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Car theft and joyriding are becoming increasingly common in regional areas of Australia. Whilst the consequences of these actions can be fatal, surprisingly little is known about the motivations for young people who engage in these behaviours. This exploratory study draws from 17 in-depth interviews that were conducted as part of a pilot intervention program aimed at adolescents either already engaged or susceptible to car theft and joyriding behaviours. The findings suggest that joyriding predominately attracts disenfranchised youth who lack opportunities for education, employment, and leisure. For these adolescents, joyriding emerges to counterbalance disadvantage and alleviate the monotony in their lives. Interviewees also provide suggestions for deterring joyriding, such as providing young people with occupational opportunities that allow them to serve as role models to themselves and others and adrenaline-based activities to replace the thrills of joyriding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth participation and activism are considered key factors in making the world a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable place. In line with this idea, in this work, we aim to understand how young people who actively participate in social organizations perceive the characteristics that define young 'mindchangers.' By this concept, we refer to a young citizen who is committed to social justice and willing to change society's mindsets and catalyse active participation among their peers. In our research design, we adopted a quantitative methodological approach using a survey procedure. The results reveal a high level of agreement on the traits that define a Mindchanger. We conclude by emphasizing that the characteristics to which young respondents attribute the highest importance, such as 'promoter of change', 'open-minded', 'interest in global issues', 'open to international solidarity' and 'empathy', appear to have the greatest influence on the likelihood of becoming a Mindchanger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study is the first to describe the validation of the Psychological Control Disrespect Scale (PCDS; Barber etal., 2012) with a large age-range of emerging adults, in an attempt to broaden the usage of the scale to late and post-adolescence population. The sample consisted of 364 participants (184 females and 179 males; 1 unknown sex), whose age ranged between 18 and 29 (M = 24.38, SD = 3.03). Subject to the exclusion of one item, the PCDS exhibited acceptable to good model-fit indices when used with emerging adults reporting on their mothers, and its psychometric properties were found to be principally equal across child's sex (i.e. respondent's sex measurement invariance). The PCDS also displayed good reliability indexes, including the first evidence of the scale's test–retest reliability. Finally, the PCDS was tested for convergent validity against conceptually corresponding parenting scales, which reinforced the scale's validity as a measure of maladaptive parenting construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing worldwide declines in adolescents' school belonging requires identifying factors to target in reversing this trend. We hypothesized that adolescents with higher levels of teacher connection and perspective-taking would have greater school belonging and that the joint association of both factors with school belonging would be more than additive. We analysed cross-sectional survey data from 15-year-olds in 62 countries (N = 392,096) collected in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment. Measures were expressed in standard deviation (SD) units. Based on regression models with both factors plus covariates, school belonging increased 0.12 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.13) units for a 1.00 SD increase in teacher connection and 0.09 units (95% CI: 0.08, 0.10) for a 1.00 SD increase in perspective-taking. The observed (joint) association of both factors with school belonging was 19.0% greater than the expected (additive) association. Efforts to increase teacher connection and perspective-taking could improve school belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the perceptions of students in Finnish vocational education and training (VET) institutions about the joy of studying in online learning environments. The data consisted of 290 students' answers to a survey and a thematic interview with eight students. The phenomenographic analysis revealed students' experiences of joy in practical learning using digital programmes, independent learning online, collaborative learning online, and working life-oriented online learning. Students experienced the joy of studying when the teacher was positive, supportive, and interested in the subject being taught and treated all students equally. Some students experienced the joy of studying when they could study with others, while others experienced joy alone, regardless of time and place. The research contributed a profound understanding of the joy of learning in different online learning environments, which helps develop teaching and learning in VET in a student-centred manner [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to family and school factors, adolescent academic performance can also be influenced by the surrounding peer groups. Based on the data from China Education Panel Studies (CEPS) between 2013 and 2014, this paper examined the association between peer deviant behaviour and adolescent academic performance. It is found that peer deviant behaviour negatively predicted adolescent academic performance, and the negative association between peer deviant behaviour and academic performance in migrant and school-boarding adolescents was obviously weaker than that in native and home-resident adolescents. This negative association was slightly reduced but still significant after controlling for potential selection bias. More peer deviant behaviours reduced adolescent academic performance by increasing their own deviant behaviours and reducing their own educational expectation. Therefore, it is necessary to guide peer behaviours and interactions and regulate adolescent deviant behaviours from a global perspective to avoid negative peer effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the roles of youth prosocial, self-interested and controlled motivations to comply with recommended protective behaviour during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We test the interrelations of awareness of COVID-19 cases in social network, risk perception, motivation and behaviour, via structural equation modelling on self-reported data from 1,265 undergraduate university students. Analysis identified prosocial motivation and self-interested motivation as equally strong for predicting young people's behaviour while controlled motivation revealed no association. The presence of known COVID-19 cases in social networks could differently affect perceived risks of disease and motivation to comply with protective measures. While awareness of severe consequences positively affects motivation, awareness of mild cases, in contrast, decreases perceived disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet provides opportunities for social interactions which first occur in an online environment that can lead to meeting up in real life. However, growing concerns around safety and privacy warrant greater study of this modern-day phenomenon. Using a longitudinal dataset of approximately 4,300 20-year-olds in Ireland, this study finds one-in-three report meeting someone from online. Multiple regression reveals that females are less likely to engage in such behaviour, while the trait of 'openness', spending more time on the internet, being non-heterosexual, using dating apps, and being sexually active at 17 years are positively associated. Early exposure to information and communication technologies, as indicated by mobile phone ownership at 9 years, is also associated with online-to-offline encounters. A range of policy considerations are discussed, including the continued need for education in e-safety and cyber safety awareness from a young age through young adulthood, particularly for groups such as LGBT communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental assets describe sources of individuals' experiences and supports that impact their developmental outcomes. Internal assets comprise youth skills, competencies, and self-perception, while external assets include support in youth contexts, empowerment, expectations and boundaries, as well as use of free time. