Search

Using two survey datasets–the Korean American Families (KAF) Project and the Cross Cultural Families (CCF) Project, this study examined how perceived racial discrimination influences depressive symptoms and school outcomes among Asian American adolescents, and what factors mediate the association between perceived discrimination and youth outcomes. The KAF Project surveyed Korean American (KA) youth in Midwest (n = 220), and the CCF Project surveyed Cambodian American (CA) youth (n = 164), and Vietnamese American (VA) youth (n = 163) in a Pacific Northwest school district. Using Structural Equation Modeling, the results revealed perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms for KA and VA youths, but school misbehavior only for CA youth. Among KA youth, perceived discrimination was positively associated with ethnic identity, in turn positively related to social support, thereby reducing depressive symptoms. Among CA and VA youths, perceived discrimination was not associated with ethnic identity, but ethnic identity was related to social support, which in turn was associated with lower depressive symptoms, less school misbehaviors and better grades. This study offers insights into the way in which perceived racial discrimination may exert an impact on children's mental health and school outcomes and how the mechanisms that explain this relationship vary across AA subgroups. The findings of this study highlight the need for sustained research in the future to advance research and practice for AA groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School climate is an important part of school improvement efforts, capturing student engagement, connectedness, safety, and relationships. A positive school climate is associated with more prosocial behaviors, academic achievement, reduced engagement in risky behaviors, teacher retention, and reduced burnout. With growing interest and attention to the research of social and emotional learning (SEL), the definitions and conceptualizations of social and emotional learning have expanded significantly across the past few decades. Understanding the intersection between students' identities, their educational experiences and their academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes is a necessary precursor to being able to strategically and systematically identify and implement universal and targeted supports to meet the overlapping and unique needs of students. To achieve true equity in education, interventions supporting the needs of all students, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds must be identified and appropriately vetted. A transnational understanding of the structural patterns and the association between these variables is critical for both the development of culturally sensitive SEL and bullying prevention programs and the transnational adaptation and applications of effective programs that promote a positive school climate. Articles featured in this special issue advance transdisciplinary and translational research by contributing high-quality studies focusing on the impact of bullying and/or SEL programs and interventions on school climate. These articles bridge the research-to-practice gap, including empirical papers with important implications for theory, research, practice, and policy. Impact Statement Promoting school climate and social and emotional learning are important to support student success at school and beyond. Transdisciplinary and transnational research provides valuable information to understand and implement supports that are culturally sensitive and responsive. While school climate and social and emotional learning are often studied separately, both are necessary for students to thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth involved in multiple systems, such as special education, juvenile justice, and foster care, often face complex challenges. Professionals inherently contribute to youth outcomes by supporting multisystem-involved youth. Through interviews, we explored the perspectives of a special education teacher, a school resource officer, a school administrator, and a youth parole supervisor to understand their perceived influence on youth. We synthesized these perspectives to identify the patterns of connection between the overlapping works of these professionals. A grounded theory model is provided as a result of data analysis to efficiently illustrate the connection of conceptual insights shared. These include expected outcomes, professional successes, youth agency, and contextual factors. These elements converge to demonstrate how professionals' influence on youth outcomes develops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis meta-analysis aimed to examine the effectiveness of interventions for youth that activate the social network for improving youth outcomes (e.g. psychological problems, child safety). A literature search yielded 37 studies with 35 independent samples (N = 712,269) of youth aged 0-26 years (M = 7.20), and 409 effect sizes. A three-level meta-analysis controlling for the dependency among effect sizes within studies showed no overall effect of interventions activating the social network (d = 0.11, p = .241). Yet, moderator analyses revealed positive effects for youth-initiated mentoring interventions (d = 0.46), youth deciding who to involve (d = 0.52), interventions that involve only one person (d = 0.56), European samples (d = 0.40), interventions targeting youth with mental health needs (d = 0.75), data retrieved through questionnaires (d = 0.10) and official records (d = 0.14), assessments completed by professionals (d = 0.34) or parents (d = 0.17), and outcomes that were corrected for pretest differences between conditions (d = 0.27). This meta-analysis demonstrates