A Critical Examination of an Urban-Based Youth Empowerment Strategy: The Teen Empowerment Program

ABSTRACT

Youths from marginalized and disenfranchised communities can be empowered to advocate for social justice through civic engagement and sociopolitical action. Examining youth empowerment programs, using critical social theory, builds upon our understanding of sociopolitical systems and oppression and provides a lens to examine mechanisms of change while applying theory to practice. Jennings, Parra-Medina, Messias, and McLoughlin (2006 Jennings, L. B., Parra-Medina, D. M., Messias, D. K. H. and McLoughlin, K. 2006. Toward a critical social theory of youth empowerment. Journal of Community Practice, 14: 31–55. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) have identified six dimensions of critical youth empowerment programs, which provide a framework for examining youth empowerment programs. This article presents the Teen Empowerment program, as implemented with high-risk youths in urban communities, and examines it along these six dimensions and provides a model for how to critically examine youth empowerment programs using this framework.     

Critical Flaws in the Female Sexual Function Index and the International Index of Erectile Function

The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; Rosen et al., 2000 Rosen , R. C. , Brown , C. , Heiman , J. , Leiblum , S. , Meston , C. , Shabsigh , R. , … D'Agostino , R. ( 2000 ). The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): A multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of female sexual function . Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy , 26 , 191 – 208 . doi: 10.1080/009262300278597 [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF; Rosen et al., 1997 Rosen , R. C. , Riley , A. , Wagner , G. , Osterloh , I. H. , Kirkpatrick , J. , &; Mishra , A. ( 1997 ). The International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF): A multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction . Urology , 49 , 822 – 830 . doi: 10.1016/S0090-4295(97)00238-0 [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) are two of the most widely used measures of sexual dysfunction. However, they have potential measurement and psychometric flaws that have not been addressed in the literature. This article examines the measurement capabilities of these measures based on data collected from an online study in 2010. A convenience sample of 518 sexually active adults (65% female) drawn from the general community were included in the analyses. Both measures displayed critical theoretical and measurement problems for the assessment of sexual problems beyond sexual arousal, and for the sexual desire domains in particular. Based on these results, we encourage clinicians and researchers to think critically about whether the FSFI and IIEF are appropriate measures for their practice and research. In particular, these measures are inappropriate for use among individuals who are not currently sexually active, and research with a focus other than sexual arousal should consider supplementary measures of sexual function. The psychometric properties of these measures should be reassessed in clinical samples, but the theoretical issues with the measures raised in this article are relevant across clinical and research contexts.     

Comment on Cross,Fine, Jones,and Walsh (2012): Do Mental Health Professionals Who Serve on/with Child Advocacy Centers Experience Role Conflict?

Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh's (2012 Cross, T. P., Fine, J. E., Jones, L. M. and Walsh, W. A. 2012. Mental health professionals in children's advocacy centers: Is there role conflict?. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(1): 91–108. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) article “Mental Health Professionals in Children's Advocacy Centers: Is There Role Conflict?” challenges two recent publications' criticisms that child advocacy centers create role conflict for mental health professionals and explains how child advocacy centers actually work, describing the different roles for mental health professionals who participate in them. This commentary points out that more precise data would have helped to specifically address the critics' concerns. Furthermore, professional ethics and licensure issues may have served as an additional but unacknowledged check on the “spillover effect” that the critics have alleged comes with being associated with prosecution. This commentary also highlights three main strengths of the Cross and colleagues' article.     

An Exploratory Analysis of Executive Functioning for Female Sexual Offenders: A Comparison of Characteristics Across Offense Typologies