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between developmental assets and risk behaviours, and if gender and educational stage have moderating roles in these relationships. The types of risk behaviours ranged from expressions of aggression to consumption of addictive substances. Upper secondary school and university students from Croatia (N = 728) reported internal and external developmental assets, and risk behaviours. Our results suggest that developmental assets have similar roles in protecting all students from risk behaviours, apart from expectations and boundaries, which seem to be more protective for boys. Furthermore, the results suggest that developmental assets have a stronger effect on upper secondary school students' risk behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the realm of sports psychology, aiming to investigate the intricate relationship between family dynamics and athlete nutrition within the context of the Saudi youth national team. Employing a descriptive research approach, a comprehensive questionnaire was administered, comprising three core dimensions: dietary intake assessment, the psychological impact of family dynamics, and individual beliefs regarding their influence on athlete nutrition. The questionnaire encompassed 28 statements and was administered to a sample of 90 players selected from the Saudi youth national team. From a sports psychology perspective, the study uncovers valuable insights. Firstly, it highlights the moderate impact of family dynamics as a social system on the dietary habits of Saudi youth national team players. It is evident that designated mealtimes serve as a crucial social gathering, wherein the family underscores the significance of adequate water consumption and the selection of nutritious foods. Remarkably, this study discerns no statistically significant differences at the 0.05 level concerning the relationship between family dynamics and sports nutrition, even when considering variables such as age and economic status among the Saudi youth national team players. In light of these sports psychology-oriented findings, it is recommended that future research endeavors within this domain explore the psychological aspects of how families support and influence athletes in maintaining their health, fitness, and physique through specific dietary regimens. This may include examining the familial dynamics and their psychological impact on athletes' adherence to nutritional guidelines. Moreover, it is imperative to consider the role of familial support in mitigating psychological stressors related to nutrition and its impact on athletic performance. The integration of sports psychology principles into nutritional counseling and education for athletes and their families could prove highly beneficial. By enhancing understanding and communication within the family unit, athletes may better navigate the challenges of adhering to optimal nutrition strategies. Consequently, this approach has the potential to bolster not only athletic performance but also the overall psychological wellbeing of athletes, ensuring they are better equipped to handle the pressures of competitive sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It's been more than two years and the world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has tested the health and education system of almost every country and has resulted in the worst crisis ever. Children and youths all over the world have suffered the most due to partial and or complete closure of schools and will remember this dramatic experience for the rest of their lives. The present review briefs some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education system and children and youths worldwide. The literature was searched from governmental, non-governmental agencies including UNICEF, UN, UNESCO, WHO, UNFPA, OECD, CARE, ITU, World Economic Forum, and many English peer-reviewed journals, using PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Science Direct databases. Literature from the COVID-19 pandemic onset till May 2022 about the impact of school closure on children and adolescents was searched. Present review observed that COVID-19 pandemic-related school closure has resulted in the loss of education for many students worldwide. They have lost a safe environment, the support of peers and teachers, and a source of nutrition. Though COVID-19 has many negative impacts on education, it has also opened innovative ways of teaching that will help in developing a better and student-friendly curriculum. School closure has not only disrupted the education of children and adolescents, but has also pushed them into poverty, malnutrition, mental illness, child marriages, teenage pregnancies, and sexual, physical, and emotional violence, which needs urgent attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a descriptive study of 21 cases of serial sexual murder by children and adolescents spanning nearly the past century and a half. No earlier cases worldwide were identified. Each of these youth committed two or more sexual homicides prior to age 18. Their psychopathological, psychosocial, crime scene behaviors, and offender–victim relationship characteristics are presented. Additionally, the role of sexual sadism and its measurement using the SADSEX‐SH rating scale is addressed. Nearly all of the sample had conduct disorder, a paraphilic disorder, and sadistic fantasies, and two‐thirds had sexual sadism disorder. Family dysfunction, serious school problems, and average or above IQ levels were typical. Their modus operandi generally reflected predatory behavior and direct contact methods of killing were most common. Two case reports are provided to illustrate the breadth and complexity of these offenders. Juvenile Serial Sexual Homicide is an extremely rare but persistent phenomenon. Prognostic implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents results of research on academic youth attitudes on love, intimacy, and infidelity in Poland. The research goal was to determine how modern adolescents define a relationship, what role is played in this regard by the sociocultural understanding of love they adopted, and how their ideas about relationship and love translate into faithfulness in the relationship. The research was conducted using quantitative methods with computer assisted (aided) web interviews on an Internet channel supervised by Lime-Survey system. The study was of an exploratory character; it used N = 621 of full questionnaires. Factor analysis enabled distinguishing three analytic areas: relationship, infidelity and causes of infidelity. Within every definitional range, the number of variables extracted from the question pool was reduced to two dimensions. In each case, the definitional variants clearly fit into a distinct dualism of cultural forms of love, which distinguished between romantic love and pure relationship. Young people's attitudes towards love and infidelity are full of contradictions and paradoxes. On the one hand, they look for romantic love, on the other, one can observe a need of sexual experiences and