Physical and Psychological Aggression in At-Risk Young Couples: Stability and Change in Young Adulthood

Physical and psychological aggression was examined over a 2 1/2-year period for at-risk young couples. It was predicted, first, that there would be persistence in any physical aggression across time in the group of couples who stayed together; second, that stability in levels of aggression toward a partner would be higher for men who remained with the same partner compared to men who repartnered; third, that increases in levels of aggression would occur over time for couples with the same partners; and fourth, that changes in aggression over time would be concordant for couples. Measures of aggression included reports of aggression and observed aggression. Findings indicated considerable stability in aggression for the same-, but not for the different-, partner group

Parental Monitoring of Children’s Media Consumption: The Long-term Influences on Body Mass Index in Children

IMPORTANCE: Although children’s media consumption has been one of the most robust risk factors for childhood obesity, effects of specific parenting influences, such as parental media monitoring, have not been effectively investigated. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the potential influences of maternal and paternal monitoring of child media exposure and children’s general activities on children’s BMI in middle childhood. DESIGN: A longitudinal study, taken from a subsample of the Three Generational Study, with assessments at children’s ages of 5, 7, and/or 9 years collected from 1998-2012. SETTING: The Three Generational Study, a predominantly Caucasian, Pacific-Northwest U.S. community sample (overall participation rate 90%). PARTICIPANTS: Analyses included 112 mothers, 103 fathers and their 213 children (55% girls) at ages 5, 7, and/or 9 years. Participation rates ranged from 67% to 72% of all eligible Three Generational Study children across the three assessments. MAIN EXPOSURES: Parents reported on their general monitoring of their children (whereabouts and activities), specific monitoring of child media exposure, children’s participation in sports and recreational activities, children’s media time (hours/week), annual income, and education level. Parental BMI was recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Predictions to level and change in child BMI z scores were tested. RESULTS: Linear mixed-effects modeling indicated that more maternal, but not paternal, monitoring of child media exposure predicted lower child BMI z scores at age 7 years (95% CI, -.39 – -.07) and less steeply increasing child BMI z scores from ages 5-9 years (95% CI, -.11 – -.01). These effects held when controlling for more general parental monitoring, and parent BMI, income and education. Results supported that the significant negative effect of maternal media monitoring on children’s BMI z scores at age 7 years was marginally accounted for by the effect of child media time. The maternal media monitoring effect on children’s BMI z score slopes remained significant once adjusting for children’s media time, and sports and recreational activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that parental behaviors related to children’s media consumption may have long-term impacts on children’s BMI in middle childhood. The results underscore the importance of targeting parental media monitoring in efforts to prevent childhood obesity

Studying Adolescent Male Sexuality: Where Are We?

This article critically reviews the literature about adolescent males’ sexuality in order to describe the state of the science and to identify promising concepts and research designs that have the potential to guide the next generation of research. A critique was conducted on 94 peer-reviewed studies of sexual behaviors that included a sample of adolescent males; 11 scholarly texts and 2 dissertations. Most studies lacked a theoretical foundation and had cross-sectional designs. For those studies with a theoretical base, 3 perspectives were most often used to guide research: cognitive, biological, or social-environmental. Studies frequently relied on older adolescents or young adult males to report behaviors during early adolescence. Male-only samples were infrequent. Findings include (a) the measurement of sexual activity is frequently limited to coitus and does not explore other forms of “sex”; (b) cognitive factors have been limited to knowledge, attitudes, and intent; (c) little is known about younger males based on their own self-reports; (d) little is known about the normative sexuality development of gay adolescent males; and (e) longitudinal studies did not take into account the complexities of biological, social, and emotional development in interaction with other influences. Research on adolescent sexuality generally is about sexual activity, with little research that includes cognitive competency or young males’ sense of self as a sexual being. The purpose of the paper is to critically review the literature about male sexuality in order to describe the state of the science as well as to identify potential directions to guide the next generation of adolescent male sexual being research.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45299/1/10964_2005_Article_5762.pd

Adolescent/Young Adult Romantic Relationships and Psychopathology

Navigating romantic relationships in adolescence/young adulthood is a normative developmental task that can be both pleasurable and challenging for youth. The success with which one does so is both predicted by and subsequently affects psychological well‐being. This chapter reviews the literature on the associations between psychopathology and youth romantic relationships and experiences. We focus particularly on internalizing and externalizing disorders, for which the bulk of the literature exists. We also cover eating disorders and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as other disorders and issues of comorbidity. Following the reviews of specific disorders and symptoms, we review the emerging literature on psychopathology and same‐sex relationships among youth. We then address key peer and family contexts in which psychopathology and skills for romantic relationships are developing, and we discuss the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology and romantic dysfunction. The chapter closes with discussions of methodological issues and implications for prevention and intervention, emphasizing the need for ongoing basic research that can translate into novel approaches that can treat or prevent youth romantic dysfunction and psychopathology