This study examined the association between female sexual offending behavioral patterns, as delineated by Sandler and Freeman's (2007 Sandler, J. C. and Freeman, N. J. 2007. Typology of female sex offenders: A test of Vandiver and Kercher. Sex Abuse, 19: 73–89. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) typologies, and executive functioning. The sample included all referrals for sexual offender assessments within a women's maximum/medium security prison between January 2009 and October 2009. Each subject was administered the Stroop (Golden & Freshwater, 2002 Golden, C. J. and Freshwater, S. M. 2002. The Stroop color and word test: A manual for clinical and experimental uses, Wood Dale, IL: Stoelting Company.  [Google Scholar]) and Trail Making Test (Reitan, 2004 Reitan, R. M. 2004. “Validity of the trail making test as an indicator of organic brain damage”. In Neuropsychological assessment, 4th, Edited by: Lezak, M. D., Howison, D. B. and Loring, D. W. 371–374. New York: Oxford University Press.  [Google Scholar]) and were assigned to a typological category. Nonparametric analyses were conducted to determine if there was an association between typology and performance on neuropsychological tests. Results yielded no significant associations between test scores and typological category. Subjects displayed average capacities for a subset of executive functions, suggesting that the mechanisms for sexually offending behavior in females may differ from males.     

Do Sons Prevent Marital Disruption More Than Daughters? Evidence From Italy

In a well-known study Morgan, Lye, and Condran (1988 Morgan, S. P., Lye, D. N. and Condran, G. A. 1988. Sons, daughters and the risk of marital disruption. American Journal of Sociology, 94(1): 110–129. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) stated that sons prevent the risk of divorce more than daughters do. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the sex composition of children on the stability of the parental marriage in Italy, a country where this research question is particularly interesting because of conservative gender roles within the family. The relative risk of marital dissolution is estimated for individuals with different numbers and sexes of children using a discrete time event-history model. The findings do not support either the hypothesis that sons contribute more to marital stability than daughters or the hypothesis that the effect of the sex composition of children has changed over time.     

Community-Based Participatory Research as a Social Work Research and Intervention Approach

Social workers are now often expected to base their practice on solid empirical findings, but research can vary in terms of its usefulness and relevance to practice. Some social workers have criticized traditional research approaches, suggesting that they are not consistent with the profession's mission to serve vulnerable and disadvantaged populations (e.g., Finn, 1994 Finn, J. L. 1994. The promise of participatory research. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 5: 25–42. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Community-based participatory action research may be an appropriate alternative that is participatory, empowering, and committed to social justice (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008 Minkler, M. and Wallerstein, N. 2008. “Introduction to CBPR: New issues and emphases”. In Community-based participatory research for health, 2nd, Edited by: Minkler, M. and Wallerstein, N. 5–23. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  [Google Scholar]). This article explores the connection between social work and CBPR, illustrating how CBPR can contribute significantly to achieving the field's goals.     

Comment on Cross,Fine, Jones,and Walsh (2012): Good Therapeutic Services— Therapeutic Advocacy and Forensic Neutrality

Cross, Fine, Jones, and Walsh (2012 Cross, T. P., Fine, J. E., Jones, L. M. and Walsh, W. A. 2012. Mental health professionals in children's advocacy centers: Is there role conflict?. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(1): 91–108. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) provided a thoughtful review and critique of a book chapter describing the interview process at Child Advocacy Centers. They observed some of the ways that concerns raised in that chapter are being addressed and described revised guidelines that further clarify issues. Ongoing research and examination of the important processes carried on by child advocacy centers and the role fulfilled by mental health professionals in the investigation of child sexual abuse contributes positively to service delivery.     

Sexuality Examined Through the Lens of Attachment Theory: Attachment,Caregiving, and Sexual Satisfaction

