Anthony G. James

Can Parenting Microprotections Buffer Against Adolescents’ Experiences of Racial Discrimination?

Previous research highlights the importance and pervasiveness of racial discrimination for minority youth in the United States. Adolescents may experience either personal or group race-based discrimination. While past research found both forms of discrimination are harmful to well-being it is unknown whether parental microprotections, which may buffer against the negative effects of discrimination, protect against both forms of discrimination. Informed by ecological frameworks the present study examined whether parent microprotections (parental warmth/acceptance, cultural socialization, preparation for bias) buffered the effects of personal and group discrimination on adolescents’ depressive symptoms. Participants were African American early adolescents (N = 129; 58% female) and their parents (90% mothers). Adolescents attended a Midwestern, Title 1, urban, public middle school and completed surveys in their homerooms and parents completed paper-pencil surveys at home, online or surveys via telephone. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test whether adolescents’ personal and group discrimination at school were related to their reports of depressive symptoms and evaluate whether parent microprotections buffered these associations. Results showed that parental microprotections moderated the effects of personal discrimination on depressive symptoms but did not buffer the effects of group discrimination. These results highlight the importance of distinguishing between personal and group discrimination. Further, additional protective factors need to be identified and tested to better understand parental actions that potentially buffer the negative effects of discrimination.

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS): A synthesis of existing research

ABSTRACT Although evidence suggests significant and positive relationships between School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) implementation and student outcomes, research is still needed to review and consolidate this existing literature base. The current study synthesized findings from 55 cases in order to better understand the (a) general quantity, quality, and types of SWPBIS research being conducted, and (b) overall magnitude of these relationships across studies. The majority of cases were single descriptive studies, included PBIS implementation data, and studied diverse elementary or multigrade populations within the United States. Of the cases that performed statistical analyses, the majority reported unanimously positive or predominately positive findings, and these findings were notably more positive for behavioral outcomes than for academic outcomes. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Revisiting Mahoney’s ‘My body is a temple…’ study: spirituality as a mediator of the religion–health interaction among adolescents

Abstract This study proposes and tests a new model that seeks to explain associations between religion, spirituality and health outcomes among adolescents. Specifically, we test for mediating effects of perceived spirituality on religion–health relations. Using data from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, we find that perceived spirituality mediates religion–health relations, but that varies based on youths’ conceptualisation of spirituality. With findings confirming that perceived spirituality potentially promote youths’ psychosocial health, we offer some future research directions and implications regarding relations between youths’ spirituality, religion and health behaviours.

Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports

Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a prevention-oriented, data-driven, multi-tiered framework for providing a continuum of behavioural supports to enhance student and school outcomes. PBIS involves the application of increasingly intense tiers of support, based on student need. At Tier 1, a school identifies 3–5 positively worded behavioural expectations that are taught, modelled, practiced, reinforced, and prompted consistently school-wide with all students. At Tier 2, students at risk, or experiencing minimal behavioural concerns, are provided with low-intensity interventions (for example, small group support, mentoring) and their progress is monitored. Finally, at Tier 3, students who are exhibiting significant behavioural concerns, and those who have not sufficiently responded to Tier 1 and Tier 2 services, are provided with intensive supports, often including a functional behaviour assessment and individualized behaviour intervention plan. Research has shown PBIS to improve pro-social behaviour, school climate, and academic achievement, while also reducing discipline referrals, problem behaviour, and school exclusion. However, the effectiveness of PBIS across cultural settings depends on the degree to which PBIS is planned for and implemented in a culturally responsive manner. Although culturally responsive practices have certainly been included within the PBIS discourse, we argue that increased attention to this critical feature of PBIS is warranted. For example, it is important for schools to ensure that the Tier 1 PBIS expectations are developed with the local cultural context in mind, and are taught and reinforced in a culturally congruent way. Furthermore, schools should disaggregate their PBIS student data by student subgroups (such as, racial/ethnic, gender, economic), and analyze and address the causes of any disparities in outcomes. The chapter aims to: (a) describe the key features of PBIS, provide a rationale for its use in schools, and review research on its effectiveness, (b) highlight the importance of, and key considerations for, ensuring that PBIS is culturally-responsive, and (c) provide recommendations for implementing and evaluating a comprehensive and culturally-responsive PBIS framework.

Assessing school climate within a PBIS framework: using multi-informant assessment to identify strengths and needs

Abstract A multi-method, multi-informant method was used to collect data from diverse stakeholders about school climate to inform school improvement efforts as part of the Positive Behaviour Intervention Supports (PBIS) framework. Teachers, administrators, school staff and students completed surveys and parents participated in focus groups to gather perspectives about school climate. Respondents identified safety as a strength at the school, staff and student results suggested interpersonal relationships as an area for improvement and staff identified parent involvement as an area for growth. Both positive and negative perceptions of school climate emerged from the parent focus group. While there are limitations to the generalisability of the results, this case study provides a useful approach for schools to assess their school climate and establish goals for improvement.

A re-investigating of the religious orientation-moral reasoning relationship: a relational developmental systems perspective

This study re-investigates the relationship between religious orientation and Kohlberg’s moral reasoning among students at a midwestern (USA) university. Multiple regression analyses revealed that quest-oriented religiosity was significantly positively related to principled moral reasoning, as consistently found in previous studies, while intrinsic religious orientation showed no relation to principled moral reasoning. We discuss our findings through a lens of relational developmental systems theory, suggesting that a more integrative measure is needed to better understand the complex relationship between religious orientation and moral reasoning.