Schools,Parents, and Youth Violence: A Multilevel,Ecological Analysis

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study utilized an ecological approach to investigate the joint contribution of parents and schools on changes in violent behavior over time among a sample of 6,397 students (54% female) from 125 schools. This study examined the main and interactive effects of parent and school connectedness as buffers of violent behavior within a hierarchical linear model, focusing on both students and schools as the unit of analysis. Results show that students who feel more connected to their schools demonstrate reductions in violent behavior over time. On the school level, our findings suggest that school climate serves as a protective factor for student violent behavior. Finally, parent and school connectedness appear to work together to buffer adolescents from the effects of violence exposure on subsequent violent behavior.     

Risk and protective family factors during childhood on youth violence among African American males: The role of mothers and nonresident fathers

African American male youth experience disproportionately higher levels of violence. We examined parental depression among African American mothers and nonresident fathers on parenting stress and school involvement in their adolescent sons' school connectedness and violent behaviors. Using a longitudinal study design, parent factors were assessed when sons were 9 years old on youth outcomes at age 15. We found that maternal depression was associated with maternal stress, and maternal stress was indirectly associated with sons' violent behaviors through school connectedness. School involvement among nonresident fathers was positively associated with sons' school connectedness, which was linked to less youth violent behaviors. Maternal stress and nonresident fathers' school involvement are influential for understanding youth violence. Future interventions should incorporate a more nuanced approach when including family factors.     

The Parent Connection: Blow to Communicate With Your Child About Alcohol and Other Drugs (Book)

Examined the effects of an experimental crime-prevention intervention for learning-disabled, educable mentally retarded, and behaviorally disordered students in a time-series study. During the 1985-1986 school year, 42 special-education students from four elementary schools identified their crime victimization and criminal exploitation problems at four different times. Results indicated that special-education students' violent and property crime victimization and criminal exploitation rates were significantly reduced over time.     

Supportive relationships and sexual risk behavior in adolescence: an ecological-transactional approach

OBJECTIVE: To examine the longitudinal associations between supportive relationships with friends and parents and sexual risk behavior in adolescence based on an ecological-transactional perspective. METHODS: Analyses were conducted on 2,652 sexually active adolescents from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). RESULTS: African-American adolescents had lower risk for sexual risk behavior. Supportive friendships and parent connectedness interacted in predicting decreased likelihood of sexual risk behavior. Mother-child communication about sex contributed to decreased likelihood of sexual risk only for girls. There were also small reciprocal effects of sexual risk behavior on decreased relationship quality over time. CONCLUSION: To better understand the parents' role in adolescent sexual risk behavior, multiple facets of parenting, the social contexts of parenting and adolescents' peers, and the effects of adolescents' behavior on these relationships should be taken into consideration.     

How generalizable are the effects of smoking prevention programs? Refusal skills training and parent messages in a teacher-administered program

This study investigated both substantive and methodological issues associated with school-based smoking prevention programs. Substantive issues included the efficacy of a refusal skills training curriculum and of parent messages mailed to students' homes. Methodological issues included the effects of assigning classrooms versus entire schools to experimental conditions and determination of the effects of attrition on internal and external validity. Results revealed differential impact for different subgroups of adolescents. The refusal skills program produced lower rates of smoking than the control condition for students who were smokers at the pretreatment assessment but may have produced detrimental effects among males who were nonsmokers at pretest. The provision of parent messages did not affect outcome. Method of assignment (schools versus classrooms) failed to produce significant effects, and attrition did not affect internal validity. However, the above differential findings, as well as the impact of attrition on external validity, raise questions concerning the generalizability of smoking prevention programs.This research was supported in part by Grant HD 13409 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, by Grant DA 03635 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, and by Grant CA 38273 from the National Cancer Institute. The authors would like to thank the teachers, students, and school administrators who made this study possible and the many staff members at ORI who worked on the project.     

