traditionally perceived "dependent" members of the family: mother, wife, and children.

Characteristics of Homeless Youth Attending Two Different Youth Drop-In Centers

Shillington, A. M., Bousman, C. A., Clapp, J. D. — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:28:46 PDT

Services for homeless youth traditionally provided shelter and nourishment but do little to break the cycle of homelessness. A more comprehensive approach to serve homeless youth is the drop-in center model that provides safe and easy-to-find facilities within communities to bridge the gap between the streets and transitional/permanent housing. Research describing homeless youth who utilize drop-in centers is lacking. This study examines characteristics/ preferences of 96 homeless adolescents attending one of two drop-in centers in Southern California. Homeless youth reported high prevalence of risk behaviors regardless of the center of attendance. Furthermore, our analyses revealed significant differences related to demographics, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use between homeless youth at the two drop-in centers. These findings illuminate the specific characteristics and preferences of homeless youth who attend drop-in centers and can be used to inform providers, advocates, and policy makers.

Trajectories of Delinquency From Adolescence to Adulthood

Powell, D., Perreira, K. M., Harris, K. M. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:49:03 PDT

Rising immigration rates to the United States have been associated with increased public sentiment against immigrant populations and fears that immigration will lead to escalations in crime and delinquency. However, surprisingly few researchers have studied delinquency among immigrant youth overall or in comparison with U.S.-born youth. guided by a life-course perspective, this article uses three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of adolescent Health to describe longitudinal variations in delinquency by gender, race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, coethnic community concentration, and their interactions. The article finds that first-generation asian females and second-generation Hispanic females have the highest risk of delinquency during early adolescence. During late adolescence, asian and Hispanic third-plus generation youth have the highest risk of delinquency. However, as youth transition to adulthood, the rates of delinquency for all population groups converge.

The Shifting Balance of Adolescent Time Use

Zick, C. D. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:36:53 PDT

In this study, time diary data from 1977 to 1978 and 2003 to 2005 are used to investigate time use in middle adolescence with the goals of ascertaining (a) changes in time use, (b) how socioeconomic and familial factors influence adolescent time allocation, and (c) the extent to which the mix of leisure undertaken by today’s adolescents reflect a choice set that favors positive developmental experiences. The results suggest that over the past few decades, adolescents have substantially reduced their paid employment time while increasing the time they spend in leisure. adolescents’ declining real wage rates appear to have contributed to this shift. In 2003-2005, adolescents averaged more than 6 hours per day in leisure activities with approximately two thirds of their leisure time spent in passive activities and less than one third spent in leisure pursuits that have a high probability of promoting personal growth.

Defying Normative Male Identities: The Transgressive Possibilities of Jewish Boyhood

Reichert, M. C., Ravitch, S. M. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:36:53 PDT

This qualitative study discovers teenage boys whose connections to Judaism and Jewish life offered them resilience and contextual opportunities for identity development. Those who have active, positive Jewish identities describe adaptations that are more independent of adolescent peer norms and freer, in terms of masculine pressures, than less Jewishly identified boys. Finding countercultural vitality in these boys’ masculine identities, reflecting their rootedness in community support, contributes to the understanding of male development on a number of levels. For the Jewish community, the study findings underscore how critically important culturally based connections can be for boys. In a world dominated by restrictive ideals for being male, a boy’s ability to consider alternatives is likely to depend on his relationships and access to other ecological resources. and for those hoping for a better world for boys, and for everyone else, these teens’ commitments convey the essential fact, that just as children cocreate childhood, boys can help to reinvent boyhood.

Extending the Life-Course Interdependence Model: Life Transitions and the Enduring Consequences of Early Self-Derogation for Young Adult Crime

Eitle, D., Taylor, J., Pih, K. K.-h. — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:16:54 PDT

Few studies exploring the association between adolescent self-esteem and crime have considered whether the early adolescent self-esteem has any enduring consequences for young adult crime. Inspired by the life course and developmental criminology approaches, arnett’s notion of emerging adulthood, and Kaplan’s self-derogation theory, this article examines whether self-derogation predicts young adult crime, controlling for early adolescent behaviors and more temporally proximate risk and protective factors. In addition, the article examines whether the strength of the ties to college and work exhibit interdependence with early self-derogation and young adolescent crime in predicting young adult crime. Using longitudinal data from a sample of males living in Miami-Dade County, the article finds that self-derogation predicts young adult crime. Furthermore, the authors find that early self-derogation exhibits interdependence with the bond to college, consistent with Wright, Caspi, Moffitt, and Silva’s social protection hypothesis, and that youth crime exhibits interdependence with the bond to work in young adulthood.

