The Impact of the Within My Reach Relationship Training on Relationship Skills and Outcomes for Low‐Income Individuals

A federal grant was awarded to provide the Within My Reach healthy relationships curriculum to low‐income, at‐risk individuals involved with various social service agencies. The effectiveness of this curriculum was evaluated for 202 participants through measures of training and relationship outcomes pre‐, immediately post‐ and 6 months posttraining. Participants experienced high levels of training satisfaction; significant increases in knowledge, communication/conflict resolution skills, and relationship quality; as well as a trend in the reduction of relationship violence. An important implication of this research is that MFTs may broaden their service delivery to at‐risk individuals by collaborating with community agencies to adapt established relationship enhancement programs, evidence‐based tools, and principles that complement traditional couples therapy.     

Partner Violence Victimization Among Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, and Queer Youth: Associations Among Risk Factors

Literature shows that youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) experience high rates of victimization across various contexts, though there is little research specific to partner violence victimization. Given the deleterious effects of partner violence seen in both youth generally and LGBTQ adults, it is imperative to investigate partner violence among LGBTQ youth. The authors investigated the prevalence of partner violence among a community sample of LGBTQ youth (N = 140) and examined potential correlates of said violence. Approximately half of the participants had ever experienced some form of partner violence. Rates of ever experiencing partner violence were approximately 2.5 times higher for youth who had binge drank in the past month or ever experienced familial abuse and nearly three times higher for youth who had experienced an episode of homelessness in the past year. Implications for professionals who serve LGBTQ youth are discussed.     

An Evaluation of the Positive Action Program for Youth Violence Prevention: From Schools to Summer Camps

New Orleans has experienced some of the highest per capita rates of homicide in the nation. In response, the City of New Orleans developed the NOLA FOR LIFE murder reduction strategy, one aspect of which is the implementation of Positive Action, a character building program for youth. The Positive Action program has offered promising results for curbing youth violence when implemented in school-based settings. However, given the city’s mostly charter-based school system, summer camps are among the few entry points available through which to implement city-wide youth initiatives. During the 2016 summer camp session, an evaluation was conducted to determine whether incorporating the Positive Action curriculum into a 6-week summer camp results in youth experiencing positive changes in peer self-esteem, the ability to get along with others, bullying behavior, and normative beliefs about aggression. This evaluation compares youth that received the Positive Action curriculum during summer camp with those that received the traditional summer camp curriculum. A multi-method approach of quantitative pre-and post-surveys of youth and focus group interviews with camp teachers were employed. Results from the quantitative data suggest few statistically significant findings, while qualitative data suggests that Positive Action may be effective at reducing violent norms and behavior. Implications for social workers and the need for adapting school-based violence reduction interventions for non-traditional settings are discussed.     

The assessment of early trauma exposure on social-emotional health of young children

Children exposed to traumatic events (e.g., violence in the home, school, community) report more adverse physical and mental health outcomes than children who have not been exposed to trauma. Caregiver reports provide an opportunity for early identification of intervention needs to aid healthy development of children exposed to trauma. The goal of this study was to determine unique social-emotional profiles and examine how traumatic events vary across these developmental profiles among a sample of caregivers who live in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Caregivers (N = 223) provided responses regarding their young children's (aged 3 years through 5 years) social-emotional health. Latent Profile Analysis was used to develop three distinct social-emotional profiles: Typical Social-emotional Health (low-risk), Some Social-emotional Challenges (moderate-risk), and Social-emotional Problems (high-risk). Results revealed that children exposed to increased non-family-based traumatic events had a greater likelihood of being a member of the moderate-risk group, whereas children exposed to increased family-based traumatic events had a greater likelihood of being a member of the high-risk group than of the low-risk group. The high-risk group was more likely to consist of older children and girls as compared to the low-risk group. There were no significant differences across profiles relative to ethnicity, caregiver education, and income. This research may aid in early identification and the distribution of services to youth at risk for trauma exposure and highlight pathways of resiliency.     

Help-seeking and help-offering for teen dating violence among acculturating Mexican American adolescents

Help-seeking sources, motivations, and barriers concerning teen dating violence are rarely co-examined alongside help-offering processes and messages, and both are understudied among minority youth populations. This study sought the perspectives of Mexican American adolescents (ages 15 to 17) concerning their preferences and experiences with both help-seeking and help-offering. Twenty focus groups (N = 64 adolescents) were divided by gender and by acculturation level to allow for group comparisons. Friends and supportive family members were primary sources of help, although adolescents voiced a number of barriers to help-seeking. The most prominent barrier was fear they would be told to leave the relationship, an anticipated message that aligned with their tendency to tell others to do so. Help-seeking was viewed as a weakness, and help-offering was reserved for friends that asked for it. Recommendations for programs and practice with youth include promoting culturally and gender attuned teen dating violence services that emphasize confidentiality, and working at the family, peer, and school levels to foster healthy relationships.     