pleasures. Adolescents define infidelity in corporal terms, but they do not forget about its emotional aspect. Their opinions about infidelity point to a rather elusive nature of traditionally applying norms and prohibitions. What is crucial in this regard is the way the relationship is perceived and the strength of emotional involvement and ties binding the couple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework promotes a vision of youth based on their strengths. This paper is a review the Handbook of positive youth development. Advancing research, policy, and practice in global contexts. This review expands on the core themes of the Handbook by delving into challenges for PYD research as it moves forward to reach populations that have been systematically excluded from mainstream academia. It is proposed that the publication of this book, and its valuable contributions to youth research and policy, is a timely opportunity to highlight the mismatch between youth possibilities in developed and developing contexts, as it is the Handbook's aim to decrease the gap between mainstream and Global South youth psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is aimed towards guiding the reader along the road I have travelled towards realising the importance of generating South African theories on youth violence for improved violence prevention interventions. The article reflects important insights that I have developed on the way in which the predictability of violence is investigated. These insights revolve around the study of risk and protective factors, the development of models predicting the future occurrence of violence, and theories used to explain the development of youth violence. Challenges identified are that psychological mechanisms are not accounted for when working with risk and protective factors and predictive models, that youth violence is mostly studied under an umbrella term reflecting a collection of youth offences, and that some studies on violent behaviour separate violent behaviour from the context in which it took place. The solution presented is embedded in the generation of theory using the grounded theory methodology, with the aim to redress the challenges to better inform programme theories in prevention programmes for youth violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study seeks to evaluate the relationships between cannabis-related communication and outcomes of interest such as cannabis-related risk perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors among young adults. Young adults who were at risk for cannabis use were surveyed online in 2020. Results showed that exposure to online educational messages was associated with higher intentions of engaging in peer intervention, while exposure to online advertising was related to higher intention to use cannabis. Anti-cannabis interpersonal discussion was associated with increased risk perceptions, less favorable cannabis attitudes, and a higher likelihood of peer intervention. More pro-cannabis interpersonal discussion was associated with decreased risk perceptions, more favorable cannabis attitudes, higher use intention, and decreased likelihood of peer intervention. In addition, pro-cannabis interpersonal discussion mediated the relationship between exposure to advertising and cannabis risk perceptions, intentions to use cannabis, attitudes about cannabis, and the likelihood of peer intervention. In contrast, anti-cannabis interpersonal discussion mediated the relationship between exposure to educational messages online and cannabis risk perceptions and the likelihood of peer intervention. These findings underscore the need to regulate online cannabis marketing and the importance of investing in online education campaigns to increase public understanding of the risks associated with cannabis consumption in young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having established students' life values, the role of religion in its structure, it is possible to predict the future development of society. The purpose of this study is to analyse the religious value orientations influence on student society and to determine the influence nature of religious orientations in the system of value orientations on the daily behaviour of students. This study is based on the research of students' religious orientations in the Tyumen region conducted in 2021. The study was conducted in the context of a basic long-term research of the student's value priorities in the Tyumen region. The methodological basis of the research is the key provisions of social philosophy, sociology and psychology of religion, sociology of personality, sociology of youth and social psychology. Based on the results of an empirical study, the authors characterised the religiosity of the modern youth and determined the impact nature of religious orientations on everyday behaviour. The practical significance of the study is that the empirical data obtained can be used by civil society to prevent the spread of radical religious ideas among students, to involve the data in the activities of organisations dealing with extremism. The results obtained in the course of the study allow developing interaction projects between universities, student associations, and religious associations in the implementation of numerous state youth policy areas, which sets the "possible impact" boundaries of religious associations on cooperation with students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately identify youth at risk for suicide, it remains crucial to explore the interplay of risk factors that predict suicidal behavior. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore whether social functioning, a putative risk factor, would be positively associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in youth with a history of suicide attempts. Additionally, it was postulated that poor social functioning would mediate the relation between depression, anxiety symptoms, and a higher frequency of suicidal ideation among this population. A sample of youth (ages 10–17) with a history of suicide attempts was recruited for this study (N = 507) from three behavioral health clinics in Georgia. Data from this study consisted of questionnaires and clinician-based ratings collected on electronic medical records. Results supported the hypothesis that there is a positive correlation between poor social functioning, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, social functioning mediated the relation between these symptoms and a higher frequency of suicidal ideation. Given the findings of this study, it bears importance to explore how social functioning may impact the onset of suicidal ideation and behavior broadly in youth at risk for suicide. Perhaps designing interventions that improve social functioning among youth with symptoms and anxiety and depression will mitigate future suicide risk. Highlights: Poor social functioning mediates the relation between symptoms of anxiety and depression and suicidal ideation. Recognizing poor social functioning as a risk factor for suicide can aid in more effective prediction and intervention. Effective interventions for poor social functioning should target symptoms of anxiety and depression as these constructs are related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous research has shown that deliberative discussions have consequences for intergroup attitudes, very little is known about this impact during the formative adolescent years. In addition, the mechanism explaining the mechanism through which discussions affect intergroup attitudes is not clear. This 3-wave study of Swedish adolescents (N = 892, 51.1% girls, MageT1 = 13.41, nested in 35 classrooms) examined the role of teacher-initiated political discussions in the classroom for the development of youth attitudes toward immigrants. The results of multilevel