A Population at Risk: Youth Aging Out of the Foster Care System and Implications for Extension

Youth who age out of the foster care system are faced with many unique challenges. This article offers an overview of risk factors found within this group, occurring both before and after discharge from care. Suggestions are given for the creation of Extension programs that address the specific needs of this growing population

Using Culturally Sensitive Methodologies When Researching Diverse Cultures

The purpose of this article is to introduce additional information in the ongoing conversation about using culturally sensitive research methods with diverse research populations. Research, including evaluation research, examining ethnic minorities, international, tribal members, and individuals within diverse cultures should be performed within a context of cultural understanding. Several methodological examples will be presented, expanding the discussion of contemporary research with diverse cultures. The demographics of the United States population are growing more diverse with each approaching year. According to the 2000 Census, (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001) 75 % of the population is White, 12.5 % Hispanic, 12.3 % Black, 3.6 % Asian, 0.9 American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.1 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.4% More than one race, and 5.5 % Some other race. Population projections estimate that the non-Hispanic White population will decline in size while the minority population will double or triple, with the highest rate of increase occurring amon

Youth Involvement in Community Development: Implications and Possibilities for Extension

There is a need for Extension program/policy developers to better understand the role of youth in the community development process. While often seen as suited only for 4-H programs, youth can significantly contribute to a variety of Extension activities. Through active engagement, youth can take on ownership and become lifelong contributors to local well-being. This mixed-methods research reflects data from a survey of 418 Florida youth and 12 in-depth key informant interviews. The findings provide insights into the factors most directly shaping youth attitudes and involvement in their communities. From these, implications for applied use in Extension programs are presented

Parenting Style and the Timing of Jewish Adolescents’ Sexual Debut

Parenting style and its effect on the timing of Jewish adolescents’ sexual debuts were examined in the reported study. One hundred sixty-eight research participants between the ages of 18 and 22 from a large university in the Southeast participated in the study. A survey instrument was administered at three fraternities and two sororities to examine parenting style and sexual debut retrospectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency chi square tests, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA); while post hoc results were determined through Tukey’s honestly significant difference. Results found that authoritative parenting provides a delay in the age of sexual debut for Jewish adolescents. All other parenting styles had mean ages less than the overall mean age of sexual debut, 17.10 years old, with indifferent parenting having the earliest debut. These findings suggest that parenting style may affect the timing of Jewish adolescents’ sexual debut. The study has implications for understanding factors that may affect the timing of a Jewish adolescent’s sexual debut and may help parents protect their adolescent from the negative effects associated with early sexual debut, such as low academic achievement. Recommendations for future research include exploring the effects of family structure and peer networks to understand fully the many factors that affect the timing of adolescents’ sexual debut