Violent behavior and unfairness in school: multilevel analysis of Italian schools

This study examines the role of school unfairness in predicting violent behavior among Italian early adolescents. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the relations between individual (demographics, psychosocial and relational characteristics, and perception of procedural and relational school unfairness), and class characteristics (mean school unfairness and socioeconomic status) and students' violent behavior. Data were analyzed using a two‐level model based on 6,744 students (3,398 boys; M age=14.14) nested within 348 classes. After adjusting for age, gender, and psychosocial confounding factors, relational and procedural unfairness in the school showed a significant association with violent behavior. School unfairness predicted between‐school variation in violent behavior, in that procedural unfairness at the school level increased the risk for violent behavior. However, relational unfairness at the school level decreased the risk for violent behavior. The present study suggests that the quality of relationships with teachers may be key in predicting students' violent behavior. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The ecology of achievement among students diverse in ethnicity and ability

This longitudinal study uses an ecological framework to examine school and individual influences on academic achievement among African American and Latino students with and without disabilities who had recently transferred to more inclusive schools. The authors' ecological framework includes four domains: organizational policies and practices, school environment, student–school connections, and psychological symptoms. The authors tested a comprehensive model with 111 students from 16 schools over 3 years, as well as an organizational model with a smaller sample. Organizational policies and practices of inclusion and student–school connections of belonging each predicted higher academic achievement, and psychological symptoms of aggressive behavior predicted lower academic achievement across time. Their findings are consistent with and extend existing research through support of a comprehensive ecological model across time. Findings also yield significant implications for ecological theory and research in community psychology, school planning, intervention, and implementation of inclusive best practices for students with and without disabilities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

我国中学生症状自评量表(SCL-90)评定结果分析

目的:本研究以SCL-90大样本调查结果,探讨建立我国中学生的SCL-90常模,并分析当前我国中学生的心理健康状况.方法:在全国范围的大城市、县级市及周边地区的各类中学取样,用SCL-90共测评了2209名中学生,并同时由其家长填写他评问卷.结果:除躯体化和敌对两个因子外,SCL-90其它因子分无显著地区差别;与1984-1997年间14篇SCL-90研究文章中所调查的中学生综合样本的数据比较,除人际关系敏感分低于综合样本,偏执因子分没有显著差异外,其它7个因子的得分显著地高于综合中学生样本(比综合样本高0.06～0.20,P<0.001).结论:本研究结果可作为评价我国中学生心理健康状态的SCL-90常模,中学生的心理健康问题应得到广泛重视.     

亲子依恋、学校联结对初中生攻击性行为的影响

目的:考察亲子依恋、学校联结对初中生攻击性行为的影响及其作用机制。方法:以整群抽样的方法选取初中生697名;用青少年攻击行为量表、亲子依恋问卷(IPPA)、学校联结量表、攻击行为规范信念量表进行测查。结果:1性别(Wilks’λ=0.91,P0.001)和年级(Wilks’λ=0.98,P0.01)的主效应都显著。男生的身体攻击显著多于女生,女生的关系攻击显著多于男生;初三学生的关系攻击显著多于初一,其他年级之间差异不显著;2在控制了性别和年级的影响后,亲子依恋和学校联结均能显著负向预测身体攻击和关系攻击(β=-0.19,-0.21,-0.21,-0.27;P均0.001);3亲子依恋既直接影响被试的身体攻击和关系攻击,又通过学校联结对其产生间接影响;学校联结仅通过身体攻击规范信念和关系攻击规范信念对两种攻击行为产生特异性的间接影响。结论:亲子依恋既直接影响初中生的攻击行为,又通过影响学校联结和规范信念间接影响其攻击行为;学校联结通过影响规范信念间接影响其攻击行为。     

CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY COMMUNITY ADVERSITY,SOCIAL RESOURCES,AND ADOLESCENT LONG‐TERM MENTAL HEALTH

This study examined early life community characteristics to predict mental health from adolescence to adulthood. Confirmatory factor and latent growth analyses were conducted with 1,796 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health spanning adolescence (Wave 1) through early adulthood (Wave 4). Analyses modeled community structural adversity and social resources as predictors of depressive symptoms trajectories via indirect effects of parent mental health and parent–child relationships. Community connectedness and integration were protective factors for long‐term mental health via parental happiness and positive parent–child relationships. Findings add to the body of work distinguishing structural community characteristics from social characteristics, specifying them as two simultaneous dimensions and identifying social resources as early life factors that provide long‐term protection.     