analysis showed that adolescents who perceived political discussions to be less frequent increased in anti-immigrant attitudes compared to youth with more frequent discussions. Similarly, classrooms with less deliberative atmosphere were more negative toward immigrants than classrooms with a higher frequency of discussions, and this effect remained two years after the students moved to new schools. Mediation analysis revealed that general political interest (but not news consumption) explained the effects of classroom discussions on attitudes: Youth who perceived that their teachers frequently initiate political discussions developed higher general political interest and, in turn, lower anti-immigrant attitudes than youth with less frequent discussions. The findings show an important role of classroom political discussions for the formation of intergroup attitudes in adolescence. The findings suggest that frequent discussions reduce the risk of prejudice development by stimulating youth general political interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously published work suggests that marginalized Japanese youth have psychologies that deviate from interdependent self‐orientations. To test whether this pattern extends to an independent self‐construal, two previous experiments originally conducted in Japan were replicated in the United States. In Study 1, risk of marginalization was measured among 109 American undergraduates according to a previously developed measure. As expected, high‐risk American undergraduates were less independent. That is, they were less motivated by success than by failure compared to low‐risk American undergraduates. Similarly, in Study 2 with 144 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) Americans, high‐risk American MTurkers were, again, less independent. That is, they were less motivated to maintain the perception of self‐consistency in their behaviours compared to the low‐risk American MTurkers. Furthermore, American MTurkers who were classified as "high risk" were also living more precarious lives in the U.S. Across cultures, the patterns of results were reversed due to opposing cultural norms according to predominant self‐construal. Thus, the tendency to be marginalized in society seems to predict the tendency to have culturally deviant psychologies: this pattern seems to be generalizable across both an interdependent society like Japan and an independent society like the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical consciousness has been linked to a range of positive outcomes, particularly among marginalized youth; yet, evidence on its developmental antecedents remains limited. The current study examines whether arts participation is associated with positive change in critical consciousness, and whether these associations differ by youth's social group status. The sample consisted of high school youth (N = 2537; 10% Latinx, 7% Multiracial; 4% Black; 5% Asian; 72% White; 2% Other; 53% Female; Mage = 15.69; age range = 10–20). The results showed that youth with higher arts participation demonstrate higher growth in critical reflection and action, adjusting for baseline critical consciousness, other types of extracurricular participation, and demographic characteristics. The association between arts participation and critical action was significantly stronger for youth of color than for white youth, and the association between arts participation and critical reflection was marginally significantly stronger for white youth than for youth of color. These findings suggest that it is crucial to extend opportunities for arts involvement to all students, and to expand the ways in which arts involvement can promote critical consciousness for youth of varying dimensions of oppression and privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While studies on youth's purpose have flourished in the last two decades, the work was mostly cross-sectional and derived from Western settings. This research examined the developmental trajectories of purpose exploration and commitment of Taiwanese youth during middle adolescence, with a focus on how they associate with youth's psychological functioning in terms of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms and whether social support moderates such development. A total of 369 vocational high school students in Taiwan (45% females; Mage = 15.82 years) participated in a four-wave study spanning two years with a one-semester interval. The results of piecewise growth curve modeling in the context of structural equation modeling suggested that purpose commitment increased over 10th grade, decreased initially in 11th grade, and then continued to increase. Purpose exploration similarly increased over 10th grade, but after the initial 11th grade dip remained stable. In addition to the higher initial levels, the steeper the rate of purpose exploration and commitment ascent and the slighter the rate of reduction predicted enhanced youth life satisfaction. The trajectory of purpose commitment also predicted reduced depressive symptoms, but such effects did not occur for purpose exploration. Moreover, multi-group analyses revealed that the more family, teacher, and peer support youth perceived, the more likely youth explored and committed to purpose over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether playing video games with prosocial content has an influence on empathy among players remains contentious in the research literature. Some evidence suggests playing cooperatively with other gamers enhances empathy, but data have not conclusively linked prosocial content with empathy. Further, mechanisms of this potential relationship are unclear, and little work has been conducted on how cognitive skills, such as fluid reasoning, may mediate this relationship. The current study examines these relationships with a large sample of 3034 youth (27.2% female, Mage = 11.2; range 8–17 at time 1) in Singapore. Data were considered longitudinally across two years in three waves. Ultimately, no evidence emerged that prosocial content in video games had any impact on empathy related outcomes, nor was fluid reasoning a mediator variable for any relationship. However, variables such as social competence and depression and anxiety symptoms were highly related to empathy measures. This evidence adds to the growing debate in the field that video games may not dramatically alter, whether positively or negatively, the development of emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artwork created by children can effectively communicate science content, especially for topics that are of universal concern for the public but may cause apprehension, like climate change. This commentary describes artwork from a youth art contest about climate change in which the winning art was displayed on public buses. Young artists learned about climate science while creating images that adults and youth easily engaged with in public spaces. Thus, we suggest that connecting youth with science through art, and then using youth-generated art to engage the general public in science learning can be an effective vehicle for science communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates both natural mentoring and family factors such as parental support are beneficial for the psychological wellbeing of youth. Despite the existing evidence on the benefits of natural mentoring and parental support, there has been little evidence that considers the simultaneous influence of these factors on the depressive symptoms among Black youth. Guided by Keller's systemic model of mentoring, we investigated the influence of mother support and the characteristics of natural mentoring relationships on depressive symptoms among Black youth. We used nationally representative data of Black youth from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 2344). The findings