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The aim of the present study was to explore whether protective factors, such as ease of communication with parents, siblings, and best friends; parental awareness of student’s friends and activities; higher numbers of best friends; positive perceptions of school climate; and teachers’ opinion of student’s academic performance, would buffer the link between peer victimization and weapon-carrying behavior among US adolescents. Data were derived from the 2009–2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study in the US. A total of 12,642 US adolescents were included in the study sample. Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and ordinary least squares regression. Partially supporting our hypothesis, we found that only mother’s awareness of students’ friends and activities ameliorated the effect of peer victimization on weapon-carrying behavior. In other words, bullied adolescents whose mothers were aware of their friends and activities were less likely to carry weapons. Mothers’ awareness of their child’s friends, behaviors, and activities is an important form of parental monitoring, and their involvement may protect their children from weapon-carrying behavior after experiencing victimization.

Representation of under-represented minority (URM) faculty in the health sciences disciplines is persistently low relative to both national and student population demographics. Although some progress has been made through nationally funded pipeline development programs, demographic disparities in the various health sciences disciplines remain. As such the development of innovative interventions to help URM faculty and students overcome barriers to advancement remains a national priority. To date, the majority of pipeline development programs have focused on academic readiness, mentorship, and professional development. However, insights from the social sciences literature related to “extra-academic” (e.g., racism) barriers to URM persistence in higher education suggest the limitations of efforts exclusively focused on cognitively mediated endpoints. The purpose of this article is to synthesize findings from the social sciences literature that can inform the enhancement of URM pipeline development programs. Specifically, we highlight research related to the social, emotional, and contextual correlates of URM success in higher education including reducing social isolation, increasing engagement with research, bolstering persistence, enhancing mentoring models, and creating institutional change. Supporting URM’s success in the health sciences has implications for the development of a workforce with the capacity to understand and intervene on the drivers of health inequalities.

Heart failure is a global epidemic with debilitating effects. People with heart failure need to actively participate in home self-care regimens to maintain good health. However, these regimens are not as effective as they could be and are influenced by a variety of factors. Patients from minority communities like African American (AA) and Hispanic/Latino (H/L), often have poor outcomes compared to the average Caucasian population. In this paper, we lay the groundwork to develop an interactive dialogue agent that can assist AA and H/L patients in a culturally sensitive and linguistically accurate manner with their heart health care needs. This will be achieved by extracting relevant educational concepts from the interactions between health educators and patients. Thus far we have recorded and transcribed 20 such interactions. In this paper, we describe our data collection process, thematic and initiative analysis of the interactions, and outline our future steps.

Despite the increasing proportion of immigrant youth in U.S. school districts, no studies have investigated their perceptions of their school. This study examines factors associated with perceptions of school safety among immigrant youth within individual, family, peer, and school contexts. Data were drawn from Wave II of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (n = 4288) and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted. African-Americans, females, and youth with limited English proficiency were more likely to perceive their school as unsafe. Youth who reported that family cohesion was important and those who had close friends perceived their school as safe. Also, those who experienced illegal activities in school reported feeling unsafe. Assessment and intervention in schools needs to consider individual and contextual factors associated with perceptions of school safety. Additional research is needed to examine individual and contextual factors related to immigrant youths' perceptions of school.

School bullying and peer victimization are social problems that affect African American youth across various environmental contexts. Regrettably, many of the empirical research on bullying and peer victimization among African American youth has examined individual and direct level influences in silos rather than a constellation of factors occurring in multiple settings, such as home, school, and neighborhood. As a holistic model, the social–ecological framework provides a context with which to situate and interpret findings and draw implications from a broader psychosocial framework, which can be applicable across various systems. We utilize Bronfenbrenner’s (American Psychologist 32:513–531, 1977) social–ecological framework as a springboard for investigating the accumulation of risk contributors and the presences of protective factors in relation to school bullying and peer victimization of African American youth. More specifically, we examine the risk and protective factors occurring in the micro- (i.e., parents, peers, school, and community), exo- (i.e., parental stress), and macrosystem levels (i.e., hypermasculinity, and gender role beliefs and stereotypes). We then discuss implications for research and school-based practice.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication skills as well as repetitive, restricted or stereotyped behaviors (1). Early interventionists are often found at the forefront of assessment, evaluation and early intervention services for children with ASD. The role of an early intervention specialist may include, assessing developmental history, providing group and individual counseling, working in partnership with families on home, school, and community environments, mobilizing school and community resources and assisting in the development of positive early intervention strategies (2, 3). The commonality amongst these roles resides in the importance of providing up-to-date, relevant information to families and children. The purpose of this review is to provide pertinent up-to-date knowledge for early interventionists to help inform practice in working with individuals with ASD, including common behavioral models of intervention.

