Programa shortstop: a culturally focused juvenile intervention for Hispanic youth

Culturally sensitive juvenile delinquency and substance abuse interventions are relatively limited and unavailable to many first-time Hispanic juvenile offenders. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a culturally focused juvenile and substance abuse intervention program for first time Hispanic youth offenders. The intent of the program was to decrease juvenile recidivism and increase substance abuse resistance. Programa Shortstop is a family based intervention designed for Hispanic youth ages 9-17. The intervention was delivered to 352 youth and at least one parent/caregiver over the 5-year study period. For intervention youth, the results of the recidivism study (n = 321) indicated that 89% of youth participating in Programa Shortstop between 1995 to 1997 were not rearrested within one year of completing Programa Shortstop. Additionally, statistical paired t-test analysis found that the intervention model had a positive effect on legal knowledge and school related factors associated with substance abuse and delinquency. Parent participants demonstrated significant increases in knowledge related to substance abuse and the legal system.     

Using formative research to tailor a community intervention focused on the prevention of chronic disease

This case study attempts to illustrate and address in-depth the issues surrounding the collection, analysis, and application of formative research findings to program development and implementation. We provide an in-depth case study of tailoring a program for the residents of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The formative research process includes collection and analysis of secondary data sources, extensive in-person interviews with community leaders, and in-depth focus groups with members of the population of interest. Findings from the formative research are then applied to tailoring the program materials and presentations and the training of the integrative team of health professionals that offer the program. Distinct components of program are tailored to the realities of the social, cultural, historical, and health and medical contexts in each community while other components of the program are tailored to individual participants. Overall, we believe this case study fully illustrates the utility of formative research in tailoring evidenced-based programs to increase program relevance and positive outcomes while maintaining fidelity to a program’s learning objectives and evaluation. We hope this in-depth account with specific examples proves useful as a guide to others when designing and conducting formative research to tailor health and medical interventions to the audience.     

HIV/AIDS among youth: A community needs assessment study

Adolescents remain at great risk for HIV transmission and contracting AIDS. Health education, preventive methods, and direct clinical intervention represent major strategies in combating this disease. In order to help increase the effectiveness of these activities, University faculty and a county health agency collaborated to conducted an extensive HIV/AIDS needs assessment of adolescents. The survey included high school, middle school, and community youth (N=1567). Results showed a relatively high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, yet participation in risk behavior which did not correlate with knowledge. Data suggested that parents and school were important sources of information about HIV/AIDS. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.The research was funded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and done in collaboration with the Lucas County Health Department, Toledo, Ohio.     

Growing with youth: A lifewide and lifelong perspective on youth-adult partnership in youth programs

Youth-adult partnership (Y-AP) shows promise for positive youth development, yet research seldom examines how youth programs employ Y-AP as a developmental practice. This paper provides a developmental ecological perspective on Y-AP in programs and communities with data collected across a mid-sized city. In Study 1, interview data suggest adult practitioners hold three distinct goals for Y-AP: voice, decisionmaking, and leadership. We identify program practices for carrying out YAP including building positive adult-youth relationships, engaging youth in first-hand learning, and addressing developmental progression; i.e., gradually increasing opportunities and responsibilities as youth age. In Study 2 we investigate this practice of supporting developmental progression with a case study focused on adolescent opportunities and supports in a multi-age program. Study 2 findings present a picture of YAP opportunities highly integrated into program operations; in particular, integrated into the multiage context. These studies offer insight into strengthening program and community capacity for Y-AP.     

Introduction: assessment and treatment of youth who sexually offend: an overview

This introductory article provides an overview of the significant issues involved when dealing with youth who sexually offend, sometimes referred to as juvenile sex offenders or sexually reactive children or adolescents. There is not an accepted term or definition that is widely used to describe or refer to this population, and the precise prevalence or incidence rates are not known. Statistics are presented from various national studies, but methodological problems in the research are also noted. The authors briefly discuss the current research concerning youth who sexually offend, present some of the important issues in this area of research and practice, and list various types of sexual victimization that have been included when dealing with youth who sexually offend. The article then introduces the current volume, describing the articles and content. Identifying and treating youth who sexually offend is in its infancy in many ways. It is hoped that this volume will provide important information to help those in research and practice better understand the issues and dynamics of this population.     