indicate that both mentor bonding and mother support were significant predictors of depressive symptoms among Black youth. However, mother support was positively associated with depressive symptoms and mentor bonding was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of natural mentors in the lives of Black youth and suggest they may be useful in alleviating depressive symptoms. Highlights: Investigated the influence of mother support and natural mentoring relationships on depressive symptoms among Black youth. Both natural mentoring and mother support were significant predictors of depressive symptoms among Black youth, surprisingly mother support was positively associated with depressive symptoms for Black youth. Findings highlight the importance of a close relationship between natural mentors in alleviating depressive symptoms for Black youth. The association between natural mentoring and depressive symptoms varied by the mentor's gender. Positive perceived general health does not always equate to positive psychological health for Black youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In what follows, the author directs attention to one slice of pandemic life and its interplay across the emotional geographies of childhood, parenthood, work-life balance, lockdowns, stress, mental health, and youth sport, for it is in these private if banal moments that the "everyday" experiences of the pandemic are made real—and reveal the tensions and dilemmas that individuals tried to negotiate—to differing levels of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a crucial life course phase for identity formation, and youths' gender ideologies significantly predict gendered behaviours and longer-term transitions. With Western post-industrial societies becoming more culturally diverse, the present study provides novel cross-nationally comparative evidence on gender socialisation processes among native and immigrant youth in Sweden, Germany, England, and the Netherlands, which vary in gender and migration policies and cultures. In addition to parents' gender ideologies, the study also considers classmates' gender ideologies as factors shaping 14-year-old adolescents' gender ideologies. The analysis draws on 5917 adolescent-parent dyads from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study which we link with country-level gender empowerment measures from the United Nations. Remarkably, with the exception of native female adolescents in England and Germany, parents tend to report slightly more egalitarian beliefs than adolescents across the four countries. OLS regressions show that parents' and classmates' gender ideologies correlate significantly with adolescents' ideologies, with little variation across gender and immigrant groups in all four countries. From a policy and practical point of view, the great similarity in the intergenerational transmission of gender beliefs across diverse family backgrounds as well as cultural and policy contexts seem remarkable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of developmental trajectories of depression are important for understanding depression etiology. Existing studies have been limited by short time frames and no studies have explored a key factor: differential patterns of responding to life events. This article introduces a novel analytic technique, growth mixture modeling with structured residuals, to examine the course of youth depression in a large, prospective cohort (N = 11,641, ages 4–16.5, 96% White). Age‐specific critical points were identified at ages 8 and 13 where depression symptoms spiked for a minority of children. Most depression risk was due to dynamic responses to environmental events, drawn not from a small pool of persistently depressed children, but a larger pool of children who varied across higher and lower symptom levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial/ethnic disparities in depression exist among youth in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine if parental support trajectories in adolescence explain the relationship between race/ethnicity and depressive symptom trajectories in adulthood. A two-step longitudinal parallel process analysis with multigroup structural equation modeling was conducted with a nationally representative sample of youth (N = 5300; 48.5% female; M = 13.33 (Range:12–15) years at baseline). While parental support trajectories did not mediate the relationship between race/ethnicity and depressive symptoms, parental support trajectories were related to depressive symptom trajectories in adulthood. Immigrant generation status also moderated the relationship between race/ethnicity and depressive symptom trajectories. The results demonstrate the impact of parental support on later mental health outcomes regardless of race/ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the pillars of legal socialization theory is how non‐legal contexts shape the legitimacy of and compliance with laws. Yet there is little longitudinal evidence establishing the interface mechanism between these spheres. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate how youths' beliefs in a just world (BJW) can help explain the transmission between the justice of non‐legal authorities (parents and schools) and law legitimacy and rule violating behavior (RVB). We utilized two waves of longitudinal data from adolescents at ages 13 and 14 (N = 680) in the São Paulo Legal Socialization Study. Structural equation modeling revealed a good fit to the tested model that parental procedural justice and school justice predict both personal and general BJW, and these predict law legitimacy evaluations 1 year later. General and personal BJW also had an indirect effect on RVB over the following year via law legitimacy. The results suggest that non‐legal authorities may influence law legitimacy not through a direct projection (which was not significant), but through an indirect process of worldview construction. Legal socialization and just world belief research can converge to help explain the interface between non‐legal and legal spheres of authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine parental responses to transgender and gender nonconforming [TGNC] youths' gender identities and explore associations of parent support with parental abuse, depressive symptoms, and LGBT-identity disclosure stress. TGNC youth (N = 129), ages 15–21 (M = 18.00, SD = 1.74), completed surveys (2011–2012); experiences of transfeminine (TF; n = 58) and transmasculine (TM; n = 71) youth were analyzed separately. Among mothers of TF youth, 42.0% of initial and 45.3% of current responses were positive; among fathers, 30.0% of initial and 36.0% of current responses were positive. Among mothers of TM youth, 26.0% of initial and 53.3% of current responses were positive; among fathers, 24.0% of initial and 44.6% of current responses were positive. Among TM youth, higher levels of parental support were associated with more positive responses from mothers and fathers. Among both TF and TM youth, greater parent support was associated with less parental abuse, depressive symptoms, and LGBTQ-identity disclosure stress. Parental responses to youths' gender identities became more positive with time for TF youth; however, approximately 50% of all TGNC youth continued to experience minority stress related to parent rejection. Limitations and implications for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many youth struggle to determine their role and cope with overwhelming emotions and imaginative dystopias around combatting climate catastrophe and capitalist greed. In this time when many marginalised youth feel assured of immediate and distant threat, it is vital for applied theatre practitioners and educators to nurture critical hope as a means to stymy helplessness. The author offers 'ethnodrama of projectivity' as a pedagogical