Gay-Straight Alliances and School Experiences of Sexual Minority Youth

Walls, N. E., Kane, S. B., Wisneski, H. — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:37:16 PDT

Recent findings on the impact of gay–straight alliances (GSAs) on the school experiences of sexual minority youth have demonstrated that numerous positive outcomes are associated with attending schools that have such student organizations. Some research attributes the positive impact to shifts in campus climate resulting from recognition and legitimization of GSAs, whereas other research suggests the influence is primarily because of the increased social support that sexual minority youth experience. This study examines how GSAs affect sexual minority youth by comparing school experience variables of three discrete groups of sexual minority students: (a) those who attend schools without GSAs, (b) those who attend schools with GSAs but are not members, and (c) those who attend schools with GSAs of which they are members. Findings suggest that the presence of the GSA positively affects more school experiences than whether or not the sexual minority youth is an actual member of the group.

The Relationship Between Adolescents' Experience of Family Violence and Dating Violence

Laporte, L., Jiang, D., Pepler, D. J., Chamberland, C. — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:56:42 PDT

This study examines whether experiences of familial victimization and aggression are potential risk factors for dating violence in male and female teenage relationships. The authors compare 471 adolescents aged 12 to 19 in the care of a youth protection agency and from a community sample. Results show that adolescents carry negative childhood experiences of family violence into their intimate relationships in different ways, depending on gender and level of risk. Female adolescents who had been victimized by either of their parents were at greater risk for revictimization, but not aggression, within their dating relationships. High-risk adolescent males who reported childhood victimization were at a particularly high risk of being aggressive toward their girlfriends, especially if they were harshly disciplined by their father. The extent of aggression toward parents predicted aggression toward dating partners, particularly for girls. The authors discuss these findings in terms of prevention and early intervention efforts.

Democracy's Orphans: Rights, Responsibility, and the Role of the State in the Lives of Incarcerated Youth

Gardner, J. — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:52:16 PDT

Transition to adulthood is increasingly complex, extended, and challenging. Working-class Brown and Black young men face very difficult transitions, as they are overrepresented in the justice system, poverty, foster care, special education, and among victims of violence. What effects do these developments have on young people’s places in free democratic society and on the contours and possibilities of youth citizenship? Specifically, how do incarcerated young men view the breadth and limits of democratic citizenship? This article analyzes voices of 25 incarcerated youth and those working with them—recorded through interviews, autobiography, and taped youth club meetings. Findings reveal that incarcerated young men experience expanding responsibilities, notably, criminal penalties; contracting rights and protections; and institutions and systems oriented to their expected failure. Voices presented critique the role of the democratic state (via the justice, educational, and other youth-serving systems) in protecting democracy for marginalized youth and other incumbent citizens.

Mentees' Perceptions of Their Interpersonal Relationships: The Role of the Mentor-Youth Bond

Thomson, N. R., Zand, D. H. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:10:48 PDT

Outcome studies of mentoring programs have demonstrated that they hold considerable promise in promoting competence across multiple developmental domains. A theoretical model of mentoring identified modification of youths’ perceptions of their interpersonal relationships as a contributor to positive outcomes. To date, however, there has not been a direct examination of the role of the mentor–youth bond in this process. The present study examines whether the quality of the mentoring relationship uniquely predicts other relationship-based outcomes at two time points. Regression analyses indicated that the quality of the mentor–youth bond significantly predicted youths’ scores in most relationship-based outcomes (i.e., friendship with and self-disclosure to adults) at 8 and 16 months. Study implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Political Ideology and Psychological Symptoms Following Terror

Laufer, A., Solomon, Z. — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:25:33 PDT

The article examines the associations between political ideology and level of psychological symptoms in youth exposed to terror attacks. The study included 2,999 7th to 10th graders from various parts of Israel. Political ideology was examined in two ways: (a) as a content dimension: ?political stand??holding right, centrist, or left wing views and (b) as a content-free dimension: ?ideological commitment??which measured the strength of the political ideology regardless of its content. Findings indicated that youth holding right wing beliefs reported less distress. However, strong ideological commitment was associated with higher levels of symptoms, regardless of the political stand. The discussion concerns the differentiated role of content and content-free dimensions of a political ideology and its implication in psychological distress in the wake of political terror.

