Risk factors for youth victimization: Beyond a lifestyles/routine activities theory approach.

Abstract Past efforts to understand the risks for youth victimization have primarily utilized concepts from lifestyle or routine activity theory, such as the increased exposure and reduced guardianship that are entailed when youth engage in risky or delinquent behavior. In this article, we argue that other personal characteristics put youth at risk, not through any lifestyle or routine activity mechanism, but by making certain youth more \u27congruent\u27 with the needs, motives, or reactivities of potential offenders. Three specific types of such characteristics are those that increase the potential victim\u27s target vulnerability (e.g., physical weakness or psychological distress), target gratifiability (e.g., female gender for the crime of sexual assault), or target antagonism (e.g., behaviors or ethnic or group identities that may spark hostility or resentment). Using data from a national youth survey, we test variables measuring such aspects of target congruence end show that they make a significant contribution over and above lifestyle variables alone in predicting nonfamily, sexual, and parental assault

The effectiveness of victimization prevention instruction: An evaluation of children\u27s responses to actual threats and assaults.

Abstract This study examined whether instruction in school and at home about how to prevent victimization has any impact on children\u27s behavior in situations of real victimization threat. Telephone interviews were conducted in 1992 with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 youths age 10 to 16 and their caretakers. More comprehensive school programs had mixed, small but overall positive effects. Children exposed to such school-based prevention programs performed better on a short test of knowledge about sexual victimization; when victimized or threatened were more likely to use the self-protection strategies recommended by prevention educators; were more likely to feel that they had been successful in protecting themselves; and were more likely to disclose to someone about the victimization attempts. They were not better able to limit the seriousness of the assaults and, in fact, they experienced more injuries in the course of sexual assaults. Comprehensive parental instruction also had positive effects on knowledge, the use of preferred self-protection strategies and the likelihood of disclosure. Children with comprehensive parental instruction were more likely to limit the seriousness of assaults. © 1995

New Categories of Missing Children: Injured, Lost, Delinquent, and Victims of Caregiver Mix-ups.

Abstract A national survey of 10,367 households uncovered cases of missing children that did not fall into one of the four federally defined categories of missing children. Qualitative and quantitative procedures disclosed the existence of four additional categories: children missing due to injury in an accident, delinquent and rebellious behavior, getting lost, and miscommunication among adult caregivers. Two of these categories, injured and lost children, should particularly be included in missing children\u27s typologies because of their potential seriousness. Vulnerability to all four kinds of episodes was associated with certain family characteristics, suggesting that they were not simply accidental occurrences. In addition to help in locating their children, these families may need other forms of assistance

Frequent residential mobility among American Indians and early indications of sexual risk among young adolescents.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are more likely to ever have had sex, and to have engaged in sexual activity prior to age 13 compared to all other race groups. It is essential to understand the development of skills to refuse sexual experience in early adolescence in order to reduce disparities associated with early sexual debut among AI/AN youth. Familial, social, and individual factors can act as protective influences on adolescent sexual experience; however, in other settings, research has shown that frequent residential mobility disrupts these protective influences and may increase the likelihood of adolescent sexual activity. AI/AN youth are highly mobile, and, as a result, may be especially vulnerable to increased sexual risk. To date, no prior study has considered the impact of residential mobility on AI/AN youth sexual experience, nor the influence on precursors that reduce initiation of sex. We used data from a longitudinal study of AI/AN youth attending all middle schools from a Northern Plains reservation from 2006-2009 to estimate a structural equation model based on a cultural and age adapted theoretical framework. The tested model included frequent residential mobility as the independent variable and sex refusal self-efficacy as the dependent variable. Mediating variables included factors related to individual risks, psychological well-being, and social supports. Results indicate a direct association between residential mobility and sex refusal self-efficacy (-.29, p = 0.05) and an indirect association mediated by deviant peers (-.08, p = .05). Other mediating variables did not provide insight on the mechanism by which residential mobility influences skills to refuse sexual intercourse among AI/AN youth in early adolescence. Findings provide evidence for an association between residential mobility and precursors to sexual experience suggesting augmenting sexual health interventions for highly mobile youth

Gender differences in distributive justice: The role of self-presentation revisited

Kidder, Bellettirie, and Cohn\u27s [(1977) “Secret Ambitions and Public Performances: The Effects of Anonymity on Reward Allocations Made by Men and Women,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 13, pp. 70–80] self-presentational account of gender differences in distributive justice was examined. Men and women attending two, primarily white, northeastern universities distributed a jointly earned reward between themselves and a hypothetical co-worker who was either a stranger or a friend and whose inferior task performance resulted from either low ability or low effort. Subjects made their allocations under both public and private conditions. Men allocated more equitably (i.e., according to co-worker input) in public than women did, whereas women allocated more equitably in private than men did, only when working with strangers who exerted low effort. In addition, among female subjects, private allocations to low-effort strangers were more equitable than public allocations. Among male subjects, however, public allocations to low-effort strangers were more equitable than private allocations. The conditions under which men make equitable allocations and women make equal allocations, and possible reasons for these differences, are discussed

Portable equipment for taking dramatic sun-damagerevealing photos at skin cancer prevention outreach events

In recent years, appearance-based interventionshave gained popularity as a means to improve publicawareness about skin cancer and sun protectivebehaviors. Although numerous reports discuss theuse of ultraviolet (UV) camera devices for this purpose,studies on the use of portable imaging devicesin community outreach events do not presentlyexist. In this report, we discuss how we successfullyutilize portable imaging devices at communityoutreach events. We also discuss the advantages anddisadvantages of our portable devices in comparisonto traditional UV cameras. Portable imaging devicesare easy to use and have allowed us to increase ourinvolvement in community outreach events targetinga wide range of participants

Portable equipment for taking dramatic sun-damagerevealing photos at skin cancer prevention outreach events

In recent years, appearance-based interventionshave gained popularity as a means to improve publicawareness about skin cancer and sun protectivebehaviors. Although numerous reports discuss theuse of ultraviolet (UV) camera devices for this purpose,studies on the use of portable imaging devicesin community outreach events do not presentlyexist. In this report, we discuss how we successfullyutilize portable imaging devices at communityoutreach events. We also discuss the advantages anddisadvantages of our portable devices in comparisonto traditional UV cameras. Portable imaging devicesare easy to use and have allowed us to increase ourinvolvement in community outreach events targetinga wide range of participants