Previous research suggests that serious maternal mental illness is associated with adverse youth outcomes. However, this research is of limited ability to inform appropriate social work and social policy responses for at least two reasons. First, it is based on samples that are not racially or ethnically diverse and that do not target low‐income families; second, it does not examine whether differences in the level of father involvement or the severity of maternal mental illness matter. This study involves a low‐income, racially and ethnically diverse sample of mothers with a serious mental illness and their 11–18‐year‐old children and examines parent effects on youths. Fathers were in contact but mostly were not live‐in parents. Structural equation modeling yields three key results: better maternal functioning and more paternal involvement predict better academic outcomes; less paternal involvement and more maternal health problems predict higher youth‐reported affiliative skills; and more paternal invol...

Youth civic engagement is critical to many community empowerment initiatives. Photovoice is a popular empowerment technique for disenfranchised groups, including youth. The technique has little published empirical support. This research assesses Photovoice as a youth mobilization project within the context of an ongoing community development initiative. It was hypothesized that Photovoice participation would (a) improve students' interest in civic engagement and (b) have greater impact on older rather than younger adolescents. Thirty-three (33) youths (15–21 years of age) completed a Survey of Youth Engagement before and after Photovoice participation. Results indicate a main effect for age, with youths 18 years of age and older scoring significantly higher than youths under 18 years of age. This study suggests that Photovoice promotes significant changes in perceived civic engagement among older youths.

Allen-Meares and Lane (1983) authored an article in NASW s Social Work journal rifled "Assessing the Adaptive Behavior of Children and Youths," which appraised the status and use of adaptive behavior as a concept and measurement tool that would work in the school system. Adaptive behavior--or the ability of a person to function in society, in a group, or in a classroom according to specific standards of behavior and ability--is one factor practitioners consider when completing holistic assessments of the level of care and services necessary. At the time of the Allen-Meares and Lane article, adaptive behavior instruments and theories were gaining recognition and use among school social workers as they strove to accurately assess students to determine who among them was eligible for special education programming. The use of formal measurement was not an entirely novel concept within the school setting. School psychologists and special resource personnel frequently presented data from various instruments that measured or quantified performance, IQ, speech, motor skills, and other indicators. Many of these instruments were limited to the in-school behaviors or cognitive abilities of the child. However, at the time, the ability to assess a child's whole experience was trending toward a more comprehensive set of measurements as a complement to those more typically administered. Because school social workers are knowledgeable about the importance of a holistic approach and understand how environment affects behavior, they were ideally suited to assess the adaptive behavior of pupils identified as candidates for special education services. As often is the case with trends, whether societal, educational, or professional, it is prudent to examine the tools that have been developed concomitantly and the way they have been used. Although several of the assessment instruments discussed by Allen-Meares and Lane (1983) are still in use, many others have been developed. In addition, although Allen-Meares and Lane discussed one culturally sensitive instrument called the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA), the consideration of cultural and ethnic factors in assessment has gained more importance given the increasing ethnic and racial diversity within certain school systems. Furthermore, cultural and ethnic factors are of particular relevance as the overrepresentation of ethnic minority students in special education classes has been documented by researchers whose work spans the past 40 years (Harry, Sturges, & Klingner, 2005; Hosp & Reschly, 2004). In 1998, approximately 1.5 million ethnic minority children were identified as mentally retarded, as having emotional problems, or as having a specific learning disability (Civil Rights Project, 2002), with nearly 60 percent of those children being African American or Native American. The Children's Defense Fund (2005) cited Osher, Sims, and Woodruff's (2002) report, which stated that in 39 states, African American children are twice as likely to be labeled mentally retarded. Atkins-Burnett (2006) suggested that although troubling, these statistics, taken as a whole and contextualized in light of economic status, environment, and so forth, might not be as troubling if those so identified were then provided with "adequate supports" to bolster their academic success. However, once labeled, ethnic minority children are less likely to receive instruction in a mainstream classroom, are more likely to face harsher discipline than that received by their peers, and are less likely to graduate. Outside of school, African American students, in particular, face a greater rate of unemployment and arrest (Children's Defense Fund, 2004). When ethnic minority population growth and the information regarding overrepresentation is considered in conjunction with the recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) (U. …

