Parent training to reduce problem behaviors over the transition to high school: Tests of indirect effects through improved emotion regulation skills

Adolescent problem behaviors are costly for individuals and society. Promoting the self-regulatory functioning of youth may help prevent the development of such behaviors. Parent-training and family intervention programs have been shown to improve child and adolescent self-regulation. This study helps fill gaps in knowledge by testing for indirect effects of the Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) program on reduced substance use, conduct problems, and school suspensions through previously identified short-term improvements in parents' reports of their children's emotion regulation skills. Over two cohorts, 321 low income families of 8th graders were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the standard CSP program, an adapted CSP Plus program, or a minimal-contact control condition. Pretest, posttest, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up survey assessments were completed by parents and students with 94% retention. Intent-to-treat multivariate path analyses were conducted. Neither intervention had statistically significant total effects on the three targeted adolescent outcomes. CSP, but not CSP Plus, had statistically significant indirect effects on reduced substance use and school suspensions at the 1-year follow-up as well as conduct problems and school suspensions at the 2-year follow-up through increased child emotion regulation skills at posttest. Findings provide some support for emotion regulation as one pathway through which the intervention was associated, indirectly, with reduced substance use, conduct problems, and school suspensions among at-risk students over the high school transition.     

Fostering employability among youth at-risk in a multi-cultural context: Insights from a pilot intervention program

Recent studies indicate that the transition from school to work is a critical juncture in shaping the professional future of youth at risk. This period may thus serve as a window of opportunities for fostering employability among these youths and, thereby, for promoting their social mobility. However, systematic evaluations of intervention programs aimed at fostering employability among at-risk adolescents—and especially in a multi-cultural context—are relatively few. The current study describes the strengths and weaknesses of a pilot, nation-wide, multi-cultural, holistic intervention program, aimed at fostering employability among at-risk adolescents before they actually enter the labor market. The program integrated efforts in three main domains: cultivating work-related skills, fostering personal and interpersonal skills, and providing a supportive personal and group climate. During the years 2011–2013, the program was operated in 40 localities in Israel and in three culturally different sectors: The Jewish-Israeli majority sector in the periphery, the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority sector, and the Israeli-Arab (Muslim) minority sector. The current study describes the results of an evaluation study that accompanied the implementation of the program in nine representative localities (117 adolescents, ages 14–19) during 2012.Overall, the functioning of the adolescents (as evaluated by the professional program instructors) improved in all examined work-related domains: personal-emotional functioning, work-related functioning, CV writing ability, and future education prospects. Regression analyses highlighted several factors as predictive of improvement in the different employability-related domains, most notably, having a working father, being active in group meetings, having no Internet connection at home, helping other participants in the program, and being involved in selecting the topics of a professional course. Importantly, this improvement was linked with the cultural affiliation of the participants, and participants from the different sectors indicated different factors as contributing to their advancement.The results of this evaluation study suggest that intervention programs for promoting employability among at-risk adolescents should integrate a holistic and flexible national model with adaptations by local steering committees, whose members are from the same cultural group as the participating adolescents. Such a strategy will enable each unique community to tailor the local operation of the program to the culturespecific needs of—and to maximally utilize the resources available for—the different sectors in a multi-cultural society, while establishing a dialogue and reciprocal learning in national forums. A dilemma has been identified, however, with respect to increasing the local involvement of the national committee to provide the local committees with different viewpoints.     

The Process of Personal Transformation for Adolescents Practicing Mindfulness Skills in an Alternative School Setting

This qualitative study examined the experiences of alternative school students as they participated in a mindfulness skills program. A 7-month school-based mindfulness skills program was integrated into the Grade 10 curriculum for high school students (N = 19; 10 boys and 9 girls, ages 15–17). Students engaged in mindfulness practices twice weekly during class time. Students practiced breath awareness, and seated, walking, and lying mindfulness meditation during the course of the program. Students completed initial and final questionnaires about their experiences as well as written journal entries based on their experiences in the program. At the completion of the program, 14 of the 19 program completers were interviewed (6 boys and 8 girls). Data analysis yielded two broad areas of perceived benefits of participation in the mindfulness skills program: intrapersonal benefits and interpersonal benefits. Intrapersonal benefits included themes of self-awareness and self-regulation (including cognition, emotions, and behavior). Interpersonal benefits included themes of building relationships (with peers, family members, and teachers) and learning to trust. These findings may be useful when planning school-based mindfulness programs and may serve as a guide for researchers studying mindfulness practices for youth.     