Factors in educational exclusion: including the voice of the youth

The processes of educational exclusion are multiple and diverse. Research has shown that exclusion from school goes far beyond access. It is associated with crucial issues related to educational processes (belonging, recognition or representation) and results (knowledge or certificates). The objective of this article is to delve into the analysis of factors in educational exclusion, including the voice of the youth, as a key element in understanding these factors. The article begins with a literature review addressing the meaning, mechanisms and profiles of educational exclusion. It then presents qualitative fieldwork, consisting of six focus groups of young people (aged 14–24) who have been excluded from mainstream educational institutions in Barcelona, Spain. The results of the empirical analysis point to four critical elements in the process of educational exclusion as experienced by the youth: educational transitions; the role of teachers; the impact of grouping practices and disciplinary mechanisms; and the contrast between mainstream educational institutions and alternative learning arenas. By including the voice of the youth, the article provides a better understanding of the factors contributing to educational exclusion so as to advance in the construction of an educational system able to guarantee students’ right to learn and succeed in school.     

Measuring youth connections: A component of relational permanence for foster youth

This article presents the development and preliminary validation of the Youth Connections Scale, a measure of youth connectedness as a component of relational permanence for youth in out-of-home placement. The instrument measures different domains of youth's connectedness, including the number and strength of connections to caring adults and the types of support perceived by youth. Results of a pilot validation study of the instrument, with a sample of 53 adolescents in out-of-home care, indicate good concurrent validity and high test–retest reliability. Child welfare and youth-serving agencies can use this instrument in their efforts to strengthen and measure the connectedness and relational permanence of youth.     

Trapped bodies,moving minds: Uncertainty and migration among marginalised urban youth in Ethiopia

This paper from YOUR World Research highlights and explores the role of positive uncertainty in lives, strategies and transitions towards adulthood of marginalised children and youth in two urban locations in Ethiopia. Young men and women embraced notions of positive uncertainty, making journeys to street situations and internationally in search of more hopeful futures. While youth navigate uncertainty positively in the short term, the research suggests this is temporal and their agency relational and embedded. They seek support from peers but still want to belong and be accepted by their families and communities.     

International migration: an assessment for the '90s

A quarter century ago, the world of international migration looked much different than it does today. International migration was then favorable regarded in many parts of the world. Today, this mood has soured. Guestworkers in Germany in 1989, particularly Turks, are the subject of widespread hostility and a growing anti-immigrant political party. France, too, has developed a significant anti-immigrant political party and now facilitates the repatriation of unemployed Algerian nationals with cash assistance. In the US, a chapter thought closed forever in 1964 might well be reopened as the federal government, in 1989, will decide whether or not to admit replenishment agricultural workers. In the Arab region, the Palestine Liberation Organization was created in 1964 to represent one of the world's largest refugee population - the 1 million Palestinians who fled during the 1'947-1949 fighting and their offspring. Today, Africa contains an estimated 4-5 million refugees. In Asia, the Gulf of Tonkin crisis in 1964 served as a pretext to escalate the war in Indochina that would create millions of refugees. Little concern was expressed 25 years ago about illegal migration from developing countries. Asia, Africa, and Latin America seemed to lie outside the usual path of international migration. A conference on international migration was held at Bellagio, Italy, in July 1988. The contributions comprising this volume were presented at the Bellagio Conference. Each contribution approaches the subject matter of international migration from a distinctive theoretical, disciplinary, or thematic perspective. This volume therefore reflects a large measure of the scholarly diversity that coexists in international migration studies. One of the themes of the conference is the realization that states vitally affect international migration and are greatly affected by the phenomenon. The Bellagio conferees also agreed on the importance of comparative research to greater scientific understanding of international migration. In a world of increasing interdependency, the inevitable effect of a knowledge shortfall is a glaring gap in understanding.     