method that utilises research-based drama as a modality for developing both informed representations of potential futures and strategies that may be implemented to achieve them, rooted in criticality, experiential knowledge of marginalised groups, and hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing recognition that research and implementation projects should be carried out "with" or "by" young people with chronic conditions, instead of "about" or "for" them. The current study aimed to explore how young people with chronic conditions experience their involvement in a participatory youth panel. This panel was a structural part of a three-year program addressing the social position of young people with chronic conditions in the Netherlands. It hosted 45 research and implementation projects to improve the social position of young people with chronic conditions in five areas: care, school, work, sport, and personal strength. Output from these projects were, for example, a tool to improve self-management, an evidence-based method to facilitate the transition to adult-care, and a digital platform about performing physical activity with a disability. During the program, six focus groups consisting of four to eleven panel members were conducted. The transcripts were analysed using the principles of thematic analysis. The results show panel members took part in multiple projects and activities, such as assessing project applications, evaluating the progress of projects and organizing a political lobby. They were enthusiastic about their role in the panel. The structural nature of the panel enabled them to achieve personal growth and professionalization of their participation. Consequently, panel members experienced an increasing impact on the program and separate projects, and on national politics. Therefore, it is suggested that a structural form of participation, such as a participatory panel, is suitable to facilitate meaningful participation of young people with chronic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first evaluation of Hopeful Minds: a novel school-based mental health promotion programme designed for children and pre-adolescents. Ten hope theory-based lessons were assessed. A mixed-methodology design was used with a sample of 127 participants (88 pre/post; 39 focus groups), aged 8–13 years. In the pre/post-study, there were significant improvements in anxiety and emotional regulation levels (primary school), coping and resilience levels (post-primary). Focus groups were conducted with three post-primary groups. The key overarching qualitative themes included developing a hopeful mind; increased emotional insight and awareness; improved resilience, confidence, self-belief, and developing new coping skills and a request to provide the programme to all transitioning primary school children. Outcomes provide preliminary evidence indicating that the Hopeful Minds programme, which utilises 'Hope theory' as it's foundation, has potential in preventing the development of mental health issues in pre and early adolescent children. Recommendations include adopting a whole school approach, include additional lessons on rumination and academic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are expectations for parents to provide their children with emotional, social and economic security and predictability. Parents with a substance use disorder (SUD) are often unable to meet the norms and expectations of good parenting, and their children are vulnerable to developing problems with mental health, social relationships and substance use. Through in-depth interviews, the authors explored five young people's stories about protection factors during their childhood around parents with SUD. The interviews were analysed using a narrative approach in accordance with Polkinghorne's concept of the paradigmatic analysis of narrative data. In the informants' stories about their childhood, safe living conditions, significant relationships and respectful and caring conversations with professionals were interpreted as important protective and supportive factors. The findings are discussed within sociocultural theories about parenthood, family life, and how people create meaning from and coherence of experiences and events through narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-harm continues to be a growing concern within adolescence and is a globally recognised public health and social problem. Adolescents living in the community who self-harm are extremely common however less is known about these young people. This study focussed on capturing the voice of young people who engage in cutting behaviour to provide insight into the risks associated with this phenomenon. Single semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 adolescents aged 16–18 years who lived within one Trust area in Northern Ireland. Thematic analysis was applied to the transcribed interviews in which themes emerged. The three subordinate themes of onset, persistence and ending of the behaviour encompassed six sub-themes which were further identified as risk factors for the behaviour. Risk factors identified were: ACE's, poor relationships and difficulties in support networks, exposure to self-harm, psychological issues, "addiction" to self-harm, concealment of harming behaviour—to control and professional and peer support that helps or hinders. These factors support the current literature base however individual and diverse explanations are highlighted which provide further depth, particularly around the concept of addiction and support that hinders young people. Despite the small nature of the study, recommendations for social work practice, clinical practice and other relevant professional practice as well as future research are considered in view of the findings. Key direction outlines the importance of building trusting relationships, continuity of care and continuing to listen to young people as vital to the helping relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framed within an ecological perspective of the onset of adolescent problem behaviors, the current study explored the joint role of parent-adolescents' relationships and youth's individual factors in binge eating and drinking. Firstly, in line with pieces of research highlighting the beneficial impact of effective parenting on youth development, the present paper sought to enhance the knowledge about the positive influence of parental monitoring on youth's binge drinking and eating. Moreover, since literature evidenced that the explanatory mechanisms of the association between parental monitoring and binge behaviors are not fully explored, the study focused on the potential intervening role of sensation seeking and life satisfaction as mediators. The study design was cross-sectional and self-report questionnaires were administered among a population of 944 high school students (M = 16.35, SD = 1.31) living in Palermo (Italy). Path analysis showed that parental monitoring was directly and negatively related to both binge eating and binge drinking. Moreover, sensation seeking negatively mediated the relationships between parental monitoring and both binge behaviors, whereas life satisfaction only mediated between parental monitoring and binge eating. The current study provided data useful to understand the complex interrelations between intrapersonal (life satisfaction and personality trait, i.e. sensation seeking) and contextual factors (parent–child relationships) that may discourage or cause eating and alcohol use disorders among youth. Finally, implications for parents and practitioners working with youngsters were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As U.S. policy and practice further constrains the prevalence of residential treatment for youth with emotional and behavior challenges, treatment foster care (TFC) placements are expected to expand and