Impact of an Intergenerational Program on 4th Graders' Attitudes Toward Elders andSchool Behaviors

Abstract

The rapid growth of the elderly population coupled with research demonstrating the existence of ageist stereotypes even among very young children have led to the rise of intergenerational programs. Very limited research has been conducted, however, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these programs in producing attitudinal change or other beneficial outcomes for at-risk children. This study examined the impact of an intergenerational program on children's attitudes toward elders and on their school-based behaviors. Eighty-one 4th grade children enrolled in an inner-city school participated in the study. Forty-one children, with matched seniors partners, engaged in activities based on the 4th grade core curriculum within an outdoor classroom environment, while the remaining 40 children participated in usual core curriculum activities. At the conclusion of the program those children who participated in the program had significantly more positive attitudes towards the elderly and significantly better school behavioral grades than did non-participating students. Impli-     

Impact of an Intergenerational Program on 4th Graders' Attitudes Toward Elders and School Behaviors

Abstract

The rapid growth of the elderly population coupled with research demonstrating the existence of ageist stereotypes even among very young children have led to the rise of intergenerational programs. Very limited research has been conducted, however, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these programs in producing attitudinal change or other beneficial outcomes for at-risk children. This study examined the impact of an intergenerational program on children's attitudes toward elders and on their school-based behaviors. Eighty-one 4th grade children enrolled in an inner-city school participated in the study. Forty-one children, with matched seniors partners, engaged in activities based on the 4th grade core curriculum within an outdoor classroom environment while the remaining 40 children participated in usual core curriculum activities. At the conclusion of the program those children who participated in the program had significantly more positive attitudes towards the elderly and significantly better school behavioral grades than did non-participating students. Implications and recommendations for intergenerational programming are discussed.     

School Reintegration and Perceived Needs: The Perspectives of Child and Adolescent Patients During Psychiatric Hospitalization

Youth hospitalized with psychiatric illness often experience disruption in their school attendance. Knowledge from the youths’ perspective of concerns for returning to school after hospitalization is very limited. Exploring youths’ concerns for school reintegration may inform transition practices for youth with psychiatric illness. The purpose for this study was to explore youths’ concerns for school reintegration and to report their perceived needs for support before leaving hospital. A questionnaire was developed to capture qualitative perceptions and quantitative self-reports of youths’ concerns for school reintegration. Child and adolescent patients accessing in-patient psychiatric care completed surveys containing open-ended questions about their concerns and service needs at discharge, and self-ratings of their concerns for their studies, friends, other students and emotions. One hundred and sixty-one youth (mean age 15.41, SD 1.4; 75% female; 57% with a primary diagnosis of major depression) reported considerable concerns about anticipated social situations at school, academic standing, feeling overwhelmed with school and great difficulty with managing their emotions. Youth identified a need for ongoing supports from mental health professionals and school personnel, social support from friends and family, and educational assistance or modifications. High rates of intense worries reported about school issues and school reintegration suggest this vulnerable population may benefit from increased attention to transition planning. Two important developmental domains, social development and educational outcomes, appear at-risk and this risk highlights the need for a greater emphasis on continuity of care.     

Evaluating the Efficacy of the Prodigy Prevention Program across Urban and Rural Locales

Comorbid juvenile offenders are an overlooked, vulnerable population which tend to present with a more diagnostically serious picture. Their arrest rates have dramatically increased over the last 10 years, yet there is a dearth of prevention and intervention programs available. This study examined the effects of the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program on at-risk and adjudicated youth in a rural and an urban locale. Results suggest a significant improvement in family functioning overall as well as statistically significant changes in mental health symptoms including Depression/Anxiety, Somatic, and Suicidal symptoms for both males and females at urban and rural locales. Females appeared to especially benefit from the program. The findings here extend our knowledge regarding viable alternatives for juvenile offenders with mental health symptoms, particularly females.     