School connectedness is an underemphasized parameter in adolescent mental health: results of a community prediction study.

There is limited prospective research on the relation between school connectedness (i.e., the extent to which students feel accepted, valued, respected, and included in the school) and mental health symptoms in adolescents. A sample of 2,022 students (999 boys and 1,023 girls) ages 12 to 14 years were measured at 2 time points (12 months apart) on school connectedness and mental health symptoms (general functioning, depression, and anxiety symptoms). School connectedness correlated extensively with concurrent mental health symptoms at both time points (between 38% and 55% covariation with depression, 26% to 46% with general functioning, and 9% and 16% for anxiety symptoms). Using hierarchical linear modeling, school connectedness also predicted depressive symptoms 1 year later for both boys and girls, anxiety symptoms for girls, and general functioning for boys, even after controlling for prior symptoms. The reverse, however, was not true: Prior mental health symptoms did not predict school connectedness 1 year later when controlling for prior school connectedness. Results suggest a stronger than previously reported association with school connectedness and adolescent depressive symptoms in particular and a predictive link from school connectedness to future mental health problems.     

School start time and sleep in Canadian adolescents

Insufficient sleep is a serious problem in adolescents and school start time is thought to be a key contributor. This study provided the first comprehensive assessment of school start times across Canada and examined whether school start times were associated with sleep duration and tiredness among adolescents. We collected information on school start times from 362 schools that participated in the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children study. We calculated sleep duration from weekday bedtime and wake time reported by 29 635 students (aged 10–18 years). We classified weekday sleep as sufficient if it met national recommendations, and used data on self‐reported tiredness at school in the morning. Random‐effects regression models estimated the association of school start time with sleep duration, sleep sufficiency and tiredness. On average, schools started at 08:43 hours. Students slept an average of 8:36 h on weekdays and 69% met sleep duration recommendations, but 60% reported feeling tired in the morning. Every 10‐min delay in school start time corresponded with 3.2 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0, 4.5] additional minutes of sleep, a 1.6% (95% CI: 0.5, 2.8) greater probability of sufficient sleep and a 2.1% (95% CI: 1.0, 3.2) smaller probability of feeling tired at school in the morning. Students from schools that started later slept longer, were more likely to meet sleep recommendations and were less likely to report feeling tired in the morning. The study adds weight to the mounting evidence that delaying school start time benefits adolescent sleep.     

Dyadic attachments and community connectedness: Links with youths' loneliness experiences

In this article, we explored the belongingness hypothesis by examining the influence of youths' dyadic attachments and community connectedness on their experiences of loneliness. Fifth and sixth graders (N = 187) reported on their attachments to their mothers, fathers, best friends, and their connectedness to their schools and neighborhoods. Self‐reports of global loneliness, loneliness in the school and neighborhood contexts, and emotional and social loneliness were obtained. Youths' dyadic attachment to their best friends was more significant in accounting for their loneliness experiences than their attachments to either parent. Youths' connectedness to their school and neighborhood communities was significantly associated with their experiences of global, social, and neighborhood loneliness. The data suggest that youths' sense of community within their different environmental contexts (i.e., neighborhood, school) differentially influence their psychological well‐being, as demonstrated by their associations to loneliness. The importance of creating communities that meet youths' needs is discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