Between a rock and a hard place: Multisystem resilience and Honduran youth migration intentions

More is known about how ‘push factors’ motivate emigration and how immigrants adapt to their new environment than about psychological factors associated with migration intentions for those experiencing adversity in their country of origin. This paper explores the association between multisystem resilience and migration intentions among youth in Honduras. In this context of high economic need and contextual violence, higher levels of resilience are associated with higher levels of migration intentions among those who have a job and thus the ability to navigate or negotiate access to resources – economic, social and psychological – that make it possible to consider migration. Among those who have not been victims of violence and consequently may not have that motivation to migrate, higher levels of resilience are associated with lower migration intentions.     

Working on Womanhood (WOW): A participatory formative evaluation of a community-developed intervention

The well-documented disparities in availability, accessibility, and quality of behavioral health services suggest the need for innovative programs to address the needs of ethnic minority youth. The current study aimed to conduct a participatory, formative evaluation of “Working on Womanhood” (WOW), a community-developed, multifaceted, school-based intervention serving primarily ethnic minority girls living in underserved urban communities. Specifically, the current study aimed to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial promise of WOW using community-based participatory research (CBPR) and represented the third phase of a community-academic partnership. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 960 WOW participants in 21 urban public schools, as well as WOW counselors, parents, and school staff over the course of one academic year. Results demonstrated evidence of acceptability of WOW and noteworthy improvements for WOW participants in targeted outcomes, including mental health, emotion regulation, and academic engagement. Findings also indicated several challenges to implementation feasibility and acceptability, including screening and enrollment processes and curriculum length. Additionally, we discuss how, consistent with participatory and formative research, findings were used by program implementers to inform program improvements, including modifications to screening processes, timelines, curriculum, and trainings – all in preparation for a rigorous effectiveness evaluation.     

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.     

Comprehensive assessment of youth violence in five Caribbean countries: Gender and age differences

Differences in gender and age have been established in the context of crime, violence, and prevalence of risk and protective factors. These studies are often notable only in the Western Hemisphere. Despite growth in crime and violence in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), relatively little understanding of violence in CARICOM member states exists. In light of these concerns, the major purposes of this study include: (1) comprehensively assessing the scope of the four behaviors (i.e., engagement, victimization, witness, and report) in relation to violence and youth’s perceptions of risk and protective factors in family and school domains, and (2) examining how they differ by youth’s gender and age. This study draws on assessment data on youth violence in five CARICOM Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago using a completed 51-item quantitative questionnaire from approximately 512 students. The results suggest that violence engagement, victimization, witness, and report significantly differed by gender and age. Male students were more likely to engage in violence, but less likely to report such violence to adults. Similarly, older students reported that they were more likely to engage in and witness violence. For risk and protective factors, female students reported significantly higher scores on domestic violence, whereas male students had higher scores on the access to drugs/weapons. Older students also tended to report higher levels of some school risk factors and lower levels of some protective factors in both family and school.     

A positive youth development measure of service use satisfaction for youth: The 13-item youth services satisfaction (YSS-13)

Using data from 593 at-risk adolescents (12–17 years) this article reports on an examination of the psychometric properties of a reduced version of the Youth Services Survey (YSS), a youth self-report measure of service quality. The paper reports on the content validity, internal validity, reproducibility, floor and ceiling effects and responsiveness of the measure. The analysis supports the use of a 13-item version of the YSS as a valid and reliable measure of service quality. The YSS-13 is broadly consistent with “The Big Three” principles of PYD. Therefore the measure can be used to assist service providers in assessing the extent to which their service delivery aligns with these principles and to identify areas where service delivery can be strengthened.     