Understanding the dynamic interinfluences of implementation processes: An illustration by multiple case studies

Many dropout prevention programs have been developed and validated in the past decades. Yet, little is known about the contextual factors influencing the implementation of these programs. Implementation processes, such as school principal leadership and governmental funding, have been identified for their influence on program implementation, but the mutual or dynamic influence of these processes is yet to be understood. This study examines the processes involved in the implementation of Check & Connect (C&C), a well-established targeted dropout prevention program validated in several countries that aims at promoting the development of a significant relationship between at-risk students and a mentor as a way to prevent school dropout.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 mentors and coordinators directly involved in C&C implementation. Analyses were conducted in two subsequent steps: thematic analyses first helped identify implementation processes described by respondents, and then synthetic case studies allowed us to build the implementation stories of distinct sites. This last step was conducted using the Planned Change Framework.This framework helped us to understand the complex dynamics of implementation processes in each site, which were associated with previously identified program outcomes, beyond implementation fidelity. Implications for future implementations of evidence-based programs in the school setting are discussed.     

A Multi-Outcome Evaluation of an Independent Living Program

This study evaluated an Independent Living (IL) program targeting foster youths in Florida. The IL group composed of 49 young adults, and the comparison group of 18 young adults was utilized. Data were collected via a mailed survey and case record reviews. Results suggest that IL program participation is associated with better educational, employment, income, housing, early parenting-prevention, transportation, anger control, criminal-prevention, and self-evaluation outcomes. However, IL participation is not associated with better social support, perceived parenting competence, substance abuse-prevention, sexual risk-prevention outcomes, increased knowledge in money management skills, job seeking and job maintenance skills, interpersonal skills, or lower depression. Implications are discussed for program design and future research. Savas Georgiades is an Assistant Professor at the St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA.     

Examples of sports-based youth development programs

The authors provide examples of sports-based youth development programs and offer information about program mission and vision, program design and content, evaluation results, and program sustainability. The four sports-based youth development programs presented are Harlem RBI, Tenacity, Snowsports Outreach Society, and Hoops & Leaders Basketball Camp. These programs serve diverse audiences with diverse missions, but all are focused on using sports to develop life skills and facilitate learning. Harlem RBI serves boys and girls ages seven to eighteen living in East Harlem. The program combines baseball, academic, and enrichment programs with the overall goal that participants who enter the program as vulnerable children graduate as resilient young adults. Tenacity, a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Boston, uses tennis to attract and retain students who particiate in a high-quality academic support and physical fitness program. The mission of Snowsports Outreach Society, based in Vail, Colorado, is building character in at-risk and underprivileged youth to develop their decision-making ability for healthy and successful life experiences. Hoops & Leaders Basketball Camp is a youth mentoring and leadership development program that offers summer camp experiences to improve the lives of at-risk urban youth in New York City. It uses the game of basketball to provide youth with caring mentors, develop leadership skills, and offer exposure to different educational and career paths.     

Toxic stress in children and youth: Exploring the role of community-based programming to support health and well-being in the United States

Children and youth exposed to toxic stress are at a greater risk for negative outcomes on health, well-being and occupational performance. Focus groups were conducted to gain understanding of the experiences and perspectives of youth at-risk who were currently receiving services from a community-based agency in a small city in the Western United States. Participants discussed acquiring life skills through agency programming including social skills and coping/self-regulation skills. Participants also reported a positive culture of the agency, expressing feelings of safety, trust and supportive relationships. Community-based programming may be in a pivotal position to provide services and supports that act as buffering protection against the effects of toxic stress.     

Expanding employment skills and social networks among teen mothers: Case study of a mentor program

The use of mentors in social services programs has become an increasingly common intervention, and typically aims to increase education and job skills among at-risk youth. Because of a lack of social services research, most of what is known about the effects of mentoring relationships has been generalized from studies conducted in corporate settings. This article examines assumptions about the potential effects of mentor programs, and presents the results of an exploratory case study of outcomes of low-income teen mothers who were paired with a professionally employed mentor. Drawing on the concepts of social network theory, it is hypothesized that mentors can link at-risk youth with information and resources not readily available from their extant personal networks.     

