Non-family Adults Research Articles

A social network analysis of perpetrators of child maltreatment reported by youth in foster care

ObjectivePrior research on child maltreatment has focused on distinct features of maltreatment (type, severity, chronicity) important for youth outcomes, yet perpetrators of child maltreatment reported by youth have gone largely unstudied. The present study examines connections between perpetrators, the total number and type of perpetrators reported, and the frequency at which each type of perpetrator was reported across 24 relationship types to provide a foundation for future research seeking to provide comprehensive measurement of perpetrator profiles. MethodsData from 503 youth in foster care (8–21 years old) were collected through the Studying Pathways to Adjustment and Resilience in Kids (SPARK) Project. Youth reported on their history of physical, sexual, and psychological maltreatment. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used to visualize links between perpetrators within maltreatment type and paired samples t-tests were used to compare differences between network edge weights. ResultsFull sample SNA results were highly interconnected and variable across maltreatment types. Biological parents and peers were the most common perpetrators of physical and psychological abuse with peers and non-family adults being most common for sexual abuse. Family and community member groupings were most distinct in the physical and psychological abuse networks whereas in the sexual abuse network, ties between perpetrators were more equidistant. ConclusionsDifferences exist in perpetrator profiles across maltreatment types, adding a layer of complexity to how maltreatment experiences are captured, and variability in profiles might provide insight to differing youth outcomes. Understanding individual youth perpetrator profiles could be used to inform foster care placements and reduce the risk of revictimization.

Vulnerability and variability: Associations between various early forms of nonconsensual sexual experiences and later sexual experiences of young adults

Early nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) in childhood or adolescence have been linked to elevated risk for adjustment problems and later victimization in some research, whereas others find little or no associations between NSEs and later sexual experiences. The current study examined how a range of early NSEs are linked to both consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences among young adults, as well as consideration of the familial versus non-familial nature of the perpetrator—victim relationship, an often-overlooked factor. A sample of 520 young adults (68% female; 18–25 years) completed anonymous surveys that assessed sexual experiences before and after age 16. Our results demonstrated that 6.9% of participants reported at least one episode of NSEs under the age of 16 with family members, 3.5% with non-familial adults, but far more (39.2%) with same-age peers. Early NSEs with family members and non-family adults were linked to experiences of sexual assaults after age 16 for both male and female participants. Early NSEs with peers were linked to later sexual assaults for female participants only. Careful consideration must be given to identifying types of early sexual experiences in efforts to understand their differential links to young adults’ experiences. Implications for improving scientific communication and operationalizing NSEs more precisely to advance research in this area are discussed.

A Framework for Child Well-Being in the Gulf Countries

This article provides a review of indicators of child well-being in the six Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), focusing on well-being in six domains: physical health, behavioral adjustment, psychological well-being, social relationships, safety, and cognitive well-being. The purpose of the review is to provide an overview of how children in the Gulf countries are faring in these six domains in an effort to provide a framework for child well-being in the Gulf countries. Data from the Gulf countries generally are available on the following domains of well-being: Physical health (including infant and under-5 mortality, growth and nutrition, and access to quality health care), some aspects of behavioral adjustment (in particular, smoking, alcohol, and drug use as well as adolescent pregnancy and HIV/AIDs), safety (in terms of laws, although data on the prevalence of abuse and neglect are limited), and cognitive development (including enrollment and performance in school and skills for a knowledge economy, with more limited data available on quality early child care and school readiness). The following domains of well-being have more limited available data in the Gulf countries: Behavioral adjustment (including social competence, prosocial behavior, and externalizing behavior problems), psychological well-being (including subjective well-being of children, mental health, and participation), and social relationships (including positive relationships with parents and other caregivers, peer relationships, and relationships with non-family adults).

Sources and Types of Social Support for Physical Activity Perceived by Fifth to Eighth Grade Girls.

Information is lacking on forms and sources of social support for physical activity (PA) received by adolescent girls during various pubertal stages. Two study purposes were to (a) identify the sources and forms of social support for PA perceived by adolescent girls, and (b) examine associations of pubertal stage and social support with PA. A secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial was conducted. Fifth through eighth grade girls (N = 1,519) completed surveys on social support for PA and pubertal stage and wore an accelerometer. Girls in early-middle and late-post puberty most frequently received social support from their mothers. A higher proportion of girls in late-post puberty, compared to early-middle puberty, received social support from nonfamily adults (4.2% vs. 3.0%, p = .019). Girls identifying three sources participated in more moderate-to-vigorous PA than those having fewer sources (t1,512 = -3.57, p < .001). Various forms of social support, except for encouragement, were positively related to moderate-to-vigorous PA. Girls in early-middle puberty reported greater social support than those in late-post puberty (t1,512 = 3.99, p < .001). Social support was positively associated with moderate-to-vigorous PA, while girls in late-post puberty had lower moderate-to-vigorous PA than those in early-middle puberty. Mothers are important sources of social support for PA. Having more than two sources may result in greater PA. Encouraging girls to increase their PA may not be sufficient. Efforts are needed from health professionals to prevent any decline in social support for PA as girls advance across adolescence.