Children of parents with mental illness are an at-risk population according to research on psychiatric outcomes using White, middle-class samples of depressed parents and infants and preschool children.The current study expands this evidence byexploringwithin-group heterogeneity across psychosocial outcomes, in a racially diverse, low-income sample of adolescent children of mothers with mental illness ( N = 166). Using measures of mental health, academics, behavior problems, and social relationships—and employing cluster analysis methodology—we identified five meaningful subgroups of these youth. Two of five identified clusters evidenced mental health symptoms (15%) or possible behavioral problems (27%).The largest cluster (30%) appeared quite socially and academically competent; another cluster (22%) presented as average in their functioning but adult-oriented. A final small cluster (4.8%) was distinguished by members' social isolation. Cluster membership related to maternal substance abuse history, father's relationship to youth, and social support available to mothers. Implications for planning preventive interventions are discussed.

Depression is relatively common in children and adolescents, and if left undetected and untreated, can have long-term negative consequences. Social workers providing services to families, children and adolescents need to understand the characteristics, and conduct developmentally appropriate assessments, of depressive symptoms. This paper provides a review of current literature related to the definition, prevalence, co-occurrence, and measurement of depression in childhood and adolescence. It also highlights relevant gender, race, and ethnic influences.

In the past few decades, deinstitutionalization and community-based rehabilitation and support programs have increased the likelihood that women with serious mental disorders will be parents and will raise their children. This review describes what is known about the parenting of these women, focusing on diagnosis, child characteristics, and other contextual effects.

Cross-cultural therapeutic relationships pose a challenge to practitioners trained in traditional modes of counseling. Because of the increasing numbers of minority groups requiring mental health services, professionals must adapt and alter their orientation to the engagement process. This article explores the therapeutic relationship with African Americans, from the perspective of helpers of similar and different racial backgrounds. A guiding theoretical framework, sociocultural dissonance, explains the difficulties encountered by minority individuals as they struggle to conform to the demands of a bicultural existence. The concept is also aptly applied to the varied relationships (African American client and practitioner; African American client/white practitioner), exhibiting the effects of social dissonance and potential mediating forces.

The use of Rasch analysis to elicit the structure of depression was investigated. Responses from 102 African-American and white adolescents were evaluated using Rasch analysis. Responses from African-Americans and whites were compared to discern differences in the operational definition of depression for the two groups. How Rasch analysis can be used to increase the understanding of depression for African-Americans and other minority groups is discussed.

This article provides an ecological framework for understanding adolescent-initiated parent abuse. We review research on adolescent-initiated parent abuse, identifying sociodemographic characteristics of perpetrators and victims (e.g., gender, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status [SES]). Bronfenbrenner’s [1] ecological systems theory is applied, which examines the risk and protective factors for adolescent-initiated parent abuse within micro- (maltreatment, domestic violence, parenting behavior and disciplinary strategies), meso- (peer influence), exo- (media influence), macro- (gender role socialization), and chronosystem (change in family structure) levels. Findings from our review suggest that older and White children are significantly more likely to abuse their parents. Females are selective in the target of their aggression, while males target family members in general. Mothers are significantly more likely to be abused than fathers. However, researchers also report variations in the association between SES and parent abuse. Domestic violence and child maltreatment are risk factors, while findings on parenting behavior and disciplinary strategies are mixed. Peer influence, exposure to media violence, gender role socialization, and change in family structure can potentially increase the risk of parent abuse. Practice and research implications are also discussed. An ecological systems framework allows for an examination of how various contexts interact and influence parent abuse behavior, and can provide needed directions for further research.

The authors discuss the implications of the Preschool and Early Intervention Act (P.L. 99-457) and the requirement of an individual family service plan (IFSP) for the families of infants and toddlers at risk of developmental delays. The article addresses the needs of adolescent parents and their infants, in particular. Suggestions are made for conducting a comprehensive assessment that emphasizes the involvement of teen parents, their families, and the collaboration of an interdisciplinary team of professionals.

The authors analyze female alcoholics and consider the appropriateness of various theories for direct practice with this population. Criteria for the selection of theories to guide practice evolve from this analysis.

This article addresses the prevention of two social problems—premature parenthood and drug use among adolescents. A review of the salient literature on these problems as well as the literature on prevention suggests that a generic response is called for. Theories and perspectives such as social learning, cognitive behavioral, and ecological approaches, and knowledge of adolescent development are drawn upon to guide preventive efforts.