Pre-, post-, and longitudinal evaluation of juvenile justice education

This article describes two stages of the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program's pre-, post-, and longitudinal evaluation research. Pilot studies were used to explore how to design statewide research of pre- and postassessment scores and community reintegration outcomes. Preliminary findings suggest that higher performing educational programs produce greater educational gains as measured by academic achievement tests, credits earned, and pupil progression rates. The findings also indicate that these programs have more students returning to school and lower recidivism rates. Building on the pilot studies, refinements were made to the research designs to enable more comprehensive statewide evaluation. Current research includes collection of pre- and postassessment scores from official sources on approximately 16,000 juvenile justice youths. In addition, a research design has been developed to examine program effectiveness by measuring community reintegration variables. Multiple data sources, including official and self-reported data on family, school, employment, and subsequent crime involvement, will be used in the longitudinal study.     

Evaluation of the In Touch training program for the management of alcohol and other drug use issues in schools

In Touch is a professional training program designed to develop staff skills and support structures so as to enable schools to manage alcohol and other drug (AOD) matters in a coordinated manner that maximizes beneficial outcomes for at-risk students, while at the same time maintaining school discipline and community relationships. This study is an evaluation of the impact of the program on alcohol and other drug (AOD) related knowledge, attitudes and activity of participating school staff, and on AOD management practice in their schools. Data from 53 intervention participants and 21 controls were compared at pre- and post-intervention. These data indicated a 46% increase in AOD knowledge among those who participated in In Touch training. Attitudes favorable to integrated, supportive management of AOD issues also increased significantly in this group, as did desirable practice. However, change in school practice was limited. Significantly more schools whose staff participated in In Touch training had a written drug policy at post-intervention, but schools' usual responses to AOD-related incidents were substantially the same. These findings indicate that professional training on the management of AOD matters can change the understanding and practice of individual staff, but if school structures and practice are to be substantially influenced, a broader program is required.     

Change in behavioral exercise program-associated self-regulation enhances self-regulation-induced eating improvements across levels of obesity severity

Architects of behavioral weight-loss programs require improved understandings of psychosocial correlates of healthy eating behaviors to improve overwhelmingly poor outcomes. Exercise might benefit eating changes through a transfer of self-regulatory skill improvements. However, related research is minimal, and degrees of obesity might influence the utilization and efficacy of self-regulatory processes. Women of Class 1 obesity (body mass index [BMI] = 30–34.9 kg/m²; n = 53), Class 2 obesity (BMI = 35–39.9 kg/m²; n = 41), and Class 3 obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²; n = 53) enrolled in a community-based cognitive-behavioral weight-management program were assessed over 6 months on changes in exercise, self-regulation for both exercise and eating, and the consumption of fruits/vegetables and sweets. Within-group improvements were all significant, with the greater self-regulation changes consistent with lower degrees of obesity. Within serial multiple mediation analyses, the hypothesized path from exercise change→self-regulation for exercise change→self-regulation for eating change→eating behavior change was supported in both the prediction of changes in fruit/vegetable intake and sweets consumption. However, the direct effect of increased exercise on improved eating was not significant. BMI score or obesity class did not significantly moderate embedded relationships among variables. Findings suggested weight-loss programs incorporate supported exercise, and dedicate high proportions of their curricula to the development of self-regulatory skills.     

The impact of the positive action program on substance use,aggression, and psychological functioning: Is school climate a mechanism of change?

The social emotional learning (SEL) conceptual model posits that SEL programs lead to increased knowledge and skills, improved attitudes about self, others, and school, and supportive learning environments, which in turn improve student emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Positive Action (PA) is an SEL program for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students. Extensive research documents the effectiveness of PA in decreasing adolescent risk factors and enhancing protective factors, however, minimal research has examined the mechanisms of change responsible for these effects. The current study examined whether PA was associated with SEL outcomes (i.e., alcohol use, aggression, depression, and anxiety) through school hassles (a proxy for school climate). The analytic sample consisted of 8333 ethnically/racially diverse, rural adolescents (51% female) in grades 6 through 12. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data. Engagement in PA was significantly associated with decreased school hassles, indicating an improvement in school climate. Subsequently, decreases in school hassles were significantly associated with decreased alcohol use, aggression, depression, and anxiety. Thus, there was an indirect effect between PA, decreased school hassles, and improved adolescent outcomes. Implications were discussed.     