Urban and Rural Adolescents' Points-of-Access for Alcohol and Tobacco.

The purpose of this study was to examine alcohol and tobacco access points among a sample of rural and urban youth. Through collaboration with four regional school districts, a local drug prevention coalition administered a survey to a sample of 445 youth representing 30 different communities in a central U.S. region. The survey items included demographics, 30-day use measures, and questions about points-of-access for alcohol and tobacco. Results showed no differences among points-of-access between urban and rural youth. Ability to obtain alcohol from family, peers, other non-peer youth, and other non-family adults (P < 0.05) were each statistically significant predictors of 30-day alcohol use. Ability to obtain tobacco from family, peers, other non-peer youth, other non-family adults, and self-purchase (P < 0.05) were statistically significant predictors of 30-day tobacco use. Access through peers was the strongest predictor for both 30-day alcohol and tobacco use. Determining the primary social points-of-access youth use to obtain alcohol and tobacco can assist in the development of appropriate community-level prevention strategies and policies.

Predicting Sexual Assault Perpetration in the U.S. Army Using Administrative Data

The Department of Defense uses a universal prevention framework for sexual assault prevention, with each branch implementing its own branch-wide programs. Intensive interventions exist, but would be cost effective only if targeted at high-risk personnel. This study developed actuarial models to identify male U.S. Army soldiers at high risk of administratively recorded sexual assault perpetration. This study investigated administratively recorded sexual assault perpetration among the 821,807 male Army soldiers serving 2004-2009. Administrative data were also used to operationalize the predictors. Penalized discrete-time (person-month) survival analysis (conducted in 2016) was used to select the smallest possible number of stable predictors to maximize number of sexual assaults among the 5% of soldiers with highest predicted risk of perpetration (top-ventile concentration of risk). Separate models were developed for assaults against non-family and intra-family adults and minors. There were 4,640 male soldiers found to be perpetrators against non-family adults, 1,384 against non-family minors, 380 against intra-family adults, and 335 against intra-family minors. Top-ventile concentration of risk was 16.2%-20.2% predicting perpetration against non-family adults and minors and 34.2%-65.1% against intra-family adults and minors. Final predictors consisted largely of measures of prior crime involvement and the presence and treatment of mental disorders. Administrative data can be used to develop actuarial models that identify a high proportion of sexual assault perpetrators. If a system is developed to consolidate administrative predictors routinely, then predictions could be generated periodically to identify those in need of preventive intervention. Whether this would be cost effective, though, would depend on intervention costs, effectiveness, and competing risks.

FUNCTIONAL ROLES OF IMPORTANT NONFAMILY ADULTS FOR YOUTH

Journal of Community PsychologyVolume 44, Issue 6 p. 799-806 BRIEF REPORT FUNCTIONAL ROLES OF IMPORTANT NONFAMILY ADULTS FOR YOUTH Mary Agnes Hamilton, Mary Agnes Hamilton Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorStephen F. Hamilton, Corresponding Author Stephen F. Hamilton Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell UniversityPlease address correspondence to: Stephen F. Hamilton, Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. E-mail: sfh3@cornell.eduSearch for more papers by this authorDavid L. DuBois, David L. DuBois University of Illinois at ChicagoSearch for more papers by this authorDeborah E. Sellers, Deborah E. Sellers Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell UniversitySearch for more papers by this author Mary Agnes Hamilton, Mary Agnes Hamilton Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorStephen F. Hamilton, Corresponding Author Stephen F. Hamilton Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell UniversityPlease address correspondence to: Stephen F. Hamilton, Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. E-mail: sfh3@cornell.eduSearch for more papers by this authorDavid L. DuBois, David L. DuBois University of Illinois at ChicagoSearch for more papers by this authorDeborah E. Sellers, Deborah E. Sellers Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell UniversitySearch for more papers by this author First published: 11 July 2016 https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21792Citations: 6 We are grateful to the William T. Grant Foundation for supporting this research. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume44, Issue6August 2016Pages 799-806 RelatedInformation

