Our Vulnerable Teenagers: Their Victimization, Its Consequences, and Directions for Prevention and Intervention

Teenagers are twice as likely as any other age group to be victims of violent crime, and one in five teenagers report being the victim of a violent crime, according to a new report. The single greatest factor in predicting criminal behavior on the part of teenagers, the report also found, was not teenage pregnancy, drug use, or truancy, but whether they had been a victim of crime. This publication provides a new and comprehensive analysis of existing -- but largely unnoticed -- research and data on the crime experiences of American teenagers ages 12-19, who make up about 14 percent of the general population, but represent 25 percent of victims of violent crime

Presuming the influence of the media: teenagers’ constructions of gender identity through sexual/romantic relationships and alcohol consumption

Using empirical data from group discussions and in-depth interviews with 13 to 15-year olds in Scotland, this study explores how teenagers’ alcohol drinking and sexual/romantic relationships were shaped by their quest for appropriate gendered identities. In this, they acknowledged the influence of the media, but primarily in relation to others, not to themselves, thereby supporting Milkie's ‘presumed media influence’ theory. Media portrayals of romantic/sexual relationships appeared to influence teenagers’ constructions of gender-appropriate sexual behaviour more than did media portrayals of drinking behaviour, perhaps because the teenagers had more firsthand experience of observing drinking than of observing sexual relationships. Presumed media influence may be less influential if one has experience of the behaviour portrayed. Drinking and sexual behaviour were highly interrelated: sexual negotiation and activities were reportedly often accompanied by drinking. For teenagers, being drunk or, importantly, pretending to be drunk, may be a useful way to try out what they perceived to be gender-appropriate identities. In sum, teenagers’ drinking and sexual/romantic relationships are primary ways in which they do gender and the media's influence on their perceptions of appropriate gendered behaviour is mediated through peer relationships

Address Terms Used by Online Shop Sellers to Their Female Teenage Customers and Young Mother Customers in Facebook

This study is about address terms used by online shop sellers to female teenage and young mother customers as well as their similarities and differences in Facebook. It is supported by theories of address terms by Crystal (2009), Kuntjara (2012), Wardhaugh (2006), and Holmes (2001). She observed eight online shops, four for female teenagers and four for young mothers, ten comments from each shop. The finding reveals three types of address terms were used to female teenagers and five types of address terms were used to young mothers. The similarities are all address terms are female type address terms; formal name did not occur; and several same address terms types occurred in both types of shops. The differences are kinship terms variation in online shops for female teenagers and young mothers; intimate name and other types occurred in online shops for young mothers; and the frequency of each type

E-cigarettes, a safer alternative for teenagers? A UK focus group study of teenagers' views

Objective: Concerns exist that e-cigarettes may be a gateway to traditional cigarettes and/or (re)normalise teenage smoking. This qualitative study explores how teenagers in the UK currently perceive e-cigarettes and how and why they do or do not use them. Design: 16 focus groups were conducted across the UK between November 2014 and February 2015, with 83 teenagers aged 14–17. All discussions were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, imported into NVivo 10 and thematically analysed. Results: Teenagers generally agreed that e-cigarettes are useful products for smokers, including teenage smokers, to quit or reduce traditional cigarette use. Concerns were expressed about lack of information on their precise ingredients and any unknown risks for users and bystanders. However, teenagers typically viewed e-cigarettes as substantially less harmful than traditional cigarettes. They perceived e-cigarettes as attractive, with products described as ‘fun’ and having ‘great flavourings’. Seeing websites or social media featuring e-cigarettes, especially YouTube ‘vaping tricks’, prompted some experimentation and imitation. E-cigarettes were used in a variety of situations, including at parties or when they could not smoke traditional cigarettes. A very few participants suggested covert use was a possibility and that e-cigarettes might help maintain a fledgling nicotine habit. Conclusions: Teenagers support the use of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids for established adult smokers. However, they engage with these products differently from adults, with the novel hypothesis that covert use could potentially reinforce traditional cigarette smoking requiring further investigation. Policy responses should more clearly meet the needs of young people, as well as helping established adult smokers

Perbedaan Tingkat Kecemasan Menghadapi Menarche Sebelum Dan Sesudah Diberikan Pendidikan Kesehatan Pada Siswi Kelas Vii Di Smp Negeri 46 Palembang

