Francesca Cristini

The Adolescents, Life Context, and School Project: Youth Voice and Civic Participation

The Adolescents, Life Context, & School project was developed in a suburban, residential area of Padova, Italy, and involved three classes of 12-year-old children. Across three months, children observed, documented, and talked about their own life contexts in order to voice problems to decision makers. Both teachers and council members played key roles in supporting the project and the childrens work. Limited quantitative results showed an increase in reported neighborhood civic responsibility compared to a control group of students. Qualitative evaluation results demonstrated strong interest. The involvement by teachers, local government, and students in the project led to real actions and improvements in the neighborhood and school and to the creation of an official youth affairs council. The program provides a model for service-learning and organized student civic engagement.

Commitment or Disaffection? Framing the Forms, Meanings, and Predictors of Youth Civic Engagement in Italy

The relevance of civic engagement for youth was outlined, as far back as 1951, by Havighurst who ‘‘listed civic competence and socially responsible behavior among the ten developmental tasks of adolescence’’ (Flanagan & Gallay, 1995, p. 34). Subsequently, Erikson (1982) outlined that the development of community awareness is relevant for personal development as part of the process that results in a broader identity formation. Even if many years have passed since the relevance of youth civic engagement was first posited, many questions related to this topic are still current: How and why do youth and young adults become engaged in and responsible for the future of their societies? Which factors, pertaining to the individuals and the contexts where they live (family, peer, school, and communities), promote youth civic engagement? Which strategies and programs could be implemented to effectively enhance youth civic engagement? This themed issue of the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community aims to address these questions with regard to the civic engagement of Italian youth and young adults. By civic engagement in general we mean all the behaviors and attitudes of individuals that take into account the community in which one lives and promote benefits for the community as a whole. We have chosen this theme

“Volunteering by Chance” to Promote Civic Responsibility and Civic Engagement: Does It Work?

This study investigated the effectiveness of a program to promote civic responsibility and prevent antisocial behavior in a sample of Italian adolescents. Participants were 83 Italian male adolescents, attending the second year of high school (Mean age = 15.79; SD = 0.87). In order to test the efficacy of different strategies (in-classroom training and service activity in a voluntary organization) we divided students into two experimental groups—one classroom of students participated in both strategies (training + volunteering group) and another classroom only participated in the training (training only group)—and one control group. Process and efficacy evaluations were completed. Data were collected before and following the intervention. The process evaluation revealed that the program was highly accepted and appreciated by students. The efficacy evaluation revealed no intervention effects on civic responsibility. However, the training + volunteering group reported a significant decrease in antisocial behavior after the program. Thus, the program was effective in preventing antisocial behavior but not in promoting civic responsibility in our sample.

Testing the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior for Predicting Binge Drinking Among Young People

ABSTRACT Background: One of the most problematic modes of alcohol consumption in young adults is risky drinking in single episodes, which typically takes place in social contexts. Several studies have applied the Theory of Planned Behavior to drinking intentions and behavior in young people. However, previous studies show that this model lacks a “bridge” that links a mental process like intentions to a physical process represented by the actual action. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to test the predictive power of the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior plus social influences in order to overcome theory of planned behavior gaps in predicting binge-drinking behavior in young people. Methods: 404 undergraduates completed a questionnaire containing measures for the MGB variables, social identity, and group norms. Two weeks later, participants reported how many times they had had five/four or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion. Structural equation modeling revealed strong support for model validity. Results: The final equation accounted for 66% in intentions to binge drink, and 48% in drinking behavior, while a planned behavior model accounted for the 47% of variance in intentions to binge and 37% of the drinking behavior. Social influences positively affected desire and intentions to drink. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, compared to other attitude-behavior frameworks, the MGB is preferable in modeling the proximal determinants of binge drinking. Therefore, the distinction between desire and intention and the consideration of social influences seem to be essential to improve the prediction of binge drinking among young people.

Comportamento antisociale e contesti di vita in preadolescenza

The aim of the present study is to analyze the influence of different contexts on the development of antisocial behaviours during early-adolescence. We analyzed different contexts such as family, peer group, school and neighbourhood. The sample was composed by 1.155 students (51.3% males) from 5 middle schools in Veneto Region. A multiple regression and a cluster analysis were used to analyze different interrelation among contexts’ perceptions. Results show that antisocial behaviours are more frequent among older students, males and youths living in an industrial suburban area. Higher level of monitoring, peer support and positive relationship with teachers play the role of protective factors while autonomous decisions and, especially, deviant peers can be considered highly dysfunctional. Significant interactions between monitoring and deviant peer, and between relationships with teachers and autonomous decisions were found. These interactions will be deeply commented in the paper. Cluster analysis was used to define contextual patterns (developed by multiple contextual aspects) and to analyze the relation among these clusters and antisocial behaviours. Results show that there are two specific groups of students that have higher levels of antisocial behaviours: these two groups are characterized by an high level of frequencies of deviant peer, or by a negative perception of all the contextual aspects considered.