Perceived advantages: the influence of urban and suburban neighbourhood context on the socialization and adaptation of Mexican immigrant young men

ABSTRACTNeighbourhoods are important contexts for the socialization and adaptation of immigrant youth. They provide resources and opportunities for positive interactions with peers and non-family adults. But neighbourhoods differ systemically in their demographic composition and the type and quality of resources they offer young people. In the US, there is an implicit assumption equating suburban neighbourhoods with better schools, more jobs and higher quality housing compared to urban neighbourhoods. There is however, little explicit empirical evidence of how such differences may shape the experience of immigrant youth. This gap is concerning in light of recent trends of immigrants to move directly to the suburbs. The first part of the paper reviews the literatures on immigrant adaptation and neighbourhood effects. Drawing on two qualitative studies, the second part of the paper illustrates mechanisms through which suburban and urban neighbourhoods may influence the socialization and adaptation of immigrant youth growing up in them.

Drug-Resistance Strategies of Early Adolescents in Mexico: Gender Differences in the Influence of Drug Offers and Relationship to the Offeror

ABSTRACTTo address increases in substance use among Mexican adolescents, particularly females, US prevention programs are being adapted to the Mexican cultural context. Understanding how responses to substance offers by Mexican adolescents are shaped by gender and relationships to those making offers is an important step in the adaptation process. Using data from Guadalajara, Mexico middle schools (N = 431), this pilot study tested for gender differences in the use of several drug resistance strategies commonly taught in US substance abuse prevention interventions. Results indicated that the drug-resistance strategies of Mexican early adolescents differ by gender, type of substance offered, and the youth's relationship to the offeror. Contrary to previous research on older Mexican adolescents, in this sample, females received more substance offers from age peers than males did, and employed a wider repertoire of drug-resistance strategies, including active strategies such as direct refusals. Gender differences in use of the strategies persisted after controlling for number of offers received. There were gender differences in the conditional effects of greater exposure to offers. A larger volume of alcohol and cigarette offers predicted females' use of direct strategies more strongly than for males, but less strongly than males for marijuana offers. Females' use of drug resistance strategies was more strongly associated with offers from family adults, siblings, and cousins, while males' use of strategies was predicted more strongly by offers from nonfamily adults. Interpretations and prevention implications are discussed in light of changing gender norms in Mexico and gendered patterns of substance use.

Economic disadvantage and transitional outcomes: a study of young people from low-income families in Hong Kong

This study draws on data from focus groups involving 50 young people from low-income families in Hong Kong to investigate their school-to-work experiences. In line with the ecological–developmental perspective, our results show that contextual influences, including lower levels of parental involvement and lack of opportunities for further education or skill development, constrain both the formulation and pursuit of educational and career goals. In contrast, service use and supportive interactions with parents and non-family adults were found to help young people find a career direction and foster more adaptive transition. Furthermore, our results indicate a striking difference in intrapersonal agency and coping styles between youths who were attending further education or engaged in jobs with career advancement opportunities and those who were not. We discuss the implications of our findings, both for future research and for policy development to enhance the school-to-work transition of economically disadvantaged young people.

An Exploratory Investigation of Adolescent Intimate Partner Violence Among African American Youth

Extant research demonstrates that while adolescent intimate partner violence (IPV) is an ever-growing concern in the United States, most research on IPV has focused on adult victims and offenders. To fill this gap in the literature, the present research examines youth IPV by conducting focus groups with 25 male and female youth between the ages of 15 and 19 years whose race was primarily African American. Drawing on open-ended responses by adolescent participants, the present study aimed to shed light on African American youths' perceptions of IPV, their perceptions regarding such violence among their peers, the dynamics of help-seeking behaviors, and what services youth perceive as most helpful in the prevention and intervention of adolescent IPV. Findings reveal that most participants only recognize physical aggression as IPV; express hesitation in disclosing violence to adults, especially nonfamily adults; and report being unaware of and/or unwilling to utilize existing prevention and intervention services traditionally targeted at adult populations. Implications for future research and policy are also presented and discussed.