that social network activation matters for intervention effectiveness under specific conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study used secondary data of urban youth to explore parental approaches as predictors of positive youth development among a group of 182 African American youth. This study aimed to examine how parental approaches (maternal and paternal encouragement and monitoring) predict prosocial behaviors (aspirations, self-efficacy, emotional restraint, and social responsibility) among a sample of African American youth residing in public housing. The regression analysis revealed three significant models. Overall, the results suggest that maternal monitoring and encouragement are essential for positive outcomes for African American youth in the context of urban public housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Inventory of Youth Adaptation to Loss (IYAL) was developed to understand the feelings and social supports experienced by bereaved youth to develop an evidence-base for bereavement interventions. The sample included 400 youth ages 9–17, permitting robust psychometric testing of the IYAL. To evaluate the reliability of the IYAL, the sample framework was national in scope, encompassed a range of different types of youth bereavement programs, and purposively sought diversity in the sample. Exploratory factor analysis identified five factors with distinct sub-scales indicating that the IYAL is a valid and reliable assessment instrument of youth coping with grief and their social support relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most mentoring programs for youth are structured around intergenerational relationships, a growing number of programs rely on cross‐age peer mentoring. Such programs capitalize on the availability of youth mentors to promote positive outcomes in younger peers. This study used a multilevel meta‐analytic approach to estimate the effect size of cross‐age peer mentoring programs and evaluate potential moderators of peer mentoring program effectiveness. Analyses included six studies and revealed a medium‐sized overall effect of cross‐age peer mentoring programs (g = 0.45). Several characteristics moderated effect sizes, with larger effects for programs that were conducted outside of the school setting (i.e., weekend, summer, or in community settings), conducted in urban settings, and had moderate/high levels of adult oversight and supervision. Results highlight the potential benefits of cross‐age peer mentoring for youth. Highlights: Analyses revealed a medium‐sized overall effect of cross‐age peer mentoring programs (g = 0.45).Cross‐age peer mentoring can be an accessible intervention for promoting positive youth outcomes.Peer mentoring programs with moderate to high levels of adult oversight and supervision had larger effects.This study is the first meta‐analytic assessment of the impact of cross‐age peer mentoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers experiences of penal and voluntary-sector interventions in the lives of young people labelled as 'troubled' or 'at risk' of criminal behaviour. Drawing on data from a case-study conducted in the north of England, this paper focuses on the narratives of young people 'on the margins' of society who were involved with a range of community-based interventions, specifically youth clubs, a support group and a mandatory youth justice course. We consider how young people experience and respond to stigmatising elements prevalent in the structured interventions and everyday interactions with the institutions and agencies intended to support them. We argue that 'promotive' relationships between young people and the adults working with them enable young people to challenge risk-based identities and navigate the barriers they face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is ample research examining the short- and long-term effects of juvenile incarceration (broadly defined), less is known about the specific consequences of the most common form of youth incarceration, juvenile detention. We conducted a Rapid Evidence Review (RER), limiting our search to the past 10 years to include studies that captured modern juvenile justice practices, to assess the body of literature evaluating the effects of juvenile detention on youth outcomes. Our initial search yielded over 1,800 articles, but only three ultimately met criteria for inclusion in our review. We conclude that there is a profound lack of research regarding the consequences of juvenile detention, an issue that affects a large number of youth in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Transition of care" is defined as the movement of an individual from one setting of care to another and involves communicating with appropriate out-of-camp stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and community health care providers to identify youth needs (before camp) and outcomes achieved (after camp) so desired health goals may be shared across youth settings (e.g., home, school, community). Informed by management continuity and informational continuity theoretical frameworks, transition of care describes how activities such as recordkeeping and sharing of information from one team of caregivers to another improves the quality of services. When considered within the context of a child's summertime experiences such as summer camp, attention to transition of care from a child's academic year to summer, and from summer to a child's academic year, may improve the quality of children's summertime experiences by ensuring that a child's health and well-being are both fully supported and promoted across the calendar year. Transition of care communication practices are strengthened through the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and systems that support the sharing of information across stakeholders. This article contextualizes transition of care communication for the camp community, addressing implications for practice, research, and policy, to encourage the development of a comprehensive system that supports transition of care practices; a system that will require the buy-in of camp institutions, third-party camp software companies, camp organizations, and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neighborhood environment for student residences has been linked to differences in academic outcomes. However, school neighborhood has not been studied as a potential additional environmental factor in academic outcomes. Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the association between school neighborhood disorder and academic outcomes. Method: School neighborhood physical disorder data were paired with school academic achievement and attendance data. Using regression analyses, we examined whether academic achievement and attendance were predicted using NIfETy neighborhood physical disorder scores for the 21 schools within the boundaries of Flint. Results: Neighborhood physical disorder was significantly negatively associated with mathematics scores (β = − 7.71707, p = 0.0430425), but not with English Language Arts (ELA) scores (β = − 4.35, p = 0.13). We found a significant curvilinear relationship between neighborhood physical disorder and attendance. Conclusions: This study supplements existing literature by focusing on neighborhood physical disorder at the school. We found evidence that school neighborhood may impact academic achievement. These findings complement previous research showing that neighborhood of residence factors, such as structural disadvantage, impact school performance. Students exposed to economically disadvantaged neighborhoods at school, regardless of where they live, may have poorer academic skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camps provide a positive environment for all youth, and can be an added bonus for those living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), to have fun, socialize, and learn new skills. These benefits are extended in family camps where a collaborative approach between children with T1D, their families, and medical staff can provide opportunities for youth to better manage living with diabetes. To date, however, little is known about parents' perceptions of their child(ren)'s skill development as they participate in a family camp. The overarching aim of this study was to explore parents' perceptions of a family diabetes camp. The first purpose within that aim was to understand parents' perceptions of the impact camp had on their child's skill development of friendship skills, camp connectedness, perceived competence, responsibility, and independence. The second purpose was to examine parents' perceptions of the residual impact of camp after a four-week period. This study centered on a three-day, family-oriented medical specialty camp focused on developing youth skills (e.g., responsibility). Data were collected from parents using the American Camp Association's Youth Outcomes Battery-Parent Perception Scale at camp and open-ended questions four weeks after camp. The parents' perceptions of their children's five outcomes (i.e., friendship skills, camp connectedness, perceived competence, responsibility, and independence) revealed the highest average improvement in the independence subscale. Consensus coding resulted in three broad themes that communicate the essence of the open-ended question responses: commonality, making new friends, and control over what is happening with their child's diabetes. Parent perceptions of camper development at family diabetes camp are important for understanding the multifaceted approach for youth with T1D. Additionally, it can help guide camp practitioners as they include parents in the camp experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Most large-scale evaluations of systems of care (SOCs) have focused on school-aged populations, with limited research examining early childhood SOCs. As a result, little is known about how risk profiles, symptom presentation, and outcomes may vary between early childhood and school-aged SOC participants. This descriptive study uses data from two SOCs—an early childhood SOC (EC-SOC) and a school-aged SOC (SA-SOC)—to examine the differences across age groups in how children and families present to SOCs and the extent to which risk factors and symptoms change over six months of enrollment. Method: Participants were 184 children in the EC-SOC (mage = 3.91) and 142 children in the SA-SOC (mage = 9.36). Families completed measures assessing risk factors and functioning at enrollment and at six-month follow up. Descriptive analyses measured the presence of risk factors and symptoms at enrollment and follow-up. Correlations were computed to determine the associations between symptom measures. Results: Results identified areas of similarity and difference between families presenting for SOCs at different developmental stages. Younger children experienced greater behavioral problems (Hedge's g = 0.52, p< 0.001) with more associated caregiver stress (Hedge's g range = 0.34–0.62, p < 0.01) and strain (Hedge's g = 0.34, p= 0.005). Trauma was more strongly associated with child and caregiver symptoms among younger children. Greater change in symptom measures was observed for the EC-SOC. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of providing services in early childhood and provide guidance for SOC service provision at different ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While an important developmental task for all young people is the formation of social support, youth with serious illnesses often experience barriers to making friends. In the youth development context of summer camp, there is interest in how camper-level outcomes might be influenced by setting-level factors. Further, while some research exists on camp staff training, no research exists on how the length of staff training might influence camper outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore if campers' self-reported friendship skills changed from a summer when staff received no specialized training in camper friendship skills, to a summer when staff received a 45-minute training, to the next summer when staff attended a 90-minute training plus a mid-summer booster session. The setting for this study was a seven-day residential recreational camp in the Northeast United States serving children with serious illnesses and their siblings. Approximately 80 staff members worked at the camp each year of the study. Campers completed the American Camp Association's 14-item Friendship Skills scale in 2014, 2015, and 2016. No specialized staff training about camper friendship skills was offered in 2014. In 2015, a 45-minute session about how staff could promote camper friendship skills was provided to staff. In 2016, a 90-minute session about promoting camper friendship skills was provided, and a 20-minute booster session followed partway through the summer. The comparison of camper outcomes associated with a 45-minute friendship skills training for staff and no training for staff (N = 866) was significantly different (F1,866 = 139.66, p < .001). This result is important because it provided evidence that intentional training affected camper outcomes. However, the comparison of camper outcomes associated with a 45-minute, 90-minute, and 90-minute plus 20-minute booster training for staff (N = 1,047) was not significantly different (F1,1047 = .07, p =.94). This study provided evidence that each length of intentional training affected camper outcomes and informs us that the same goal for camper outcomes could be achievable using varying lengths of training. Understanding the effectiveness of training interventions of different lengths can inform how camps allocate training time and resources for different topics. While many camps aim to provide mid-summer booster sessions, this study showed that it might not be necessary to deliver additional friendship skills training as a mid-summer booster and camps could use that time for other topics. Research and practice implications are discussed for camp programming and staff training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study examined how cultural orientations influence youth perception of family processes in Korean American families and how these family processes, in turn, predict depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviors among youth. Family processes were examined separately for maternal and paternal variables.Method: This study used survey data from Korean American families living in the Midwest (256 youth and their parents) across 2 time periods, spanned over a year. At the time of the first interview, the average age of youth was 13 (SD = 1.00). Using structural equation modeling, this study tested the hypothesized associations concurrently, longitudinally, and accounting for earlier outcomes.Results and Conclusion: Results show that identity and behavioral enculturation in one's heritage culture are predictors of bonding with parents, which is notably protective for youth. The results highlight the critical effect of enculturation in enhancing youth perception of the parent-child relationship. Behavioral acculturation to mainstream culture, in contrast, predicts youth problems, although the effect may not necessarily always be via family processes. Similarly, Korean and English language proficiencies predict fewer youth problems, but not always by way of family processes. A few differences emerged across maternal and paternal variables, although there was much commonality in the hypothesized relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a gap in understanding how the treatment fidelity aspects of adherence and quality, along with common process factors such as therapeutic alliance, impact outcomes for youth. Few studies have examined both constructs of implementation and process factors simultaneously in regard to their relationship to client outcomes. This study examined the role of (a) youth ratings of implementation quality for a provider of therapeutic residential care, (b) the records of staff ratios of positive to negative statements to youth as reported for a token economy system, and (c) youth ratings of therapeutic alliance in relation to youth emotional and behavioral functioning at 6 months into therapeutic residential services. The study included data collection activities with 112 youth and staff at intake into residential group care through 6 months into residential services. Both youth ratings of therapeutic alliance and the ratio of positive to negative staff interactions with youth were related to improved youth emotional and behavioral functioning, as reported by staff using the Child Behavior Checklist. These findings suggest that it is important to consider both implementation and common process factors when looking to improve the quality of care for youth in therapeutic residential care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Incorporate social and emotional learning into a whole school approach and curriculum. • Professional learning should prioritize mastery experiences that are familiar to teachers. • Deliver interventions aimed at boosting student social and emotional learning directly to students. We present findings of an experimental study exploring the role of socio-emotional skills in improving outcomes for youth enrolled in a remedial