“We been dying,and you got me on a call helping you stay alive”: Black and Latinx youth organizers' experiences of racism in gun violence prevention organizations

This study explored Black and Latinx youth organizers' experiences of racism within national gun violence prevention organizing spaces. Interview data were analyzed from 17 Black and/or Latinx youth (M_age = 20.17, 47% women) across the United States who organized against gun violence. The findings identified three forms of racism that Black and Latinx organizers experienced in national organizations: (1) being tokenized for their racial identities and experiences without having real decision making power; (2) feeling a burden to educate their white peers about the structural causes of gun violence and how to improve organizing spaces for other youth of color; and (3) being silenced in their racially conscious organizing efforts to address the structural causes of gun violence in their communities. This research highlights how Black and Latinx youth gun violence prevention organizers contend both with structural racism in their everyday lives and racism in organizing spaces.     

Preventing substance abuse and relationship violence: Proof-of-concept evaluation of a social,multi-user,tablet-based game

Increasing evidence suggests that using technology and Internet-based methods in prevention programming can be an efficacious delivery practice. This literature implies that applying digital technologies to prevention may provide a unique opportunity to carry out interventions with reliability and in a manner that is more appealing and suitable to youth. This exploratory study reports on a proof-of-concept evaluation of Choices & Consequences, a substance abuse and relationship violence prevention program that integrates digital technologies and devices with game-based behavior change techniques. Six focus groups (N = 44) were conducted with youth living in a Southwestern city. Results suggest that youth preferred various aspects of this prevention game to traditional methods. They especially liked that the game was engaging and that they were able to learn in both formal and informal environments, that is interacting with each other and a facilitator or playing the game on their own. Results also found that youth learned many lessons while playing the game and they believe the game may help prevent substance abuse and relationship violence among the target population of early adolescents. Thus, this research suggests that prevention programs for youth that combine interactive methods, mobile technology, social networking, and competitive gaming could be a strong alternative to traditional delivery methods.     

The role of fathers in reducing dating violence victimization and sexual risk behaviors among a national sample of Black adolescents

PurposeStructural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the impact of father-figures' involvement on reducing both dating violence and sexual risk among a national sample of Black American youth well as the possible mediating effect of dating violence on the relationship between father figure involvement and sexual risk behaviors.MethodsTo explore this phenomenon, sexually active Black adolescents between the ages of 13–21 with a romantic partner in the previous 18 months were selected (N = 422) from wave II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.ResultsThe analyses indicated that overall, perceived closeness to father figures reduced dating violence victimization among Black youth. When separated by gender, our hypothesis for male respondents was supported indicating that perceived closeness with their father figures resulted in a reduction in dating violence. However, the same hypothesis was not supported for female respondents. On the other hand, perceived closeness to father figures resulted in lower sexual risk behaviors for girls.ConclusionGiven the study's findings, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers should consider the importance of the father–child relationship in reducing problem behaviors among Black adolescents. In particular, emphasis should be given to the quality of the father–child relationship rather than general father involvement in reducing dating violence victimization and risky sexual behavior among sexually experienced Black adolescents.     

Exploring Community Levels of Lead (Pb) and Youth Violence

An emergent body of literature has documented a relationship between the lead (Pb) pollution (a structural form of violence) and crime (including interpersonal forms of violence) at the aggregate level. This study contributes to the lead and crime literature by exploring the relationship between lead and youth violence at the community level. To explore this association, data on lead, concentrated disadvantage, residential mobility, racial and ethnic heterogeneity, percentage divorced, and youth violence were obtained across the city of Chicago’s Community Areas (n?=?77). Results from hot spot analyses, Ordinary Least Squares regressions, and a Geographically Weighted Regression suggest that not only do lead and youth violence appear to concentrate in the same communities, but increases in community lead level are associated with corresponding increases in youth violence 10 years after exposure. This study concludes with a discussion of theoretical and policy implications.     

Longitudinal Mediators of Relations Between Family Violence and Adolescent Dating Aggression Perpetration

Few longitudinal studies have examined the pathways through which family violence leads to dating aggression. In the current study the authors used 3 waves of data obtained from 8th‐ and 9th‐grade adolescents (N = 1,965) to examine the hypotheses that the prospective relationship between witnessing family violence and directly experiencing violence and physical dating aggression perpetration is mediated by 3 constructs: (a) normative beliefs about dating aggression (norms), (b) anger dysregulation, and (c) depression. Results from cross‐lagged regression models suggest that the relationship between having been hit by an adult and dating aggression is mediated by changes in norms and anger dysregulation, but not depression. No evidence of indirect effects from witnessing family violence to dating aggression was found through any of the proposed mediators. Taken together, the findings suggest that anger dysregulation and normative beliefs are potential targets for dating abuse prevention efforts aimed at youth who have directly experienced violence.     