serve challenging youth who were previously receiving group care placement. Treatment foster parents play an essential role in the delivery of TFC and its potential to be a transformative and healing environment for youth. Using qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews from 23 experts in TFC practice as well as more general child welfare training and implementation science, this paper seeks to build knowledge around the training and support needs of TFC parents from the perspectives of TFC experts. Findings suggest the importance of TFC parents viewing themselves as treatment providers and not just parents. They need to have competencies specific to working as a member of a treatment team, knowledge of public systems, and skills to manage youth challenging behaviors. Best practices in equipping TFC parents should follow adult learning principles that focus on experiential learning with peer support and ongoing coaching or reinforcement. Highlights: Treatment foster care (TFC) parents are more than just caregivers, they are also essential treatment providers. TFC parents need behavioral management skills and behavioral health competencies. TFC parent trainings should include experiential learning, peer support, and coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimated prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is consistently higher in males than females. Gender differences in ASD have long been debated and are influenced by the historical period and source of the sample. The current study reports gender differences in core symptoms, associated features, and treatment response in 682 youth (585 males, 97 females) with ASD. The sample included participants (mean = 7.4 years; range 3–17 years) from six federally-funded, multisite, randomized clinical trials. These trials collected the same measures of social disability, repetitive behavior, adaptive skills, disruptive behavior, and anxiety pretreatment and used the Improvement scale of the Clinical Global Impression at study endpoint. Exploratory analyses yielded no differences between males and females across numerous pre-treatment measures. The rate of positive response was 49.7% for males and 53.6% for females (Chi square = 0.50; p = 0.48). In this sample of convenience, youth with ASD clinical characteristics and response to treatment showed no significant gender differences. Highlights: This study is the first analysis of gender differences in a large sample of treatment-seeking youth with ASD. Participants included 682 youth with ASD enrolled in six multisite clinical trials. No differences were found between males and females with ASD across pre-treatment characterizing measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth initiated mentoring is a hybrid approach that empowers youth to identify and recruit natural mentors, potentially combining the strengths of informal mentoring relationships with the infrastructure and support provided by formal mentoring programs. This meta-analytic review examined the association between youth-initiated programs and youth outcomes across four domains: academic and vocational functioning, social-emotional development, physical health, and psychosocial problems. Results indicated that youth-initiated programs are significantly associated with positive youth outcomes. There was a small-to-medium effect size of g = 0.30 for youth-initiated programs overall, which was based on 14 studies with 11 independent samples (3594 youth and 169 effect sizes) from 2006 to 2019. The effect size was somewhat larger (g = 0.40) when controlling for possible selection bias, and was moderated by participant gender and year of publication. Implications for theory and practice regarding this relatively new approach to mentoring are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment and monitoring of chronic suicidal and homicidal risk are necessary components of care within youth behavioral health clinics. Few standardized assessments or guidelines exist to help clinicians designate youth chronic risk status. The current study presents the Assessment of Chronic Risk in Youth (ACRY), a newly developed instrument that contains empirically supported risk and protective factors and guides clinicians in assessing chronic risk status over time. This study aimed to (a) examine the instrument's validity against an expert consensus, (b) measure interrater reliability, and (c) examine associations between each risk and protective factor and risk classification. The ACRY was completed on 111 youth (ages 6–20 years, 67% female) within an outpatient clinic. The ACRY achieved excellent interrater reliability and high sensitivity and specificity against expert consensus ratings. Significant associations between several risk factors and total number of risk factors with higher-risk classifications were found. Active suicidal ideation, intent, and plan were significantly associated with high risk classification. Passive suicidal ideation, hospitalization, emergency room visits, nonsuicidal self-injury, perceived burdensomeness, high-risk behaviors, impulsivity, and substance use differentiated high from low, and moderate from low-risk classification. Greater number of risk factors was associated with higher risk categorization. Self-esteem and connection to family were significantly more likely in low-risk versus moderate-risk individuals. The ACRY is a promising new clinical and administrative tool that systematically and reliably documents chronic risk in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated how patterns of mothers' depressive symptoms across their child's childhood relate to children's psychosocial adjustment at adolescence and young adulthood and to cognitive functioning at adolescence. Depressive symptoms were measured in 1273 mothers when their children were 1, 5, 10, and 14.6 years of age. Children (53.5% male; n = 1024) completed the Youth Self-Report at adolescence (M = 14.6 y), and the Adult Self-Report in young adulthood (M = 20.5 y; n = 817) to assess internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Adolescents also completed standardized cognitive tests to assess verbal and mathematical skills. Growth mixture modeling analyses identified four patterns of maternal depressive symptom trajectories: infrequent (55%), increasing at adolescence (20%), decreasing at adolescence (14%), and chronic severe (11%). Results indicated that exposure to maternal depression of any duration, severity or time period during childhood portended higher levels of externalizing and attention problems at both adolescence and adulthood and higher levels of internalizing problems at adulthood. Adolescents whose mothers had chronic severe depressive symptoms had lower language, vocabulary, reading comprehension and mathematical test scores than youth whose mothers had stable infrequent depressive symptoms. Findings illustrate the significance and long-term ramifications of mothers' depressed mood for their children's mental and psychosocial health into adulthood. Findings also demonstrate that the lower cognitive abilities among children of severely depressed mothers persist beyond childhood and pertain to a broad range of cognitive abilities. Highlights: 1 in 10 Chilean mothers experienced frequent depression throughout their child's childhood. Adolescents whose mothers had chronic severe depression had more frequent internalizing problems than other groups. Exposure to maternal depression of any severity or duration during childhood portended worse adjustment at adulthood. Chronic severe maternal depression related to adolescents' poorer verbal and math abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the current study was to examine the role number of children in a family has on the discrepancy between mother- and teacher-reported externalizing problems. A total of 243 youth and mothers (Mage = 