program in municipal schools in Quito, Ecuador. These at-risk youth often engaged in hazardous child labor, including some of the worst forms of child labor. The Young Potential Development program is an add-on curriculum and teacher professional development initiative that seeks to develop youth socio-emotional skills. We generally found no impacts on youth socio-emotional skills and other outcomes. We explore the lack of impacts with a rich fidelity of implementation and mechanism of change study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of a two-year evaluation of youth leadership programs offered within community youth development programs in Connecticut are presented. Youth involved in leadership activities were contrasted with a comparison group of youth who were not involved in leadership programming. Participants in the leadership programs reported an improved sense of support from their local communities. Leadership training also appeared to offer an added benefit to males who reported significant improvements in their social self-efficacy in contrast to females engaged in leadership programs or youth comprising the comparison group. Youth who participated in the leadership programs appeared to be a uniquely talented group of individuals, initially scoring higher than the comparison group on a variety of youth outcome measures. However, a subgroup of youth who began the leadership program at a lower level of overall functioning were more likely than youth who began the program at a higher level of functioning to report positive changes.

There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of residential treatment centers (RTCs) due to scrutiny around use of this service that is viewed as costly, restrictive, and has resulted in mixed outcome results for youth. Discrepancies exist in residential literature regarding the amount of time in treatment that is optimal for having a positive effect on youth outcomes. This study used archival data to examine the relationship between time in treatment and youth's improvement in functioning and restrictiveness of living environment in a cross-site evaluation of a large sample of youth ( N = 716) who discharged from RTCs over a 5 year time period. Researchers aimed to identify an ideal time in treatment that is beneficial for youth and to add to the practice-based evidence for the effectiveness of RTCs. Results of segmented regression analyses indicate a non-linear relationship that showed a longer time in treatment predicts improvement in overall functioning and restrictiveness of living environment during the first 6 months of treatment. However there is no relationship between time in treatment and outcome variables between 6 and 10 months, and a negative relationship exists between longer time in treatment and outcome variables after 10 months in treatment. Practical implications of results can be used to inform advocacy efforts, discharge planning, and return on investment calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used point card information from a residential program to generate treatment fidelity metrics and determine if the metrics predicted youth outcomes after six months in care. Youth outcomes included staff ( n = 52) and youth ( n = 143) ratings, youth conduct records kept by the residential program's teaching-family homes and school records. Treatment fidelity metrics included the program components: (a) percentage of positive interactions, (b) number of privileges earned, and (c) a skills taught to interactions ratio. The percentage of positive interactions averaged 90% per youth; 76% of the point cards indicated that privileges were earned; and a variety of life skills were typically taught to the youth (skills ratio = .61). The data from the treatment fidelity metrics supported that the program was implemented consistent with program expectations. The range of implementation quality for each measured component was then used to predict youth outcomes. Increased percent of positive interactions predicted significantly decreased externalizing behaviors as reported by staff ( β = − 0.31, p < .001) and youth ( β = − 0.30, p < .001), and significantly fewer incidents of non-compliance ( Exp ( b ) = 0.93, p < .001) and school problems ( Exp ( b ) = 0.91, p < .001) as indicated on the program records. The skills ratio indicated similar trends across outcomes, although non-significant at the p < .01 level. Permanent products may be helpful to develop program treatment fidelity metrics, which may be useful for monitoring implementation and may be associated with improved youth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to examine the link between therapeutic alliance and youth outcomes. The study was conducted at a group home with 112 youth with a disruptive-behavior diagnosis. Therapeutic alliance was collected routinely via youth and staff report. Outcome data were collected using youth and staff reports of externalizing behavior as well as behavioral incidents occurring during care. Outcome data were collected following intake into services and at 6 and 12 months of care. Data were analyzed to examine (a) whether youth behavior problems at intake were predictive of therapeutic alliance and (b) whether changes in alliance were predictive of subsequent youth outcomes. These were conducted with a 6-month service-delivery model and replicated with a 12-month model. There was some support for the first hypothesis, that initial levels of youth externalizing behavior would be related to alliance ratings; however, most of the effects were marginally significant. The second hypothesis, that changes in therapeutic alliance would be related to subsequent youth outcomes, was supported for the 6-month model, but not the 12-month model. Changes in therapeutic