Background : Menarche is first menstruation experienced by teenagers aged 10- 16 and occurs in the mid period toward puberty phase. At this age, it is necessary for the teenagers to gain health education about Menarche so that the teenagers especially students of SMP Negeri 46 Palembang have better understanding dealing with it from preparation to caree decrease the anxiety level in facing it. Objective : This research aimed to investigate the differences between anxiety in facing menarche before and after health education provision at seventh graders of SMP Negeri 46 Palembang. Method : This research used quantitative approach namely pre-experimental particularly one group posttest design. 40 samples were selected by applying total sampling technique. The data were analyzed by using Wilcoxon Test. Results : The research result shows that p value 0.014 <0.05. It implied that there were the differences between the anxiety levels in facing menarche before and after health education provision at seventh graders of SMP Negeri 46 Palembang. Conclusion : Based on the research result, it is concluded that the anxiety levels after health education provision may decrease

PENGARUH RESILIENSI TERHADAP KESEJAHTERAAN PSIKOLOGIS PADA REMAJA DENGAN ORANG TUA TUNGGAL

Psychological well-being is something that is really needed for someone to have good mental function and be able to optimize their potential so that they feel satisfied and happy with their life. However, coming from an incomplete family can hinder teenagers from achieving psychological well-being because it tends to cause psychological disorders and behavioral deviations due to the lack of attention they receive from their parents. So good resilience is needed so that teenagers can achieve psychological well-being by trying to adapt to face problems and recover from the adversity they experience. This research uses a quantitative research design. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling with respondents totaling 150 high school teenagers with single parents. The measurement uses the Resilience Scale (RS-14) for the resilience variable and The Ryff's Psychological Well Being Scales (PWBS) to measure psychological well-being. The data was tested using linear regression analysis which produced a significance value (p) of 0.000 <0.05, which indicates that there is an influence of the resilience variable (X) on the psychological well-being variable (Y)

Adolescent smoking: behavioural risk factors and health beliefs

The study extends previous research on adults by assessing the role of cognitive factors of smoking behaviour in 885 teenagers

Friendships for High School Students: With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Without

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience deficits in social communication, having difficulty with carrying on conversations, abiding by social norms, and feeling empathy towards others. As social skills are important for successful interactions, these deficiencies can decrease the number of friendships experienced by teenagers with ASD. However, it is also possible that other social barriers are involved, such as stigma, assumed by peers of teenagers with ASD. The influence of deficits in social interaction and stigma was examined through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, comprised of groups with teenagers with ASD and groups with typically developing teenagers. It was found that for typical teenagers, extracurricular activities are the basis for creating and maintaining friendships. Teenagers with ASD are less involved in extracurricular activities and also have more difficulty identifying friends desire more friends. It was also found that typical teenagers exhibit stigma towards peers with ASD. These qualitative results identify areas to target for improvement in social interaction skills of teenagers with ASD, promoting a more successful transition into adulthood

Changing patterns of teenage pregnancy: population based study of small areas

OBJECTIVES: To measure the impact of socioeconomic deprivation on rates of teenage pregnancy and the extent of local variation in pregnancy rates in Scotland, and to examine how both have changed over time. DESIGN: Population study using routine data from hospital records, aggregated for small areas. SUBJECTS: Female teenagers resident in Scotland who were treated for pregnancy in an NHS hospital in either 1981-5 (62 338 teenagers) or 1991-5 (48 514) and who were aged 13-19 at the time of conception. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pregnancy rates per 1000 in age group and the proportions of pregnancies resulting in a maternity (live birth or stillbirth) in teenagers aged 13-15, 16-17, and 18-19. RESULTS: From the 1980s to the 1990s pregnancy rates increased differentially according to levels of local deprivation, as measured by the Carstairs index. Among teenagers aged less than 18 the annual pregnancy rate increased in the most deprived areas (from 7.0 to 12.5 pregnancies per 1000 13-15 year olds and from 67.6 to 84.6 per 1000 16-17 year olds), but there was no change, on average, among teenagers in the most affluent areas (3.8 per 1000 13-15 year olds and 28.9 per 1000 16-17 year olds). Among 18-19 year olds the pregnancy rate decreased in the most affluent areas (from 60.0 to 46.3 per 1000) and increased in the most deprived areas (from 112.4 to 116.0 per 1000). The amount of local variation explained by deprivation more than doubled from the 1980s to the 1990s. The proportion of pregnancies resulting in a maternity was positively associated with level of deprivation, but the effect remained similar over time. CONCLUSION: From the 1980s to the 1990s the difference in rates of teenage pregnancy between more affluent and more deprived areas widened. This has implications for allocating resources to achieve government targets and points to important social processes behind the general increase in the number of teenage pregnancies in Scotland