Attachment researchers have proposed that the attachment, caregiving, and sexual behavioral systems are interrelated in adult love relationships (Mikulincer &; Shaver, 2007 Mikulincer , M. , &; Shaver , P. R. ( 2007 ). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change . New York , NY : Guilford . [Google Scholar]). This study examined whether aspects of partners’ caregiving (proximity, sensitivity, control, compulsive caregiving) mediated the association between their attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) and each other's sexual satisfaction in two samples of committed couples (Study 1: 126 cohabiting or married couples from the general community; Study 2: 55 clinically distressed couples). Partners completed the Experiences in Close Relationships measure (Brennan, Clark, &; Shaver, 1998 Brennan , K. A. , Clark , C. L. , &; Shaver , P. R. ( 1998 ). Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview . In J. A. Simpson &; W. W. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46 – 76 ). New York : Guilford .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), the Caregiving Questionnaire (Kunce &; Shaver, 1994 Kunce , L. J. , &; Shaver , P. R. ( 1994 ). An attachment-theoretical approach to caregiving in romantic relationships . In K. Bartholomew &; D. Perlman (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships (pp. 205 – 237 ). London : Kingsley . [Google Scholar]), and the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction (Lawrance &; Byers, 1998 Lawrance , K. , &; Byers , E. S. ( 1998 ). Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire . In C. M. Davis , W. L. Yarber , R. Bauserman , G. Schreer &; S. L. Davis (Eds.), Sexuality-related measures: A compendium (pp. 514 – 519 ). Thousand Oaks , CA : Sage . [Google Scholar]). Path analyses based on the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) revealed that caregiving proximity mediated the association between low attachment avoidance and partners’ sexual satisfaction in distressed and nondistressed couples. Sensitivity mediated this association in nondistressed couples only. Control mediated the association between men's insecurities (attachment-related avoidance and anxiety) and their partners’ low sexual satisfaction in nondistressed couples. Attachment anxiety predicted compulsive caregiving, but this caregiving dimension was not a significant mediator. These results are discussed in light of attachment theory and their implications for treating distressed couples.     

Attachment Disturbances Delay Language Acquisition in Internationally Adopted Children

Cross-sectional research on internationally adopted children has indicated an association between early attachment disturbances and language deficits. Raaska et al. (2013 Raaska, H., Elovainio, M., Sinkkonen, J., Stolt, S., Jalonen, I., Matomäki, J., … Lapinleimu, H. (2013). Adopted children's language difficulties and their relation to symptoms of reactive attachment disorder: FinAdo study. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 34(3), 152–160.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) have speculated that this relationship is likely bidirectional. In an attempt to elucidate the causal relationship between these two risk factors, the attachment disturbances and language skills of 44 internationally adopted children were assessed in a cross-lagged structural equation model. Greater attachment disturbances at wave 1 predicted less gain in language by wave 2. In contrast, language at wave 1 was not predictive of attachment disturbances at wave 2. These results suggest that early attachment problems may present an important risk for later language development and should be an immediate and primary focus of post-adoptive intervention for families adopting internationally.     

The Second Time ’Round: Gender Construction in Remarried Couples’ Wedding Planning

Humble, Zvonkovic, and Walker (2008 Humble, A. M., Zvonkovic, A. M. and Walker, A. J. 2008. “The royal we”: Gender ideology, display, and assessment in wedding work. Journal of Family Issues, 29(1): 3–25. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) studied division of labor in first-time marriages, finding a range of gender construction. This study applied their conceptualization to remarried couples, for whom little is known about division of labor or wedding experiences. Fourteen couples in which at least 1 spouse had recently remarried were interviewed about their wedding planning. Data analysis consisted of direct content analysis, rank order comparison, and matrix analysis. Contrasting Humble et al.'s findings, traditional and egalitarian couples were more common than transitional couples. Although remarriages tended to involve smaller and less complicated weddings, the majority of the couples replicated gendered patterns from their first weddings in subsequent weddings.     

Consensual Nonmonogamy: Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Quality Correlates

Consensually nonmonogamous relationships are those in which all partners explicitly agree that each partner may have romantic or sexual relationships with others (Conley, Ziegler, Moors, Matsick, &; Valentine, 2013 Conley, T. D., Ziegler, A., Moors, A. C., Matsick, J. L., &; Valentine, B. (2013). A critical examination of popular assumptions about the benefits and outcomes of monogamous relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17, 124–141. doi:10.1177/1088868312467087[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In this article, research examining the associations between consensual nonmonogamy, psychological well-being, and relationship quality is reviewed. Specifically, three types of consensual nonmonogamy are examined: swinging, open relationships (including sexually open marriage and gay open relationships), and polyamory. Swinging refers to when a couple practices extradyadic sex with members of another couple; open relationships are relationships in which partners agree that they can have extradyadic sex; and polyamory is the practice of, belief in, or willingness to engage in consensual nonmonogamy, typically in long-term and/or loving relationships. General trends in the research reviewed suggest that consensual nonmonogamists have similar psychological well-being and relationship quality as monogamists. Methodological challenges in research on consensual nonmonogamy and directions for future research are discussed.     