alliance may be predictive of youth outcomes during care. Additional research into examining therapeutic alliance trajectories is warranted to improve mental health services for youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Family relationships are seldom considered in evaluations of youth mentoring programs. • Applying an ecological model of youth development to mentoring can help to increase mentor awareness. • Existing family relationships can influence salient academic, behavioral, and social-emotional youth outcomes. • Mentoring programs should consider incorporating strength-based approaches to working with families. Mentoring programs have historically focused on the relationship between the mentor and mentee as the primary means for supporting academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes among youth participating in these programs. However, research also indicates that other significant relationships, like family relationships, are important in promoting positive youth outcomes. The current exploratory study takes an ecological approach by examining family relationships as a potential moderator of youth mentoring outcomes. Participants were adolescent girls who participated in a year-long, gender-specific, school-based mentoring program (n = 69), or served as controls (n = 59). Data were collected from pre- and post-intervention surveys. Multiple regression analyses tested for an interaction between participants' family relationship characteristics and their intervention status on various social-emotional, academic, and behavioral outcomes. Results indicated that higher levels of family support significantly predicted higher youth academic plans, and lower family deviant beliefs significantly predicted fewer delinquent behaviors; however, the interactions between family and intervention status were not significant. Findings suggest that family relationship characteristics merit attention when seeking to promote youth outcomes. Implications include supporting ecological frameworks for mentoring by refining targets of mentoring interventions to consider the role of family factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: This study examines whether authoritative parenting style (characterized by warmth and strictness) is more protective against adolescent substances use than authoritarian (strictness but not warmth), indulgent (warmth but not strictness) and neglectful (neither warmth nor strictness) parenting styles. Emergent research in diverse cultural contexts (mainly Southern European and Latin American countries) questions the fact that authoritative would always be the optimum parenting style. Design: Multi-factorial MANOVAs. Participants: A sample of 7718 adolescents, 3774 males (48.9%), 11–19 year-olds (M =14.63 year-olds, SD=1.9 years) from Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. Measurements: Parenting style dimensions (warmth and strictness) and adolescent substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs); additionally another three adolescent outcomes were also measured (self-esteem, school performance and personal disturbances) all of them related in the literature with substance use. Findings: Both indulgent and authoritative parenting styles were associated with better outcomes than authoritarian and neglectful parenting in all the countries studied. Overall, our results support the idea that in Europe the indulgent parenting style performs as well as the authoritative one since adolescents’ scores in the youth outcomes were equal (on substance use and personal disturbances) or even better (on self esteem and school performance) than for authoritative parenting style. Conclusions: Parenting styles relate to substance use and other outcomes in the same way in different countries explored. The so-called indulgent parenting style appears to be as good as the authoritative in protecting against substance abuse. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Theories of organizational culture and climate (OCC) applied to child welfare systems hypothesize that strategic dimensions of organizational culture influence organizational climate and that OCC explains system variance in youth outcomes. This study provides the first structural test of the direct and indirect effects of culture and climate on youth outcomes in a national sample of child welfare systems and isolates specific culture and climate dimensions most associated with youth outcomes. The study applies multilevel path analysis (ML-PA) to a U.S. nationwide sample of 2,380 youth in 73 child welfare systems participating in the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being. Youths were selected in a national, two-stage, stratified random sample design. Youths’ psychosocial functioning was assessed by caregivers’ responses to the Child Behavior Checklist at intake and at 18-month follow-up. OCC was assessed by front-line caseworkers’ (N =1,740) aggregated responses to the Organizational Social Context measure. Comparison of the a priori and subsequent trimmed models confirmed a reduced model that excluded rigid organizational culture and explained 70% of the system variance in youth outcomes. Controlling for youth- and system-level covariates, systems with more proficient and less resistant organizational cultures exhibited more functional, more engaged, and less stressful climates. Systems with more proficient cultures and more engaged, more functional, and more stressful climates exhibited superior youth outcomes. Findings suggest child welfare administrators can support service effectiveness with interventions that improve specific dimensions of culture and climate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We assess how the support parents provide to young adults as they