Positive Development, Sense of Belonging, and Support of Peers among Early Adolescents: Perspectives of Different Actors

Trusting relationships at school and within other social networks emerge as protective factors that are crucial to the positive development of early adolescents. School is one of the critical environments where they can develop a sense of belonging. This study involved 20 qualitative interviews with school staff and youth workers recruited from social services and high schools in Eastern Ontario and 12 qualitative interviews with adolescents 12-13 years of age attending some of these same schools. Deductive and inductive analysis of the transcripts clearly underscored the importance of the supportive roles played by peers, teachers and non-family adults in the lives of early teens. The proximity that results from listening to and accompanying early adolescents in day-to-day activities, and comprehending their issues, presents an opportunity for youth workers and school staff to better grasp how to become credible, trusted and legitimate in the eyes of young teens.

Social Connectedness and One-Year Trajectories Among Suicidal Adolescents Following Psychiatric Hospitalization

This study examined the extent to which posthospitalization change in connectedness with family, peers, and nonfamily adults predicted suicide attempts, severity of suicidal ideation, and depressive symptoms across a 12-month follow-up period among inpatient suicidal adolescents. Participants were 338 inpatient suicidal adolescents, ages 13 to 17, who were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months posthospitalization. General liner models were fitted for depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation outcomes, and logistic regression was used for the dichotomous suicide attempt outcome. The moderating effects of gender and multiple attempt history were examined. Adolescents who reported greater improvements in peer connectedness were half as likely to attempt suicide during the 12-month period. Improved peer connectedness was also associated with less severe depressive symptoms for all adolescents and with less severe suicidal ideation for female individuals, but only at the 3-month assessment time point. Improved family connectedness was related to less severe depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation across the entire year; for suicidal ideation, this protective effect was limited to nonmultiple suicide attempters. Change in connectedness with nonfamily adults was not a significant predictor of any outcome when changes in family and peer connectedness were taken into account. These results pointing to improved posthospitalization connectedness being linked to improved outcomes following hospitalization have important treatment and prevention implications given inpatient suicidal adolescents’ vulnerability to suicidal behavior.

Adult visitation and permanency for children following residential treatment

The absence of parents for foster children in residential treatment undermines the known positive effects of parental visits during treatment on children's permanency. To date, little attention has been given to the scope and role of visitation by non-parental adults. This study utilized clinical data from a residential treatment center for children to examine the patterns of adult visitation during treatment and their effects on children's permanency at and 6 months following discharge. Different types of relationships including parents, extended family and non-family adults, and various measures of visitation, such as frequency and regularity of visits, were included in descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Results showed that while children had the most number of visits from parents compared to other visitors, non-family visitors were just as likely to visit regularly. Logistic regression analysis indicated that having parent visitors only as opposed to having parents and other visitors was positively associated with permanency at and 6 months after discharge. In addition, controlling for composition of visitors and age at discharge, more visits by non-family increased the likelihood of permanency. Implications for practice and theory are discussed.

ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tools Retrospective version (ICAST-R): Delphi study and field testing in seven countries

Objectives To gain consensus among an ethnically and linguistically diverse group of international child protection experts on the structure and content of a new survey tool for retrospective measurement of child abuse, and to determine the performance of the instrument through an international field trial with young adults. Methods The questionnaire was developed through focus group discussions with international experts, and then subjected to a Delphi study in two waves to determine the perceived importance and translatability of items. The resultant questionnaire was translated into six languages and field tested in seven countries with convenient samples of young adults aged 18–26 years ( N = 842). Results Child maltreatment experts from 28 countries provided input to questionnaire development. Satisfactory agreement on draft item inclusion and exclusion and the translatability of items was gained. The tool includes 15 primary questions about potentially abusive physical, sexual and emotional events, with follow-up questions about perpetrator characteristics, frequency of acts and periods in childhood when the recalled abuse occurred. The field test revealed lifetime prevalence per item usually exceeded 10% (11/15 items; range 2.1–49.5%). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was moderate to high for each of three item sub-sets (between .61 and .82) and the rates of missing data were low (less than 1.5% for 14 of 15 items). The great majority of respondents nominated either peer and/or adult perpetrators (between 82.3% and 98.2% depending upon the item), and among these, child/adolescent peers and non-family adults (including teachers for emotional and physical acts) were nominated often. Conclusions The ICAST-R is based on consensus from international experts, translates clearly and has satisfactory properties for adoption as a survey tool to estimate prevalence and describe perpetrators and other contextual aspects of child abuse. Practice implications This tool can be utilized in a broad range of cultures and languages and may contribute to improved research practice. Although the core items are limited to just 15 acts of maltreatment, if these behaviorally specific questions are adopted as key indicators and incorporated into comprehensive local, national or regional surveys, eventually there should be greater comparability in survey estimates.