Involuntary Mental Health Treatment: The Mental Health Consumer as Expert

Involuntary treatment in mental health has existed since society first began trying to tackle the issue of mental illness (Dennis & Monahan, 1996 Dennis, D. L. and Monahan, J. 1996. Coercion and aggressive community treatment: A new frontier in mental health law, New York, NY: Plenum Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Despite controversy on both sides of the issue, involuntary treatment continues to be used in current mental health service delivery. Practitioners and policy makers have engaged in lively debates about the merits of involuntary treatment, but few studies have engaged affected consumers in this discussion. This article reports on a small qualitative study in North Carolina that attempted to collect the stories of mental health consumers who had been involuntarily hospitalized due to symptoms of mental illness at some point in their lives. Study participants were also asked to critique the elements of the contemporary involuntary treatment and offer their ideas about improving it.     

MAKING OPPOSITIONAL CULTURE,MAKING STANDPOINT: A JOURNEY INTO GLORIA ANZALDÚA'S BORDERLANDS

ABSTRACT

The theory of oppositional culture, as discussed by Bonnie Mitchell and Joe Feagin (1995 Mitchell , Bonnie L. and Feagin Joe R. 1995 . “ America's Racial-Ethnic Cultures: Opposition within a Mythical Melting Pot .” Pp. 65 – 86 in Toward the Multicultural University , edited by B. Bowser , B. Bowser , T. Jones and G.A. Young . Westport , CT : Praeger . [Google Scholar]), suggests that African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans draw on their own cultural resources to resist domination. Patricia Hill Collins suggests that Black women develop a unique vision of the social world based on their position within a matrix of domination that organizes intersecting oppressions of race, class, and gender, among others. Expression of this unique vision or standpoint, however, is rendered problematic within a matrix of domination organized via four domains of power—the structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal (Collins 2000 Collins , Patricia . 2000 . Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, , 2nd edition . New York : Routledge . [Google Scholar]). This article suggests that Gloria Anzaldúa's writing—her storytelling, narratives, and poetry—is a significant form of oppositional culture and contributes to the achievement of a Chicana feminist standpoint within a matrix of domination as Anzaldúa shares tales of living in the borderlands. The paper provides a brief analysis of Anzaldúa's Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987).     

Reconsidering the impact of behavior prediction questions on illegal drug use: The importance of using proper analytic methods

Social scientists often habitually employ ANOVA methods when analyzing data from experiments when other analytic approaches are required instead. This paper illustrates how traditional analytic approaches can lead to incorrect research conclusions by reanalyzing data from a recent study by Williams, Block, and Fitzsimons (2006a Williams, P., Block, L. G. and Fitzsimons, G. J. 2006a. Simply asking questions about health behaviors increases both healthy and unhealthy behaviors.. Social Influence, 1(2): 117–127. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Because the non‐negative dependent variable (illegal drug use) was super skewed and had a large majority of zero values, the use of improper statistical tests and the presence of just a few extreme, outlying observations produced the illusion that asking people to predict their likelihood of drug use increased that behavior significantly, when in fact it did not. The effect of behavior prediction questions on frequency of exercise also turns out to be non‐significant when analyzed properly. As this example illustrates, experimental researchers should choose and implement appropriate analytic approaches carefully.     

Religiosity as a Potential Moderator of the Effects of R-rated Movies on Delinquency