Frequency and Types of Partner Violence Among Mexican American College Women

Objective and Participants: The authors studied the prevalence of partner violence, by type, among Mexican American college women aged 18 to 35 years (N = 149; response rate = 85%). Results: Twelve percent of women who reported a dating partner in the past year were physically or sexually assaulted, 12.1% were stalked, and 9.1% scored as psychologically abused. Among those experiencing partner violence, almost half experienced stalking and 89% reported psychological abuse. Few women (25%) who experienced physical violence believed violence was a problem in their relationship. Conclusions: Partner violence was prevalent in this population, and participants experienced many forms of violence. Because few women experiencing physical violence report that violence is a problem in their relationship, interventions must address perceptions of violence and its impact on women's mental and physical health in college populations.     

How schools of social work perceive and are responding to juvenile violence: a national survey

Following a trend of decreasing youth violence crimes in the 1990s, incidents of multiple victim shootings on school campuses by juvenile perpetrators brought renewed focus on the youth violence problem. Tougher criminal justice policies indicated a change in purpose of the juvenile justice system from rehabilitation to punishment and accountability. Effects of this change on the well being of youth should be a concern of social work, especially given the large number of students choosing school social work as their focus. This study surveyed all schools of social work in the continental US, Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico about their perceptions of youth violence and the methods they are using to educate their students about the problem. Findings indicated a wide diversity of perceptions and methods used to address the problem. Suggestions for incorporating juvenile violence into the curriculum and giving students interested in working with this population experience are offered.     

The dynamic nature of the drug use/serious violence relationship: a multi-causal approach

Relying on historical research, a longitudinal data set, and multivariate analyses, the drug-violence relationship is scrutinized. A proposed model is tested and supported, indicating that attitudes toward violence, gender, neighborhood problems, minor delinquency, and victimization were persistent correlates that must be considered within the drug-violence relationship. Parental attachment and importance, exposure to delinquent peers, and drug dealing were also important. Both licit and illicit drug use were significant within the models, although the relationship changed from year to year. In year 1, youth who used drugs reported more violence. In year 2, youth who were not using drugs reported more violence. Association with delinquent peers and initial involvement in drug dealing were likely explanations for this transition. Findings offer support for prevention efforts that disrupt drug markets and target male youth who are involved in crime and drugs, repeatedly victimized, associating with delinquent peers, and developing attitudes favorable toward the use of violence.     

Behavioral health correlates of exposure to community violence among African-American adolescents in Chicago

AimsThough public health researchers are more aware of behavioral health concerns among African American youth, few studies have explored how exposure to community violence may be related to adverse youth concerns. This study examines the relationship between exposure to community violence and mental health problems, substance use, school engagement, juvenile justice involvement, and STI risk behaviors.MethodsA total of 638 African American adolescents living in predominantly low-income, urban communities participated in the study by completing self-report measures on exposure to community violence, mental health, school engagement proxies, substance use, delinquency markers and sexual risk behaviors.ResultsAdolescents who reported higher rates of exposure to community violence were significantly more likely to report poorer mental health, delinquent behaviors, a history of juvenile justice involvement, lower school bonding and student-teacher connectedness. These youth were also significantly more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit substances, and engage in sexual risk behaviors.ConclusionsFindings suggest that there is a critical need for culturally relevant prevention and intervention efforts for African American adolescents who are frequently exposed to community violence.     

Ideals and Reality: Perceptions of Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships Among Foster Youth

Exploring romantic relationships is a hallmark of adolescence. As dating relationships are often new during this development trajectory, learning how to be in a relationship (e.g., learning healthy communication skills, etc.) is necessary to facilitate positive partnerships during the transition to adulthood. However, foster youth are a group routinely overlooked within the literature on developing positive and healthy relationships. This formative, exploratory study utilizes focus groups and in-depth interviews to understand foster youth perceptions of healthy and unhealthy dating relationships through a social learning theory lens. Findings explore foster youth perceptions of ideal relationships, the realities of their lived relational experiences, as well as the lessons learned that they would like to impart on future generations of foster youth. Implications for research, practice, and policy (e.g., the need for communication skill building, comprehensive sex and relationship education, as well as screenings for dating violence) are also explored.     