经修改的《心理健康诊断测验》的初步应用

目的：将经过修改的《心理健康诊断问卷》应用于浙江省的中学生。方法：根据浙江省行政区域的划分，在8个城市的6所高中6所初中，用分层整群抽样方法选取初一到高三的36个班级共2084名学生。结果：获得了经过修改的《心理健康诊断问卷》的浙江省常模。初中生在学习焦虑、过敏倾向、身体症状、恐怖倾向和冲动倾向五个维度上的得分均显著高于高中生。在初中生中，初二年级学生的自责倾向比较显著。在高中生中，高一年级学生的学习焦虑、高二年级学生的自责、过敏、恐怖倾向比较显著。结论：不同年级的中学生的心理健康教育有不同的侧重点。     

Effects of behavior modification on body image, depression and body fat in obese Korean elementary school children

This study was performed to investigate the effects of behavior modification on body image, depression and body fat in obese elementary school children. Sixty-two elementary students of the 4th to 6th grade were selected from two different Seoul schools. Thirty-four children in one school were designated as the experimental group, and 28 children from the other school as the control group. The experimental group received 60 - 70 minutes of behavior modification, once a week, for 8 weeks. The control group received neither management nor treatment. The results indicated a significant improvement of body image and a reduction in the increase rate of body fat for the experimental group. This finding strongly supports the theory that behavior modification can be used as an effective strategy in the treatment of obese children.     

北京市部分高中生性状况初步调查及其与亲子依恋的关系

目的:调查北京市部分高中生性发育状况及其性行为和性态度与亲子依恋的关系。方法:对北京市两所学校847名高中生用自编青少年性状况信息调查表和修订的青少年-父母依恋问卷(IPPA)进行调查。结果:研究对象报告第一次月经初潮/遗精的平均年龄分别为男生13.2岁,女生12.7岁;性行为发生率为3.3%(男生16人,女生12人),第一次发生性行为的平均年龄为16.0岁;谈恋爱人数占到39.1%;研究对象获取性信息的主要途径为朋友38.8%,科普书籍和报纸24.5%,学校的有关课程(老师)15.8%。在看待同龄人的性态度以及自身性行为方面男生比女生对同龄人性行为持更赞同的态度(14.4±3.9/16.7±3.2,5.8±1.41/5.5±1.1,t=-8.88、3.26,P<0.01)。与父母亲情感依恋不安全的高中生相比,与父亲和母亲都是安全依恋的高中生对同龄人性行为持显著不赞同态度;其自身性行为水平也显著低于前者。结论:北京市部分高中生的性行为和性态度与亲子依恋有关,但关系微弱。     

农村初中生艾滋病预防知识-态度-行为-效能的调查

目的了解农村初中生艾滋病预防知识-态度-行为-效能的现状,为实施农村中学生艾滋病预防教育提供科学依据。方法整群抽取7所农村中学共计500名初中生,采用《学生艾滋病预防问卷》,以不记名自填方式进行调查。结果 7所学校学生总体得分存在显著差异(F=4.85,P0.001);男生的得分高于女生(t=3.204,P0.001);多因素回归分析表明,知识、学校、性别对艾滋病防治行为均有正性影响(t=3.18,3.19,8.16;P0.01)。结论所调查的7所中学预防艾滋病教育效果存在差异,以知识积累为主,态度和效能改善为辅的防艾教育策略是促成行为改变的重要举措。     