Previous research suggests viewing R-rated movies is associated with delinquency (Tanski et al. 2010 Tanski , Susanne E. , Sonya Dal Cin , Mike Stoolmiller , and James D. Sargent . 2010. “Parental R-Rated Movie Restriction and Early-Onset Alcohol Use.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 71(3):452–460.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Titus-Ernstoff et al. 2008 Titus-Ernstoff , L. , M. A. Dalton , A. M. Adachi-Mejia , M. R. Longacre , and M. L. Beach . 2008 . “Longitudinal Study of Viewing Smoking in Movies and Initiation of Smoking by Children.” Pediatrics 121 : 15 – 21 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), while religiosity leads to decreases in substance use (Jang and Johnson 2001 Jang , Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson . 2001 . “Neighborhood Disorder, Individual Religiosity, and Adolescent Use of Illicit Drugs: A Test of Multilevel Hypotheses.” Criminology 39 ( 1 ): 109 – 144 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Kovacs, Piko, and Fitzpatrick 2011 Jang , Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson . 2011 . “The Effects of Childhood Exposure to Drug Users and Religion on Drug Use in Adolescence and Young Adulthood.” Youth and Society 43 : 1220 – 1245 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Miller 1998 Miller , W. 1998 . “Researching the Spiritual Dimensions of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems.” Addiction 93 : 979 – 990 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Regnerus 2003 Regnerus , Mark D. 2003 . “Moral Communities and Adolescent Delinquency: Religious Contexts and Community Social Control.” Sociological Quarterly 44 : 523 – 554 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, the influences of religiosity and viewing R-rated movies have not been examined in conjunction. This article tests whether religiosity moderates the effects of R-rated movies on delinquency, results suggesting that rather than religiosity moderating the effects of R-rated movies on delinquency, viewing R-rated movies actually tempers the pro-social effects of religiosity. This finding only held true for certain types of substance abuse, and not activity-based forms of delinquency such as fighting. The results are discussed in light of their implications for the current study of the effects of religiosity on delinquency, and suggestions are made for future research on the relationship between viewing R-rated movies and delinquency.     

On Social Capital and Diversity in a Feminized Industry: Further Developing a Theory of Internal Public Relations

Women's work relationships with other women in public relations management settings provide context for further developing Kennan and Hazleton's (2006 Kennan , W. R. , & Hazleton , V. ( 2006 ). Internal public relations, social capital, and the role of effective organizational communication . In C. H. Botan and V. Hazleton (Eds.) Public relations theory II (pp. 311 – 338 ). Mahwah , NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates . [Google Scholar]) conception of internal public relations (IPR) theory. To date, undertheorized in the public relations literature are intra-management relationships, social capital-diversity links, and connections between practitioners’ day-do-day lives and organizational contexts. Interviewed were 42 senior-level female public relations managers (African American, Asian American, Caucasian, and Hispanic) whose experiences reveal outcomes of woman/woman dyad work relationships over the past 5 decades and ways these may impact IPR in feminized industries. Explication of IPR theory and suggestions for further development are offered.     

A State of Neglect: Public Relations as ‘Corporate Conscience’ or Ethics Counsel

Ryan and Martinson (1983) Ryan, M. and Martinson, D. L. 1983. The PR officer as corporate conscience. Public Relations Quarterly, 28(2): 20–23.  [Google Scholar] and other scholars argued that the corporate conscience role should belong in the public relations function. But, how common is the use of ethics counsel among public relations professionals? This qualitative research found that many public relations practitioners indeed perform the role of ethics counsel or corporate conscience in their organizations. However, a state of neglect of this role exists in terms of education and support—even lacking support among some public relations practitioners! The well-being of both organizations and publics could be enhanced through both academic study and professional attention to public relations managers performing the role of ethics counsel to the dominant coalition.     

Child Sexual Behavior Inventory: A Comparison Between Latino and Normative Samples of Preschoolers

There is a relative dearth of research examining normative sexual behavior in Latino preschool children, despite an increased presence of Latinos as a minority population in the United States. To meet this need, a sample of Latino mothers were asked to complete the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI; Friedrich et al., 1992 Friedrich , W. N. , Grambsch , P. , Damon , L. , Hewitt , S. K. , Koverola , C. , et al. . ( 1992 ). Child Sexual Behavior Inventory: Normative and clinical comparisons . Psychological Assessment , 4 , 303 – 311 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) on their preschool-aged children (3 to 5 years old; n = 188). When their children's scores were compared to CSBI normative data, significant differences emerged. Compared to the normative sample, Latino boys and girls scored significantly higher on the sexual abuse specific items subscale, and Latino girls scored significantly higher on the developmentally related sexual behavior subscale. Possible cultural explanations for these elevations are explored.