This study was conducted to determine whether depressive symptoms exist among behaviorally disordered (BD) pupils. Results indicate that the BD group exhibited symptoms of depression, as judged by themselves, teachers, and parents. Depressive symptoms increased with age, and those BD students in the self-contained special education program were significantly more depressed than those BD students who had been mainstreamed. Implications for assessment, intervention, and social work practice are drawn.

Intervening in the lives of children, adolescents, and their families is a challenging and dynamic process. Selecting evidence-based interventions that will help children and adolescents who are at risk for emotional and behavioral problems to confront diversity and promote resiliency is a critical task facing social workers across the child-serving systems. This chapter examines the development of evidence-based practices with children and adolescents at risk of emotional and behavioral problems, summarizes evidence-based practices that are currently being used across child-serving systems, explores the limitations of implementing evidence-based practice interventions, and discusses the implications for social work intervention practice with these children and adolescents. The evidence-based practices reviewed include child and family interventions (cognitive-behavioral therapy, parent management training models, and multidimensional therapeutic foster care) and school-wide, community interventions ( multisystemic therapy, brief strategic family therapy, Families and Schools Together, Strengthening Families Program and Project Achieve). Keywords: evidence-based child and adolescent interventions; social work interventions with children and adolescents; child emotional and behavioral health services; techniques for working with children; adolescents and families; child/adolescent risk and resiliency

Children who witness parental homicides are emotionally traumatized, stigmatized, and deeply scarred by a terrifying event. They often exhibit debilitating symptoms comparable to those of posttraumatic stress disorder. As attention is focused on the deceased and on the perpetrator of the crime, the child witnesses inadvertently become the neglected victims. A case report of two such children who observed their mother being murdered by their father is presented. Theories of psychosocial development and social learning guided the assessment and intervention phases. Behavioral and expressive therapeutic treatment strategies that helped the children work through the resultant anxiety and underlying grief are delineated, and family intervention practices that served to improve interaction and communication patterns are described. Further discussion focuses on the potential intergenerational cycle of violence and on a sociocultural perspective of family violence within an ecological framework.

This article, based on research and extensive practice experience, calls attention to the adolescent father and his family who are too frequently forgotten in our work with pregnant adoles...

Upon taking positions in the public schools, graduates of preservice preparation programs are expected to work together with a range of school-based professionals who share responsibility for the evaluation, identification, and instruction of pupils having mild learning and behavior problems, yet rarely are students in these various programs brought together at the preservice level to systematically study and practice the skills of collaboration. This paper presents a rationale for interdisciplinary instruction in collaboration at the preservice level and a series of validated instructional and evaluation activities designed to teach collaborative skills systematically throughout preservice programs in the school-based professions.

The issues of sexuality and premature parenthood with the background of the Black experience in the United States are discussed. According to a 1986 study, 40% of US girls get pregnant at least once before the age of 20. In 1981, 45% of teenage pregnancies were terminated, and in 1982, 46% of girls 14-19 years old had had sexual intercourse. The gap between Black and White adolescent women regarding sexual intercourse has essentially disappeared, indicating that the underlying causes of teenage pregnancy are social not racial. The costs of adolescent childbearing are huge: in 1985 the public cost was at least 16.65 million dollars. In response to this crisis, many states have been searching for effective solutions enlisting clinics, schools, and social service agencies. The Black church has been a central institution within the Black community, in the forefront of many social changes with the ability to mobilize congregations and the community. Therefore, the cooperation of social service agencies, community groups, and the religious community could be fruitful in preventing adolescent pregnancies and childbearing. Such a venture would first require understanding the processes of adolescent development, self-esteem, socialization, relationship building, gender differences in physical and psychological changes, and moral development. A 1986 Gallup poll showed that 74% of 13-15 year old youth said that religion was one of the most important influences in their lives, indicating that they would be perceptive to moral reasoning. However, the fear of genocide was significant among the Black population (39%) when birth control and family planning programs were mentioned. This had to do with their brutal treatment in the past and coercive sterilization proposals to reduce welfare rolls. To overcome such fears and still prevent adolescent pregnancy, the Black church should organize workshops for parents and adolescents about sexual development, birth control, and the consequences of sexual activity with a view to postponing sexual activity and parenthood.

There are considerable data documenting the devastating consequences of school age parenthood on the young mothers life and that of her child. Yet to deal effectively with the increasing incidence of adolescent sexuality more knowledge is necessary regarding the characteristics of young females who effectively use contraceptives and those who are sexually active without protection and become pregnant. Exploratory research focusing on these 2 groups was conducted to provide these data. Profiles of these 2 groups are offered and implications for social work intervention and family planning services are discussed. (authors modified)