Emerging strategies for risk assessment of sexually abusive youth: theory, controversy and practice

Clinicians and other professionals evaluating, managing, and treating sexually abusive youth are frequently called upon to offer judgments regarding risk for sexual reoffense. There are currently no empirically validated methods for accurately classifying risk among this population. Therefore, those faced with this task have an obligation to consider the research on the assessment of risk and recidivism. Five methods of risk assessment are reviewed, and four scales are discussed, with directions on how to obtain them. These include the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol (JSOAP), the Protective Factors Scale (PFS), and Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sex Offender Recidivism (ERASOR).     

Language impairments among youth offenders: A systematic review

Low levels of verbal intelligence have long been associated with risk for early onset antisocial behavior, however considerably less is known about the deficits in specific language skills that may characterize antisocial youth. Youth offenders represent a particularly high priority group for research into such deficits, as the juvenile justice system involves a range of high-stakes situations that rely upon the application of language skills. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of the evidence currently available regarding the discrete language skills of youth offenders, spanning structural, pragmatic, expressive and receptive language domains. Seventeen studies meeting search criteria were identified, 16 of which reported on independent samples. Findings from these studies provide considerable evidence that youth offenders perform poorly on language measures relative to age matched peers. Study results are examined in relation to three key questions: (1) How strong is the association between language impairments and youth offending? (2) Are some language skills or modalities more impaired than others in youth offender populations; and (3) What biopsychosocial factors have been shown to influence the relationship between language impairments and youth offending? Implications for policy and practice are discussed, along with directions for future research.     

A habitus of instability: youth homelessness and instability

This research introduces the concept of a habitus of insecurity to account for the lives of homeless young people. It outlines how conditions of existence are internalised and how homeless young people come to expect and in turn recreate instability in their lives. This research addresses the internalisation and naturalisation of experiences of instability, insecurity and marginalisation and how people can come to subjectively aspire to what they are socialised to see as objectively probable or ‘for the likes of them'. The research draws on ethnographic research and participant observation to examine the complex lives of homeless young people and how they are shaped by instability and insecurity inculcated before, during and after experiences of homelessness. This research highlights that people should not be defined merely by their experiences of homelessness of housing status, but by the complex array of conditions that shape their lives.     

Resolving design issues in developing a nutrition app: A case study using formative research

Mobile phone apps have become ubiquitous in health, but they often fail to demonstrate effectiveness in achieving behavior outcomes among intended users. A failure to conduct formative research on app content or functions may contribute to some of this shortfall. We describe simple research procedures we followed when building a nutrition app for low-income household cooks. Our studies improved the placement and design of key screen controls, helped select and guide an illustrator who created graphic support for textual content, and tested whether adding secondary users to the primary audience would attract additional app use.Whether because of these preliminary tests, or for other reasons, our app has generated heavy use by its intended market and has demonstrated desired effects on client behavior. We offer our experiences in formative evaluation as potential tools for other app developers to adapt to their circumstances.     

Continuity of care in youth services: A systematic review

Improving continuity of care is an important objective of various interventions and innovative programs for youngsters in vulnerable situations. Yet, the definition and conceptualization of continuity of youth care remains unclear, as well as important benefits and pitfalls regarding its implementation. Therefore, this study provides a systematic review of the literature, focusing on the conceptualization and evaluation of continuity. Database searches revealed 28 studies that focus on youth care interventions aimed at improving continuity of care. Selected studies were analyzed in Nvivo, using a three dimension model of continuity of care developed in general practice. Results show that continuity of care is rarely the central focus in youth services research. Moreover, its conceptualization is often limited to management aspects of continuity rather than highlighting other dimensions of continuity (e.g., relational and informational continuity). Also, experienced continuity of care as perceived by youngsters themselves is underrepresented in the selected studies, resulting in a partial view on continuity in youth care. It is concluded that more research is needed on youngsters' perceptions of continuity of youth services and its relational and information aspects, using qualitative study designs.