Father Involvement, Dating Violence, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among a National Sample of Adolescent Females

This study explored the relationship between the involvement of biological fathers and the sexual risk behaviors and dating violence/victimization and/ or perpetration of adolescent girls. The data used in this cross-sectional analysis were drawn from the second wave of the public release of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Only adolescents who reported their biological sex as female, reported a history of being sexually active, and reported having a romantic partner in the previous 18 months were selected (N = 879). This study focused on overall positive sexual behaviors and use of contraception. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to best utilize capacity for dealing with latent variables and to test for possible mediation effects. The analysis demonstrated main effects of dating violence and father involvement on sexual behaviors. The more dating violence an adolescent girl experiences, the less likely she is to engage in healthy sexual behaviors. Likewise, the more involvement the biological father has in a woman’s life, the more likely she is to engage in positive sexual behaviors. Perceived father involvement was associated with risky sexual behaviors among sexually experienced adolescent girls. Dating violence was directly associated with risky sexual behaviors among sexually experienced adolescent girls, particularly non-White girls. Future studies should use longitudinal models and test theoretically and empirically guided potential mediators. Future studies should also consider father figures such as step-fathers and grandfathers in addition to biological fathers, as having a father figure may be a stronger predictor of adolescent sexual behaviors than having a biological connection

Perceived discrimination, mental health help-seeking attitudes, and suicide ideation, planning, and attempts among black young adults

Background: Developing an understanding of the negative impact of discrimination is critical when examining the suicidality of Black young adults in the US. Suicide rates among Black young adults have increased at alarming rates. One of the reasons for this increase is the disparities related to access to mental health services, which has long-term health consequences. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining associations between experiences of everyday discrimination, attitudes towards mental health help-seeking attitudes, on the outcomes suicide ideation, planning to die by suicide, and suicide attempts. Methods: The data came from a national study of the experiences of Black young adults regarding mental, physical, and sexual health. Participants were recruited from across the Midwestern region of the United States through Qualtrics Panels, an online survey delivery service used to recruit study participants. The total sample for this study was N = 362, and the average age of the sample was 21 (SD: 1.96). We used a logistic regression analysis to examine the role of everyday discrimination, mental health support-seeking attitudes, and covariates on the outcomes: suicide ideation, planning to die by committing suicide, and suicide attempts. Results: Black young adults with positive mental health help-seeking attitudes were 34% less likely to attempt suicide (OR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96) and 35% less likely to experience suicide ideation (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.89). However, those young adults who experienced discrimination daily were more likely to report having attempted suicide (OR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.34, 2.15). Conclusions: Our findings offer valuable insights into the complex interplay between experiences of discrimination, attitudes toward seeking mental health support, and suicidal behaviors. However, our research also underscores how experiences of discrimination can significantly exacerbate feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and inadequacy, further contributing to suicidal behaviors in this population. By promoting positive mental health help-seeking behaviors, actively addressing discrimination, and applying an intersectional approach to suicide prevention efforts, we can take significant strides towards building a more supportive and inclusive society. This approach aims to empower individuals to seek help, reduce the risk of suicidal behaviors, and create a more welcoming environment for all members of our community.</p

Inhibitory control, exploration behaviour and manipulated ecological context are associated with foraging flexibility in the great tit

Funder: FP7 Ideas: European Research Council; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011199; Grant(s): FP7/2007‐2013Abstract: Organisms are constantly under selection to respond effectively to diverse, sometimes rapid, changes in their environment, but not all individuals are equally plastic in their behaviour. Although cognitive processes and personality are expected to influence individual behavioural plasticity, the effects reported are highly inconsistent, which we hypothesise is because ecological context is usually not considered. We explored how one type of behavioural plasticity, foraging flexibility, was associated with inhibitory control (assayed using a detour‐reaching task) and exploration behaviour in a novel environment (a trait closely linked to the fast–slow personality axis). We investigated how these effects varied across two experimentally manipulated ecological contexts—food value and predation risk. In the first phase of the experiment, we trained great tits Parus major to retrieve high value (preferred) food that was hidden in sand so that this became the familiar food source. In the second phase, we offered them the same familiar hidden food at the same time as a new alternative option that was visible on the surface, which was either high or low value, and under either high or low perceived predation risk. Foraging flexibility was defined as the proportion of choices made during 4‐min trials that were for the new alternative food source. Our assays captured consistent differences among individuals in foraging flexibility. Inhibitory control was associated with foraging flexibility—birds with high inhibitory control were more flexible when the alternative food was of high value, suggesting they inhibited the urge to select the familiar food and instead selected the new food option. Exploration behaviour also predicted flexibility—fast explorers were more flexible, supporting the information‐gathering hypothesis. This tendency was especially strong under high predation risk, suggesting risk aversion also influenced the observed flexibility because fast explorers are risk prone and the new unfamiliar food was perceived to be the risky option. Thus, both behaviours predicted flexibility, and these links were at least partly dependent on ecological conditions. Our results demonstrate that an executive cognitive function (inhibitory control) and a behavioural assay of a well‐known personality axis are both associated with individual variation in the plasticity of a key functional behaviour. That their effects on foraging flexibility were primarily observed as interactions with food value or predation risk treatments also suggest that the population‐level consequences of some behavioural mechanisms may only be revealed across key ecological conditions

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Addressing the climate challenge

In 2021, colleagues from across the University of Birmingham community were invited to write articles about topics relevant to the COP26 climate change summit. In this series of articles, experts from across many different disciplines provide new insight and evidence on how we might all understand and tackle climate change

Book Review: Simmonds, J. (2006). Children in change: A group curriculum for kids ages 8-14 who are experiencing family change. Minneapolis, MN: Family & Children’s Service, 77 pp. (paperback).