Quando la Peer education esce dalla scuola

La peer education e stata ampiamente utilizzata come strumento per la promozione del benessere e per la prevenzione dei comportamenti a rischio, tra cui in particolare il consumo di sostanze psicoattive ed i comportamenti sessuali a rischio. Il contesto elettivo di applicazione della peer education e tradizionalmente stato quello scolastico, tuttavia recentemente si e assistito ad una sua diffusione sempre maggiore anche nei contesti extra-scolastici. La ricerca inerente i progetti di peer education in contesti extra-scolastici e tuttavia ridotta rispetto allo studio dell’applicazione della peer education a scuola. Il presente lavoro ha lo scopo di illustrare alcune caratteristiche dell’applicazione della peer education in contesti scolastici ed extrascolastici. Le caratteristiche dei progetti realizzati al di fuori della scuola sono state estrapolate da un’analisi svolta su alcuni progetti di peer education, realizzati a livello nazionale e internazionale. Vengono evidenziate le peculiarita e le differenze nell’applicazione della peer education nel tradizionale contesto scolastico ed in quello extra-scolastico, facendo riferimento in particolare ai progetti di prevenzione dei comportamenti a rischio. Sono quindi delineati vantaggi e limiti dell’applicazione della peer education nei due diversi contesti. Infine vengono sottolineate alcune criticita nell’utilizzo della peer education al di fuori della scuola, quali in particolare la mancanza di specifiche linee-guida che permetterebbero una maggior comunicazione e coordinazione tra i progetti, il mancato riferimento a specifici modelli teorici, la carenza di rigorosi ed appropriati sistemi di valutazione dei progetti.

Benessere psicologico degli adolescenti immigrati: quando il contesto fa la differenza

Obiettivo del presente studio e stato quello di confrontare due diversi contesti socioculturali rispetto all’integrazione ed al benessere psicologico degli adolescenti immigrati. I due contesti (Padova ed Aosta) presentano caratteristiche diverse nell’atteggiamento verso l’immigrazione e nell’inserimento sociale e lavorativo degli immigrati. Hanno partecipato allo studio, svolto tramite questionario, 2533 studenti (66.7% maschi; eta media: 17.26; D.S.=1.63), di cui il 14.2% sono immigrati di 1a o 2a generazione. I risultati mostrano che gli adolescenti immigrati di Aosta riportano minori livelli di discriminazione percepita e maggiori livelli di identita nazionale, rispetto agli adolescenti immigrati a Padova. Inoltre si evidenziano maggiori disparita tra immigrati e non immigrati a Padova, rispetto ad Aosta. Tali disparita riguardano agiatezza economica, benessere psicologico e sostegno dei compagni. Tali risultati vengono discussi rispetto alle loro implicazioni circa l’adattamento e l’integrazione degli adolescenti immigrati.

Orientare le attività di prevenzione verso programmi di prevenzione selettiva: l’esperienza del Veneto

Orientare le attivita di prevenzione verso programmi di prevenzione selettiva: l’esperienza del Veneto - Finalita del presente studio e stata quella di analizzare le caratteristiche dei progetti di prevenzione del consumo di sostanze psicoattive presentati alla Regione Veneto in risposta alla Deliberazione della Giunta n. 456 relativa al Fondo Regionale di Intervento per la Lotta alla Droga. In particolare ci si e posti l’obiettivo di indagare come le Agenzie del territorio hanno risposto alla richiesta di prevenzione selettiva e di confrontare i progetti presentati con i criteri stabiliti dalla ricerca scientifica circa gli interventi di prevenzione efficaci. Sono state analizzate le schede progettuali dei 70 progetti presentati alla Regione. I risultati evidenziano che i progetti sono coerenti con alcuni dei criteri di efficacia stabiliti dalla letteratura scientifica, soprattutto per quanto riguarda l’azione su diversi contesti e l’adozione di molteplici strategie. Le maggiori criticita sono emerse rispetto all’adozione di uno specifico modello teorico su cui costruire il progetto ed alla identificazione del target a rischio utilizzando specifici fattori di rischio e di protezione.

Valutare è utile

Is it useful program evaluation?(by Francesca Cristini, Massimo Santinello, Luca Zini, Marzia Tosell) - This article describe a single case study of a prevention program evaluation. Major issues is: can the program evaluation be an instrument to address the gap between research and practice in prevention, and a process to improve the program and capacities of the program staff? To discuss this question we describe a program evaluation and discuss obtained results from this process. Evaluators used three approaches to guide the process: empowerment evaluation, utilizationfocused evaluation and theory based evaluation. Evaluation process was composed by three main components: evaluability assessment and making clear of program theory, developing evaluation plan and interpretation and use of evaluation results. Results showed that program evaluation can be an important improvement process both for the program and for the social workers group. Keywords: program evaluation, social work prevention