Adolescent girls’ race/ethnic status, identities, and drive for thinness

Using data from 7272 adolescent US girls, we explore how girls’ race/ethnic group status affects their bodyweight, perceptions of overweight, and weight control practices. We hypothesize that a girl’s race/ethnic status influences her basic identity which in turn prompts her to adopt or reject a “drive for thinness.” After controlling for family and peer support, school engagement, family SES, maturation, and family structure, we find that girls’ race/ethnic status influences their susceptibility to the thinness ideals of mainstream culture. African American girls weigh more than Asian, Hispanic, or White girls, but at any given weight they perceive themselves as overweight and attempt to control their weight less. Asian American and White girls invest most in thinness dynamics. Some evidence also suggests girls from lower SES families are less driven to be thin. Our results affirm the utility of viewing material bodies as “situations” that are experienced and interpreted in accord with identity group relations and dynamics.     

Social Worker Supervision with Novice and Experienced Workers

ABSTRACT

This empirical study compares the perceptions of social work supervisors about the needs of novice and experienced social work supervisees. The respondents, 211 supervisors in public welfare agencies in Israel, provided novice workers more supervisory time in 6 of the 8 content areas examined: administrative matters; inspection and control; inter-organizational communication; client issues; job-related tensions; and personal tensions. Projects in the community were given priority to experienced rather than novice supervisees, and professional development was regarded by the supervisors as equally important for novice and experienced workers. Comparisons were also made between the actual and preferred supervisory time allotment.     

Developing the DSM-IV-DSM-IV Criteria to Identify Adolescent Problem Gambling in Non-Clinical Populations

This paper presents a revised version of DSM-IV-J criteria for youth, the DSM-IV-MR-J, together with psychometric data stemming from its use in a major prevalence study of adolescent gambling and problem gambling. The case is made for further development and testing of current and emerging instruments to screen for problem gambling in youth, with the aim of establishing one internationally accepted gold standard measure.     

Voice and Identity in a Bicultural/Bilingual Environment

Researchers have noted that with the onset of adolescence, girls' voices become muted and school achievement drops. Girls learn that the expression of strong feelings leads to distance from others, and that full use of their bodies and minds cause others discomfort. Self-esteem suffers and girls become at risk for destructive behaviors. Most studies have been done with middle class Caucasian girls. Those few studies done with young girls of color speak of girls on the margin who seem to resist losing their voices and their self-esteem. This article describes a study involving 5th–8th grade girls participating in an Advisory group program at a grammar school in a predominantly Mexican community of a large city. Group sessions were taped and analyzed for common themes including voice and self-esteem. Focus was directed to the influence of the bicultural/bilingual environment in analysis of group content. Implications for practice are included.     

苏南地区青少年教育的若干思考

基于对苏南部分地区的实地调查，讨论分析了该地区青少年人口结构、生活环境特点和存在问题，以及转型期社会现实中对青少年健康成长的不利影响因素，阐述了强化青少年正面教育的对策性思考     

上海青少年社会工作者专业能力建设的行动研究

本文是上海X区青少年社会工作站的社会工作者专业能力建设的行动研究的初步成果。全文从研究背景、研究方法、研究历程、初步成效、反思等方面对行动研究项目作了介绍。在总结了社会工作者专业能力建设的行动研究四阶段特征的基础上,本文提出社会工作者专业能力的建设必须与社会工作知识观、社会工作服务内容与形式的创新,以及社会工作专业管理机制的不断改善直接相关。     

Service Utilization Patterns Among Adolescent Mothers Residing in Three-Generational Households

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to better understand the social service experiences and identified needs of 26 demographically diverse adolescent mothers and their mothers, who resided together in three-generational households. Most dyads accessed community services, particularly parenting and emotional supports, financial and material assistance, and medical care, and desired short-term assistance related to their circumstances and newly expanded families, rather than long-term support. The most commonly identified barrier to service utilization involved income eligibility guidelines. In light of welfare reform policies and the current economic climate, this research underscores the need for transitional supports for families, including assistance with basic needs. In terms of implications for social work practice and future research, adolescent mothers may need formal supports as they pursue independence after they leave their mothers’ care. Future research could further explore, within other communities and longitudinally, whether these preliminary trends hold true.     

Adolescents’ perception of peer groups: Psychological,behavioral, and relational determinants

Adolescents’ social cognitive understanding of their social world is often inaccurate and biased. Focusing on peer groups, this study examines how adolescents’ psychological, behavioral, and relational characteristics influence the extent to which they accurately identify their own and others’ peer groups. Analyses were conducted with a sample of 1481 seventh- and tenth-grade Chinese students who are embedded with 346 peer groups. Overall, females and older students had more accurate perceptions. In addition, lower self-esteem, higher indegree centrality, and lower betweenness centrality in the friendship network predicted more accurate perception of one’s own groups, whereas higher academic performance and lower betweenness centrality in the friendship network predicted more accurate perception of others’ groups. Implications for understanding the connection between adolescents’ psychological and behavioral traits, social relationships, and social cognition are discussed.     

Adolescent Mothers and Depression: Predictors of Resilience and Risk Through the Toddler Years

ABSTRACT

This study investigated predictors of depression in 278 African-American, 206 European-American, and 122 Hispanic teen mothers approximately 36 months after the birth while controlling for depression 14 months after the birth. Predictor variables were age, ethnicity, mastery, knowledge of development, and parental distress. Younger teens were not more depressed than older teens. Although there were not significant differences by ethnicity in 14 month depression, significant differences were evident at 36 months. European-American mothers were the most depressed, whereas Hispanic mothers were the least depressed. Parental distress was positively associated with depression at 36 months while controlling for depression at 14 months. This study provides information for targeting teen mothers at the highest risk for depression through the toddler years, as well as spurs ideas for intervention stategies.