Results from the Virginia Multidisciplinary Team Knowledge and Functioning Survey: The importance of differentiating by groups affiliated with a child advocacy center

Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) are a child-centered, multidisciplinary response to child abuse. Two important components of a CAC model include the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and case review. The purpose of this study was to assess MDT members' perceptions of the MDT and case review and to test whether there were differences by profession, status, or CAC designation. MDT members (N = 217) affiliated with a CAC in Virginia completed an online survey containing 35 items. CAC staff was more likely to identify problems associated with case review than other professional groups. Investigators perceived case review meetings as lasting too long, whereas service providers did not. Supervisors and frontline workers disagreed on the core function of a CAC, as did CAC staff and investigators/service providers. Accredited and associate CACs identified problems associated with case review, while developing CACs identified staffing issues as problematic. Research identifying the elements of “effective” MDTs and case review is needed to provide guidance to CAC directors who are most frequently in the role of managing, nurturing, and arranging training for the MDT and coordinating case review meetings. In addition, greater training for MDT members in the importance of case review and collective team identification is warranted.     

Marriage and Midnight Work: A Qualitative Study of Unmarried Women Call Center Agents in India

Based on a qualitative study, we explored the changing aspirations of marriage among unmarried call center agents in India. Data were collected from forty-five unmarried call center agents and ten parent couples, through in-depth semi structured interviews in the National Capital Region (New Delhi, Gurgaon, and NOIDA) in India. Our study found that the agents desire to continue in their cell center employment after marriage, despite the existing incompatibility between marriage and night shift based call center employment in India. We argue that the socio-cultural background of the agents influences their capacity to exercise their agency more than the economic aspects of their employment.     

Independence Giving or Autonomy Taking? Childhood Predictors of Decision‐Sharing Patterns Between Young Adolescents and Parents

This article reports on a study of whether young adolescents make decisions autonomously, share decisions with their parents, or have decisions made for them by parents. Using a sample of 2,632 12‐ and 13‐year‐olds from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Child Survey we examine how childhood behavior and competence influence decision patterns in young adolescence. Individual models are used to test whether traits predict decision patterns, and sibling fixed‐effects models allow us to estim\ate effects of child characteristics net of stable family contributions. In both individual and sibling fixed‐effects models, children with higher verbal ability share more decision making with parents. Children with greater mathematical aptitude and children who are impulsive are more likely to make decisions without consulting parents. The impulsivity effect is stronger in families with fewer resources. These results suggest that children directly and indirectly influence household decision‐sharing patterns.     

Risk factors associated with elder abuse: the importance of differentiating by type of elder maltreatment

Elder abuse research rarely differentiates by the type of elder maltreatment involved when identifying risk factors. The purpose of this study was to compare risk factors across four predominant types of elder maltreatment (financial exploitation, physical abuse, neglect by others, and hybrid financial exploitation [HFE]). Data were collected from two sources: interviews with victims of substantiated elder abuse, responding adult protective services (APS) caseworkers (N = 71), and third-party informants; and a statewide database that contained all substantiated cases over a corresponding 2-year period (N = 2,142). Using chi-square (interview data) and logistic regressions (Adult Services/Adult Protective Services [ASAPS] data), significant differences across the four types of elder maltreatment were found. These two datasets provide converging evidence for the importance of differentiating by type of maltreatment when identifying risk factors for elder maltreatment and for the importance of considering both the elderly victim and the abusive individual when predicting type of elder maltreatment.     

The Dynamics of Evolving Beliefs,Concerns Emotions,and Behavioral Avoidance Following 9/11: A Longitudinal Analysis of Representative Archival Samples

September 11 created a natural experiment that enables us to track the psychological effects of a large‐scale terror event over time. The archival data came from 8,070 participants of 10 ABC and CBS News polls collected from September 2001 until September 2006. Six questions investigated emotional, behavioral, and cognitive responses to the events of September 11 over a five‐year period. We found that heightened responses after September 11 dissipated and reached a plateau at various points in time over a five‐year period. We also found that emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions were moderated by age, sex, political affiliation, and proximity to the attack. Both emotional and behavioral responses returned to a normal state after one year, whereas cognitively‐based perceptions of risk were still diminishing as late as September 2006. These results provide insight into how individuals will perceive and respond to future similar attacks.     

Promoting “Zest for Life”: A Systematic Literature Review of Resiliency Factors to Prevent Youth Suicide

Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth globally. In this critical interpretive synthesis, we examined literature on resiliency factors and suicidality. Systematic searches identified 474 articles, 37 of which were included. Results revealed internal (positive self‐appraisal, zest for life, personal traits, and coping skills) and external factors (social support system and inclusive environments) contribute to resilience among youth, with age, sex and gender, and Indigenous identity as important intersecting considerations. Findings validated fostering resilience as primary suicide prevention among youth, with little explanation for how these factors may work to protect youth from suicidality. Continued research in this area requires a focus on how to promote resilience at the community and systems levels.     

How Long Is a Spell of Unemployment? Illusions and Biases in the Use of CPS Data

Most data used to study the durations of unemployment spells come from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is a point-in-time survey and gives an incomplete picture of the underlying duration distribution. We introduce a new sample of completed unemployment spells obtained from panel data and apply CPS sampling and reporting techniques to replicate the type of data used by other researchers. Predicted duration distributions derived from this CPS-like data are then compared to the actual distribution. We conclude that the best inferences that can be made about unemployment durations by using CPS-like data are seriously biased.     

Social Context in Mental Health Service Use Among Young Adults

Examining the sources of health communication that young adults with mental health challenges receive regarding service use is critical to curbing the societal concern of unmet mental health needs of this population. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 59 young adults, all of whom were diagnosed with a mood disorder and used public mental health services and additional public systems of care during childhood. Thematic analysis was utilized. Of the 59 participants, 45 nominated at least one supportive adult, with a total of 97 relationships analyzed. Results indicate that the majority of messages came from informal supports (e.g., family) who spoke positively about mental health services. Fewer messages came from formal supports (e.g., professionals). Messages included statements surrounding beliefs toward services, social norms (approval and disapproval), self-efficacy, and image considerations around using services. These findings can suggest ways that mental health service engagement interventions can leverage communication from informal supports. Future research can explore what messages young adults find most influential in persuading them to use mental health care consistently and the relationship between messages and health behavior.     

Decision-making by children

In this paper, we examine the determinants of decision-making power by children and young adolescents. Moving beyond previous economic models that treat children as goods consumed by adults, we develop a noncooperative model of parental control of child behavior and child resistance. Using child reports of decision-making and psychological and cognitive measures from the NLSY79 Child Supplement, we examine the determinants of shared and sole decision-making based on indices created from seven domains of child activity. We find that the determinants of sole decision-making by the child and shared decision-making with parents are quite distinct: sharing decisions appears to be a form of parental investment in child development rather than a simple stage in the transfer of authority. In addition, we find that indicators of child capabilities and preferences affect reports of decision-making authority in ways that suggest child demand for autonomy as well as parental discretion in determining these outcomes.