The home lives of children have changed considerably over the past few decades. There has been an increase in the numbers of children born to single and/or divorced parents and children spending a portion of their childhood in single-parent households (Mare & Winship, 1991). Children whose parents live separately are often disadvantaged as compared to children whose parents live together (Amato, 1994) and given that the current rate of divorce for firsttime American marriages is 50 percent it is more likely that children will face challenges. In addition, the number of children born into cohabitating families is increasing. As a consequence, about two-fifths of all children spend some time in a cohabiting family, and the greater instability of families begun by cohabitation means that children are also more likely to experience family disruption (Bumpass & Lu, 2000). For all of these children, mastery is an ongoing task that requires special tools and preparation. Therefore, the prevalence of family change and the potential effects on children requires our attention and effective methods must be emphasized to assist children in becoming successful. Social workers would be remiss if they use one-dimensional clinical approaches when treating children with these experiences. Also, comprehensive interventions and guidelines that address the full spectrum of children’s needs should be utilized. The book covered in this review has attempted to provide a curriculum including several techniques specially designed for children experiencing changes in their home lives

Exploring Gender Differences in Juvenile Offenders: Understanding Girls on Probation

This exploratory study of gender and racial differences in risk and protective factors and the recidivism of youth on probation in Cook County, Illinois was conducted using secondary data analysis. Information was collected by probation officers and clinicians using the Youth Assessment Screening Instrument (YASI) on 5,831 girls and boys ages 12 to 17 comprising demographics, risk and protective factor characteristics and unique identifiers (names, birthdates and IDs). Associations between race, gender, risk and protection, and recidivism were examined. This dissertation project involved the linkage of administrative probation information available from the Cook County Juvenile Probation Department to court records from the Office of the Chief Judge. The creation of this unique dataset and the resulting dissertation indicated that girls experienced more risk factors than boys while boys experienced more protective factors than girls. Many of the risk factors for girls and boys were consistent with previous research. Unlike girls, boys had significant findings across most racial/ethnic groups and across recidivism. Seven percent of the sample recidivated including a higher number of boys than girls (7.5% and 3.2%, respectively). One significant risk factor for boys for recidivism was age at first offense. The significant protective factors for boys that didn’t recidivate were appropriate parental discipline and being close to prosocial peers. Separate multivariate analyses for boys and girls could not be conducted due to the small sample of girls that recidivated. Intensive family focused mental health and substance abuse treatment would be useful to address some of the family issues that girls experience. Social workers have an important role as providers but also as advocates to lobby legislators for increased funding to support innovative treatment services. Future knowledge concerning recidivism of youth, their risk and protective factors associated with their probation status, with practical implications relating to the identification of specific factors that may directly influence desistance, the targeting of appropriate services and the future prevention of delinquent behavior of girls is needed

Perceptions of Recidivism Among Incarcerated Youth: The Relationship Between Exposure to Childhood Trauma, Mental Health Status, and the Protective Effect of Mental Health Services in Juvenile Justice Settings

Research suggests that youth involved the juvenile justice system have trauma histories that are two times higher than the general youth population. Juvenile justice-involved youth also have high rates of mental health symptoms. Fewer studies have examined how trauma links to mental health symptoms among youth offenders, and even less research focuses on how mental health status and service delivery can impact their perceived likelihood for success. This study examines the effects of mental health screening and service delivery on perceived future criminal justice interactions— arrest and incarceration—among adjudicated youth (n=7,073) housed in correctional facilities. Secondary data were used to examine trauma histories, mental health needs, and mental health screening and service delivery. Significant relationships between traumatic events and mental health problems were found, along with relationships between mental health problems and mental health screening and service delivery. Most interestingly, results pointed to the strong inverse relationship between mental health service delivery and youth’s perceived likelihood for recidivism. These findings show the promise of juvenile justice systems appropriately responding to the mental health concerns of youth

Re-imagine an AIDS free generation: Examining youth and young adults’ personal agency and its association with HIV testing

Exploring youth and young adult’s agency may be a way to increase HIV testing and help end the HIV epidemic. We used data from the National Survey of Teens and Young Adults (15–24) on HIV/AIDS (N = 1,437). Data were collected from September 21-October 1, 2012. The sample included 748 girls and 689 boys; and the mean age is 20 years (SD: 3.02). Youth and young adults completed a 40-question survey on attitudes and knowledge about HIV. Using a multivariable logistic regression analysis, study findings suggest that focusing on protective health behaviors like the role youth can play in ending the epidemic and hearing about an AIDS-free generation were both associated with an increase in HIV testing. Our study finds that enhancing the role and influence of personal agency can inform HIV prevention and intervention programs that are specific to youth

The Mental Health of Black Youth Affected by Community Violence: Family and School Context as Pathways to Resilience

Black youth who experience community violence occupy multiple environments with varying levels of influence on how they display resiliency to prevent adverse mental health outcomes. Considering the recent rise of mental health concerns (i.e., increase in suicidal outcomes) among Black youth, along with the abundance of research illustrating the detrimental impact of community violence, more research is needed to examine how different environmental factors (e.g., family and school) shape how youth protect their mental health while displaying resiliency navigating community violence. The purpose of this study was to examine how family and school contexts predict Black youths&rsquo; ability to display resiliency to navigate community violence and prevent adverse mental health outcomes. This study utilized a path analysis to examine the associations between parent relationships, parent bonding, school climate, resilience to adverse community experiences, community violence, and mental health among 548 Black adolescents in Chicago. Findings highlight that parent relationships, parent bonding, and school climate influence the association between resilience to community violence and mental health outcomes among Black youth. Implications for mental health practice and policy among Black youth are discussed