Health science learning academy: a successful "pipeline" educational program for high school students.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the Health Professions Partnership Initiative is to increase the number of underrepresented minority Georgia residents who become health care professionals by (1) creating a pipeline of well-qualified high school and college students interested in health care careers, (2) increasing the number of well-qualified applicants to medical and other health professions schools, and (3) increasing the number of underrepresented minority students at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). DESCRIPTION: The Health Professions Partnership Initiative at MCG was created in 1996 by collaboration among the MCG Schools of Medicine and Nursing, two Augusta high schools attended primarily by underrepresented minority students, three historically black colleges and universities, the Fort Discovery National Science Center of Augusta, community service organizations, and MCG student organizations. The project was funded by the Association of American Medical Colleges and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The high school component, the Health Science Learning Academy (HSLA), was designed to strengthen the students' educational backgrounds and interest in professional careers as evidenced by increased standardized test scores and numbers of students entering college and health professions schools. Additional goals included a system to track students' progress throughout the pipeline as well as professional development sessions to enrich faculty members' knowledge and enhance their teaching expertise. The HSLA began with ninth-grade students from the two high schools. During its second year, funding from the Health 1st Foundation allowed inclusion of another high school and expansion to ninth grade through twelfth grade. The HSLA's enrichment classes meet for three hours on 18 Saturday mornings during the academic year and include computer-interactive SAT preparation and English composition (tenth grade); biology, algebra, calculus, and English composition (eleventh grade); and advanced mathematics and biology (twelfth grade). DISCUSSION: The ultimate solution to the paucity of underrepresented minority physicians resides largely in successful pipeline programs that expand the pool of well-qualified applicants, matriculants, and graduates from medical schools. Intermediate results of the HSLA support the success of the program. Since its creation in the 1996-1997 academic year, 203 students have participated in the HSLA and all 38 (from the original two schools) who completed the four-year program have enrolled in college. The mean SAT score for students who completed the HSLA program was 1,066, compared with a mean of 923 for all college-bound students in the participating schools. The mean increases in SAT scores for students who completed the four-year program were.5% (1,100 to 1,105) for students attending a magnet high school and 18% (929 to 1,130) for students attending the comprehensive high school. The mean overall increases in SAT scores for students in the two high schools were 1% (1,044 to 1,048) and 9.1% (765 to 834), respectively. The HSLA is accomplishing its goals and, while it is too early to know if these students will participate in MCAT preparatory programs and apply to medical and other health professions schools, their sustained commitment and enthusiasm bode well for continued success.     

中学生抑郁情绪与童年经历、家庭和学校因素分析

目的 :探讨影响中学生抑郁情绪的童年经历、家庭和学校因素。方法 :随机抽取 13 82名中学生为对象 ,使用BDI、社会心理因素问卷和EMBU进行评定。结果 :BDI与严厉惩罚、过分干涉、拒绝和否认、过度保护因子相关 (P <0 0 5 )。BDI平均分高于对应组的因素有 :童年时他人抚养、父母关系不和睦、家庭成员有自杀和暴力行为、受虐待、生活不愉快 (P <0 0 5～ 0 0 0 0 1) ;中学时家庭结构不正常、亲子关系差、父母对孩子无期望 (P <0 0 5～ 0 0 0 3 ) ;毕业班、成绩差、留级、受欺负、欺负别人、没有好朋友、不爱好文体活动、未担任学生干部 (P =0 0 3 4～ 0 0 0 0 1)。结论 :这些不良因素容易导致中学生抑郁情绪 ,应避免并做相应干预。     

Relationships among perceptions of parent involvement,time allocation,and demographic characteristics: Implication for policy formation

Variables that facilitate or hinder parent involvement (PI) in education and schools were explored, along with the amounts of time parents spent in various activities. A total of 506 participants from San Diego and Imperial Counties completed the first part of the study (1) designed to assess parents' beliefs about involvement with their child's school and education. Of these same participants, 357 self‐selected parents also chose to complete a second part of the study (2) that assessed the amount of time parents spend in education‐related activities. Factor analysis of the 506 participant responses revealed four school perception factors related to parent attitudes: (a) communication, (b) familiarity, (c) sensitivity, and (d) support. Factor analysis of the 357 participant responses to the time factors also revealed four involvement areas: (a) general school issues, (b) specific school issues, (c) extracurricular school activities, and (d) specific help. Significant relationships were found among three of the attitudinal factors (sensitivity, familiarity, and support) and various time factors, including total involvement time, general issues, specific problems, and extracurricular issues. Further, significant differences among means were found for both the school perception factors and the time factors based on ethnic background, income, and marital status. Recommendations for increasing parent involvement and formulating public policy are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.