leave school and begin working is related to their family's socioeconomic circumstances. We do this using an innovative Australian data set which merges survey and administrative data. The survey data inform us about intergenerational co-residence and financial gifts and the administrative data about the family's welfare receipt history. We find that disadvantaged young people are more likely to be economically independent of their parents than are their more advantaged peers. This disparity is larger for financial gifts than for co-residence and increases with age. Moreover, there is a complex relationship between parental support and participation in study and work. We find no evidence, however, that a lack of parental support is the source of the socioeconomic gradient in either studying or employment. These results are important in eliminating one potential pathway through which socioeconomic disadvantage limits young people's outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the interplay of parental racial-ethnic socialization and youth multidimensional cultural orientations to investigate how they indirectly and directly influence youth depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviors. Using data from the Korean American Families Project (220 youths, 272 mothers, and 164 fathers, N = 656), this study tested the relationships concurrently, longitudinally, and accounting for earlier youth outcomes. The main findings include that racial-ethnic socialization is significantly associated with mainstream and ethnic cultural orientation among youth, which in turn influences depressive symptoms (but not antisocial behaviors). More specifically, parental racial-ethnic identity and pride discourage youth mainstream orientation, whereas cultural socialization in the family, as perceived by youth, increases ethnic orientation. These findings suggest a varying impact of racial-ethnic socialization on the multidimensional cultural orientations of youth. Korean language proficiency of youth was most notably predictive of a decrease in the number of depressive symptoms concurrently, longitudinally, and after controlling for previous levels of depressive symptoms. English language proficiency was also associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms, implying a benefit of bilingualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: High caseworker turnover has been identified as a factor in the poor outcomes of child welfare services. However, almost no empirical research has examined the relationship between caseworker turnover and youth outcomes in child welfare systems and there is an important knowledge gap regarding whether, and how, caseworker turnover relates to outcomes for youth. We hypothesized that the effects of caseworker turnover are moderated by organizational culture such that reduced caseworker turnover is only associated with improved youth outcomes in organizations with proficient cultures. Methods: The study applied hierarchical linear models (HLM) analysis to the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II) with a U.S. nationwide sample of 2346 youth aged 1.5- to 18-years-old and 1544 caseworkers in 73 child welfare agencies. Proficient organizational culture was measured by caseworkers' responses to the Organizational Social Context (OSC) measure; staff turnover was reported by the agencies' directors; and youth outcomes were measured as total problems in psychosocial functioning with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) completed by the youths' caregivers at intake and at 18-month follow-up. Results: The association between caseworker turnover and youth outcomes was moderated by organizational culture. Youth outcomes were improved with lower staff turnover in proficient organizational cultures and the best outcomes occurred in organizations with low turnover and high proficiency. Conclusions: To be successful, efforts to improve child welfare services by lowering staff turnover must also create proficient cultures that expect caseworkers to be competent and responsive to the needs of the youth and families they serve. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This review addresses research on the overlap in physical child abuse and domestic violence, the prediction of child outcomes, and resilience in children exposed to family violence. The authors explore current findings on the intersection of physical child abuse and domestic violence within the context of other risk factors, including community violence and related family and environmental stressors. Evidence from the studies reviewed suggests considerable overlap, compounding effects, and possible gender differences in outcomes of violence exposure. The data indicate a need to apply a broad conceptualization of risk to the study of family violence and its effects on children. Further testing of competing theoretical models will advance understanding of the pathways through which exposure leads to later problems in youth, as well as protective factors and processes through which resilience unfolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is longstanding evidence that youths raised by single parents are more likely to perform poorly in school and partake in “deviant” behaviors such as smoking, sex, substance use, and crime. However, there is not widespread agreement as to whether the timing of the marital disruption differentially impacts youth outcomes. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and its Young Adult Supplement, we find that an additional 5 years with the biological father decreases the probability of smoking, drinking, engaging in sexual activity, marijuana use, and conviction by approximately 5.3, 1.2, 3.4, 2.2 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]