A comparison of drug involvement between runaways and school youths

Problems related to homeless/runaway youths have received increased attention in recent years. Homeless/runaway youths manifest many problems in addition to being absent from home and without supervision of a parent or guardian. The purpose of the study was to determine drug use and abuse patterns of homeless/runaway youths and to compare those patterns, along with attitudes toward selected illicit behaviors, with similar data collected from adolescents in school. Data were collected from persons (n = 253) in homeless/runaway shelters in the southeast United States. Comparisons made with data from other studies of runaways and of youths in school indicate that drug use and abuse is two-three times more prevalent for runaways than with the school youths. Runaways' attitudes toward selected illicit behaviors are more tolerant than those of school youths. Intervention programs for runaway/homeless youths should reflect an understanding of the complexity of the psycho-social and behavioral history of the clients which is much different than that of those who are in school.     

Readiness for independent living of adolescents in youth villages in Israel

Most Israeli children who spend their youth away from their birth parents live in youth villages. The majority of these children come from either the geographical or social periphery of Israel. Since the 1990s the youth villages have specialized in absorbing immigrants mainly from the former Soviet Union (FSU) and Ethiopia. The paper reports on a survey conducted among the professional staff in the youth villages. This study explores their perceptions of the readiness for independent living of adolescents on the verge of leaving youth villages and examines how readiness is associated with individual and familial characteristics. A structured questionnaire was mailed to youth villages asking professionals to anonymously complete the survey. The total sample include reports on 1256 adolescents who spent in the current setting on average 3.3 (SD = 1.8) years. For many of them this was the first out-of-home placement. Generally, workers have a favorable assessment of the youths' readiness for independent living. Still, they report that many of the youths do not have any of the necessary skills for independent living. Additionally, there are sub-groups that are more disadvantaged and at greater risk because they lack skills for a successful transition from care. The findings indicate that youth of Ethiopian origin are more disadvantaged with regard to skills related to school, the job market, finances, interpersonal relationships and normative behaviors, whereas youths from FSU present fewer skills pertaining to military service. The findings emphasize the important role Israeli youth villages have in supporting underprivileged adolescents in acquiring basic skills for adult life and suggest guidelines as to which sub-groups and in which area programs should be developed.     

Mediation of youth conflict: A multi-system perspective

The use of mediation and conflict resolution skills for youth in a variety of settings has grown extensively during the past decade. Rather than remain in a largely passive role as adults attempt to solve their problems, youth mediation programs can empower young people to be actively involved in resolving conflicts they are faced with. This article examines the application of mediation techniques in a variety of systems, including: the family; the school; the neighborhood; and the juvenile justice system. A basic definition of mediation, along with its strengths and limitations is presented. Key characteristics of youth mediation programs from a number of different states are identified. Finally, several critical issues facing the field of youth development and mediation are identified and discussed. These issues include: imbalance of power and negotiating skills; coercive versus voluntary participation; and, net-widening/labelling.     

Is it the family or the neighborhood? Evidence from sibling and neighbor correlations in youth education and health

In this paper, we present sibling and neighbor correlations in school grades and cognitive skills, as well as indicators of physical and mental health, for a sample of German adolescents. In a first step, we estimate sibling correlations and find a substantial influence of shared family and community background on all outcomes. To further disentangle the influence of family background and neighborhood, we estimate neighbor correlations. Our results show that for all outcomes, the estimated neighbor correlations are clearly lower than the estimated sibling correlations. However, especially for cognitive skills and mental health, neighbor correlations are still substantial in relation to sibling correlations. Thus, compared to existing results from other countries, the influence of the neighborhood on these outcomes is not negligible in Germany.