Protective Influences on the Negative Consequences of Drinking Among Youth

Randolph, K. A., Russell, D., Tillman, K. H., Fincham, F. — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:26:48 PDT

The prevention of underage drinking and related outcomes focuses on strengthening protective factors. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N= 3,862), the authors examine the effects of protective factors from three domains of adolescents’ lives (individual, familial, and extrafamilial) on experiencing negative consequences of alcohol use, while controlling for relevant risk factors, among youth who have already started drinking. Results showed that protective factors had relatively little influence on not experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences, regardless of social context. One individual protective factor, strategic decision making, was related to negative drinking outcomes in cross-sectional models. In longitudinal models, maternal attachment reduced the likelihood of experiencing negative outcomes over time. The effects of the risk factors remained strong in all models. Findings suggest "mixed-methods" preventive approaches, attending to risk factors, and including strategies to strengthen protective factors across multiple domains of adolescents’ lives when striving to affect negative drinking-related outcomes.

Frameworks of Caring and Helping in Adolescence: Are Empathy, Religiosity, and Spirituality Related Constructs?

Markstrom, C. A., Huey, E., Stiles, B. M., Krause, A. L. — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:26:48 PDT

Caring and helping are suggested as mechanisms that link empathy to religiosity and spirituality. To test this assertion, 428 adolescents completed self-report measures of religious attendance, importance of spiritual or religious beliefs, care, volunteerism, and affective and cognitive subscales of empathy. Sex differences also were examined. Importance of beliefs was associated with empathic concern and perspective-taking forms of empathy. Unexpectedly, religious attendance was not related to either subscale of empathy. Through a series of regressions, care was shown to mediate the relations between importance of beliefs and empathic concern and perspective taking, and volunteerism mediated the relation between importance of beliefs and perspective taking. Care, especially, should continue to be examined for its bridging function between empathy and religiosity and spirituality. Gender role and biological sex distinctions should also be examined in future studies.

"Tank Tops Are Ok but I Don't Want to See Her Thong": Girls' Engagements With Secondary School Dress Codes

Raby, R. — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:41:50 PDT

School conduct codes invariably include special mention of dress, often with some reference to concerns about revealing dress. Drawing on eight focus groups with secondary students in Southern Ontario, this article explores female students’ responses to such dress codes. Many young women were critical of certain aspects of their schools’ dress codes and how they are enforced; yet, they were also scornful of girls who wear revealing clothing. These focus group discussions indicate the fine line girls must continue to negotiate in their self-presentation, their active negotiation of school dress codes, their participation in the regulation of normative gender and sexuality, and their concomitant contestation of such regulation.

What Increases Risk and Protection for Delinquent Behaviors Among American Indian Youth? Findings From Three Tribal Communities

Mmari, K. N., Blum, R. Wm., Teufel-Shone, N. — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:41:51 PDT

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the risk and protective factors for delinquent behaviors among American Indian youth in three distinct tribal communities. Focus group discussions were used to gather data from elders, parents, youth workers, and youth in each tribal community. Findings showed that the key source for increasing risk and protection for delinquent behaviors among American Indian youth is the family. In particular is the protective presence of a parent and having a parent available for discussing problems. Participants also revealed how many parents lack the knowledge and confidence to discipline their children. These findings suggest a need for programs that strengthen parent-adolescent communication, parenting skills, and offer cultural teachings and sensitivity training for school personnel. Interventions also need to be specific to the cultural context and cannot assume the same risk and protective factors will apply to all American Indian youth.

The Role of Gender in the Racial and Ethnic Socialization of African American Adolescents

Brown, T. L., Linver, M. R., Evans, M. — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:40:41 PDT

Scholars in the field of African American family studies recognize the influence of gender on socialization. However, few studies investigate how gender influences the racial and ethnic socialization of African American youth. To examine the role of gender (both caregiver and adolescent) in socialization practices, data were obtained from 218 African American adolescents attending a public high school in the northeastern United States. Participants reported on the socialization messages provided by their caregivers by completing the Adolescent Racial and Ethnic Socialization Scale (ARESS). The ARESS is a newly developed measure of racial socialization and ethnic socialization, which assesses these constructs as distinct multidimensional processes. A series of ANCOVAs revealed that male and female caregivers differ in their approaches to racial and ethnic socialization. Findings suggest that caregivers engage in more socialization with female adolescents and raise questions about how gender differences may be related to African American youth development.