Targeting youth at risk for gang involvement: Validation of a gang risk assessment to support individualized secondary prevention

Objective/PurposeA major challenge in economically marginalized neighborhoods across the United States and around the world is the proliferation of local street gangs and the violence they perpetuate. While estimates vary from place to place, in the United States approximately 10% to 19% of youth between the ages of 12 and 16 are likely to join a local street gang in these high-risk areas. While a substantial proportion of those who join a gang drop out relatively quickly (within a year or so), others remain involved over several years. Prolonged involvement in a street gang frequently results in violent injury or death among gang-involved youth and among innocent victims. Communities and families facing these problems are looking for ways to discourage gang involvement before it starts.MethodsHere we report a test of the prospective validity of an assessment that supports concentrated prevention efforts focused on the youth most likely to join a gang. This approach, called secondary gang prevention, works intensively to remediate influences that motivate high-risk youth to join a neighborhood gang. The prospective validity of the Gang Risk of Entry Factors (GREF) assessment was tested over a 12 to 18 month period (baseline to retest) in a high-risk sample of 11 to 16 year old youth in Los Angeles County.ResultsThe findings confirm the assessment's effectiveness in prospectively identifying the youth most likely to join a gang within impacted communities. In the study sample, 100% of the boys who reported current gang membership, 81% of boys who report former gang membership, and 74% of the boys who reported hanging out with the gang at the posttest had been identified as high-risk 12 to 18 months earlier on the baseline assessment. All but one of the 14 girls in the study who reported any gang involvement (including just hanging out) on the posttest had been assessed as high-risk on the baseline interview.ConclusionsThe findings confirm the assessment's effectiveness in prospectively identifying the youth most likely to join a gang within impacted communities.     

Relationships between Early Life Victimization,Antisocial Traits,and Sexual Violence: Executive Functioning as a Mediator

ABSTRACT

Few research studies examine how the relationship between trauma and executive functioning can influence sexual violence among youth. Knight and Sims-Knight (2004) proposed a Developmental Etiological Theory (DET) connecting early life physical and sexual victimization to sexual violence via antisocial traits. Drawing from research that identifies a link between early life victimization and executive functioning, this study tests an adaptation to the DET by including executive functioning as an intervening factor. Using data on adolescents adjudicated of sexual and non-sexual crimes in a western state (N = 200), multiple structural equation models tested direct and indirect relationships between early life sexual, physical victimization, and other adversity, four differential forms of executive functioning, callousness, and sexual violence. Results revealed statistically significant direct pathways between variables of interest and a multi-meditational effect of certain forms of executive functioning and callousness in the relationship between victimization and sexual violence. Treatment and research implications are discussed.     

Understanding Violence in the School: Moral and Psychological Factors

Since violence was declared a health issue in the 1980s, the literature on violence has identified psychological and psychosocial factors which place youth at risk for violent behaviors. This paper reviews the psychological literature on violent youth, the impact of violence on youth predisposing them to violent behavior, including an exploration into parenting styles and the social climate of some schools in which violence is occurring. Preventative strategies involving primary, secondary and tertiary interventions to combat school violence and youth violence, in general, are considered.     

Disparate Levels of Stress in Police and Correctional Officers: Preliminary Evidence from a Pilot Study on Domestic Violence

New data from a prevention curriculum project on officer-involved domestic violence reveals significant differences in the reported job stress of Florida's correctional officers when compared to police officers who took the same surveys. The significantly higher reported levels of organizational stress in particular—especially those related to staff and resource shortages and attitudes about leadership—raise concerns about the relationship between organizational stress and the reported drastic budget cuts, hiring freezes, and layoffs experienced by the Department of Corrections in 2009. The surprising disparity has significant implications for policy makers, who should be aware of the high cost of stress in officer health and well-being when making budgetary decisions about the state's rapidly increasing inmate population.     

Family connectedness,school attachment,peer influence and health-compromising behaviours among young Vietnamese males

Vietnamese males have one of the highest rates of smoking and alcohol consumption in the world. Research on the role of social and family resources in promoting healthy behaviours among Vietnamese youth is very limited. We examine the proposition that family support, attachment to school and peer influence are strongly associated with cigarette use, alcohol consumption and violence among Vietnamese youth. We used data from a nationally representative survey of males aged 14–25 years in 2009 (N?=?4705). Three measures of social and family resources and three indicators of health-compromising behaviours were used. Multinomial and logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationships. The regression results showed that a positive and cohesive family environment and attachment to school reduced the odds of smoking, alcohol consumption and violence. However, peer pressure had the opposite effect of increasing the odds. Higher socio-economic status was associated with lower odds of smoking, but higher odds of alcohol consumption among those at school. Excessive alcohol consumption increased the odds of violence by over three times. We conclude that positive and supportive environments within family, at school and among peers can discourage smoking, alcohol consumption and violence among Vietnamese youth.