9.92 ± 2.84 years; age range: 8–16 years; 129 males and 114 females) presented for a psychological evaluation. Behavioral reports were gathered from the Child-Behavior Checklist and the Teacher Rating Form. A factorial analysis of variance first tested for mean-level discrepancies between informant reports across four sibling groups. Next, a polynomial regression analysis tested rank-order discrepancies as a function of sibling groups. Results indicated that mother-teacher mean-level discrepancies did not differ as a function of the number of children in the household. In contrast, rank-order discrepancies did differ across sibling groups; mothers with fewer children had higher congruence with teacher-reported externalizing problems. Overall, mother-teacher rank-order agreement was greatest when the child was an only child and decreased modestly with the first and each additional sibling. We discuss these findings in light of previous literature and provide direction for future literature examining mother-teacher informant discrepancies. Highlights: The number of children in a family is related to differences in mother- and teacher-reported externalizing problems. Rank-order discrepancies differed across sibling groups; mothers with fewer children had highest congruence with teacher-report. Mother-teacher rank-order agreement was greatest when the child was an only child, decreasing with each additional sibling. Mean-level mother-teacher discrepancies did not differ as a function of the number of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluated the factor structure, internal consistency reliability, construct and criterion validity, and measurement invariance of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) among adolescents. Method: Participants (N = 539) included three distinct samples of youth drawn from two outpatient psychology clinics and an inpatient psychiatric unit. The combined sample was 63.3% female and had a mean age of 14.95 years (SD = 1.31 years). All participants completed the INQ as well as measures of depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the removal of three items from the thwarted belongingness subscale of the INQ was needed to achieve acceptable model fit. The resulting combined 12‐item scale demonstrated good factor structure, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and criterion validity. The modified 12‐item INQ also demonstrated scalar invariance across subgroups defined by sex, race, and age. Conclusions: Findings support the use of this reduced 12‐item version of the INQ among adolescents. Youth may have difficulty accurately responding to changes in item valence; thus, future research with youth should consider using a 12‐item version of the INQ that avoids valence changes within subscales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has documented that a significant portion of youth are exposed to bias victimization. However, less is known about whether experiencing certain types of bias victimization (e.g., sexual orientation bias) is more or less likely to be related to a more extensive bias victimization history (i.e., experiencing multiple types of bias victimization) and whether exposure to multiple types of bias victimization explains any relationships between specific types of bias victimization and negative outcomes. To address these gaps, the current study explores relationships between exposure to multiple types of bias-motivated victimization, trauma symptomatology and perceived social support. Participants were 854 youth and young adults (60.9% female) from three higher risk communities who completed a survey on personal experiences with bias-related victimization. The average age of participants was 16.6 years; 28.5% of the sample described themselves as Black or African American; 13.4% as Hispanic or Latino (any race); 45.3% as White, and 12.8% as another race. Sixty-nine percent of the sample described their sexual orientation as heterosexual; 8.9% as gay, lesbian, or homosexual; 12.5% as bisexual; and 9.5% as another sexual orientation. Sixty-three percent of participants reported at least one type of bias victimization in their lifetime, and more than one in three youth (38.7%) experienced two or more types of bias victimization in their lifetimes (18.1% two types, 12.1% three types, and 8.5% four or more types). Experiencing multiple types of bias victimization was related to higher trauma symptomatology and less perceived social support. Experiencing multiple types of bias victimization attenuated or eliminated the association between individual types of bias victimization and well-being. The findings contribute to a growing body of research demonstrating the damaging mental health effects of occupying multiple marginalized statuses, and points to the cumulation of bias victimization experiences as an important factor contributing to significant differences in well-being and support among youth and young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing national and international concern about the mental health of children and young people, and in countries such as England there is now a political and policy commitment to developing whole-school approaches to mental health. This paper presents new evidence on how pupils' mental health is being addressed in schools using learning activities associated with physical education, sport and physical activity, as part of a school-based sport- and mental health-themed programme ('Tackling the Blues') for pupils aged 6–16 years old in north-west England. In particular, we examine how pupil-centred learning activities have been used in weekly multi-sport activity sessions and related classroom-based workshops, and draw upon insight from 29 focus groups to explore pupils' (n = 116) mental health awareness and associated socio-emotional learning (SEL). The learning activities led pupils to focus on the impact personal relationships with family and friends, feelings and emotions, and experiences of stress, anger and entrapment can have on mental health. It is argued that embedding socially relevant learning activities into the content, organisation and delivery of school curricula may help improve pupils' sense of enjoyment, participation and achievement which are important for enhancing their knowledge and awareness of mental health, and developing SEL. However, we conclude that the effectiveness of whole-school approaches also depends, perhaps to a greater degree, on the wider educational systems in which schools are located and especially the widening social, economic and health inequalities which have profound impacts on child development, educational and other outcomes, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to distinguish groups of believers according to the type of religiosity. This investigation is based on the personal approach and focuses on the problem of differentiation of groups of religious personalities who are young. Psychodiagnostic research was carried out only in the classrooms designated of the educational institutions. Based on the analysis of western literature, the differences between the types of religiosity of young believers ("quasi-religious," "moderately religious," "truly religious") were determined. Procedure of hierarchical cluster analysis allowed indicating empirical referents of the concept "type of religiosity". The differences between the groups were empirically confirmed, using the method of psychodiagnostic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with David Wallace-Wells, editor for New York Magazine is presented . Topics include the questions he addressed through his work related to the future of the climate both at new york magazine and in his book "The Uninhabitable Earth", his prediction of life in case of failure to mitigation of global warming, and existential dread about climate change in younger generations.