What Counsellors Need to Know About Resiliency in Adolescents

In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the research literature on resiliency in adolescents. We explore the history of resiliency as it relates to the health and well-being of adolescents, identify common themes, provide a description of resilient youth, and introduce the developmental assets framework. To provide counsellors with an increased understanding of the concept of resiliency as well as to encourage the application of resiliency to practice, a visual model is provided from which counsellors can organize ‘resiliency’ as a construct. The role of parents, families, schools, communities, and non-family adults are discussed with regard to asset development. Lastly, we examine developmental assets in relation to counselling practice, including how counsellors can effectively incorporate the concept of resiliency into their professional practice in working with adolescents.

The contribution to adolescent well‐being made by nonfamily adults: An examination of developmental assets as contexts and processes

AbstractThe contribution of nonfamily adults to young people's well‐being was explored using both a cross‐sectional national sample of 614 12‐ to 17‐yearolds and a longitudinal sample of 370 students followed from 6th–8th grades through 10th–12th grades. Both variable‐ and person‐centered analyses were employed. Young people's involvement in volunteering, youth programs, and religious organizations was hypothesized to increase the frequency as well as the quality of their relationships with nonfamily adults. Greater community involvement was related to (a) greater and qualitatively different kinds of engagement with nonfamily adults; (b) higher levels of positive developmental processes of support, empowerment, and boundary setting; (c) lower levels of risk behaviors; and (d) higher levels of thriving. The results suggest the utility of positive youth development theory, research, and applications for predicting and enhancing young people's concurrent and longer‐term well‐being. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Suicidal Adolescents' Social Support from Family and Peers: Gender-Specific Associations with Psychopathology

Perceptions of social support from family, non-family adults, and peers were examined in relation to the psychopathology reported by 220 suicidal adolescents (152 females) during a psychiatric hospitalization. Results of regression analyses showed that, among females, family support was negatively related to hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Among males, peer support was positively associated with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Across gender, more peer support was associated with more externalizing behavior problems; whereas, family support was negatively related to these problems and to alcohol/substance abuse. Paralleling normative findings, age was positively associated with peer support, and females perceived more peer support than did males. Findings extend previous research on social support to suicidal adolescents, and broaden the literature by examining extrafamilial support and a broader range of relevant psychopathology. That is, perceived social support relates to psychiatric impairment differentially by gender, and normative, age-related variations in perceptions of social support are detected even among highly impaired adolescents. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students: Perceived Social Support in the High School Environment

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth (LGBT) continue to face extreme discrimination within the school environment. Existing literature suggests that LGBT youth are at high risk for a number of health problems, including suicide ideation and attempts, harassment, substance abuse, homelessness, and declining school performance. This exploratory study consists of face-to-face interviews with 12 male and female participants, 18-21 years old, who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The purpose of the study is to determine the types of social support (emotional, appraisal, instrumental and informational) available to these young adults in high school. In addition, the study examines the connection between social support and sexual identity development. Participants found non-family members, which included peers and non-family adults, to be more supportive than family members. More specifically, participants perceived heterosexual and LGBT-identified friends and non-family adults as providing emotional and instrumental support. However, participants perceived limitations to the emotional support they received from heterosexual peers to whom they disclosed their orientation. In addition to providing emotional support, peers and adults who also identified as LGBT provided valuable informational and appraisal, support. Finally, most participants did not disclose to their parents during high school and perceived their parents and family members as offering limited emotional, appraisal and informational support. Confronted with their own sense of alienation and confusion, as well as the overwhelmingly negative messages about homosexuality in their home and school environments, respondents described their sexual identity formation as a process characterized by varying degrees of denial and acceptance. The need for multiple resources emerged as a major theme from participant responses to questions about what types of services and support they would have valued from their high school.

An ecologically differentiated, multifactor model of adolescent network orientation.

The paper presents a test of an ecologically differentiated model of social network orientation for adolescents that distinguished between different social network reference groups (family, peers, and nonfamily adults). The model was tested in two consecutive studies. Study 1 describes initial model development (N = 120). Study 2 presents a confirmatory factor analysis with a second sample (N = 430) to replicate the factor structure developed in Study 1. Results supported a three-factor model of network orientation that differentiated between network reference groups. Analyses of concurrent and predictive validity indicated that orientation to network reference groups was differentially related to the perceived quality and frequency of support from members of respective social network groups. Group differences (gender, race) regarding network orientation to different network reference groups were consistent with studies of other social network processes. Implications for the study of the network orientation and the study of social networks more generally are discussed.