Jason T. Castillo

Fathering: the relationship between fathers' residence, fathers' sociodemographic characteristics, and father involvement.

Literature and research examining father involvement has focused primarily on outcomes associated with the well-being and development of children. The contextual factors associated with fathers, and how these factors shape fathers’ involvement with their young children, have received limited attention in this literature. Addressing this limitation, this study focuses on the relationship between fathers’ residential status, age, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, financial status and father involvement. Results of the regression models indicate that fathers who reside with their children and fathers who are older are more involved with their children. Given these findings, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have an opportunity to create and enhance policies and programs that may assist and support fathers in their development as parents and their involvement with their children.

Drug Resistance Strategies and Substance Use among Adolescents in Monterrey, Mexico

This study examined drug resistance strategies and substance use among adolescents from Monterrey, Mexico. The focus was strategies that U.S. adolescents use most often to resist using substances, including refuse (saying no), explain (declining with an explanation), avoid (staying away from situations where drugs are offered), and leave (exiting situations where drugs are offered). Using self-administered questionnaire data from a convenience sample of 327 Mexican students enrolled at two secondary schools (preparatorias), we tested whether frequent use of particular drug resistance strategies predicted actual substance use. Multiple regression results showed that different strategies were effective for different substances, that some effects were mediated by number of offers received, and that certain effects were stronger for females than for males. Students using the refuse strategy reported less cigarette use and less binge drinking; those using the avoid strategy reported less alcohol and cigarette use; and those using the leave strategy reported less binge drinking and, for females only, less marijuana use. Use of the explain strategy was not significantly related to substance use after controlling for use of other strategies. Findings are discussed in terms of Mexican cultural values and their implications for the design of prevention programs for Mexican youth. Editors’ Strategic Implications: Replication is necessary to evaluate some of the effects of sampling, the prevention model, implementation, and culture on these findings, but the study underscores the importance of recognizing and understanding the cultural context in which prevention programs—and the clients they serve—exist.

Walking a High Beam The Balance Between Employment Stability, Workplace Flexibility, and Nonresident Father Involvement

Compared with resident fathers, nonresident fathers are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed and less likely, when they are employed, to have access to flexible work arrangements. Although lack of employment stability is associated with lower levels of father involvement, some research shows that increased stability at work without increased flexibility is negatively related to involvement. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 895), the authors examined the relationship between nonresident fathers’ employment stability, workplace flexibility, and father involvement. Results indicate that workplace flexibility, but not employment stability, is associated with higher levels of involvement. Policy and practice implications are discussed.

Policing immigrants: Fear of deportations and perceptions of law enforcement and criminal justice:

Summary This study examined the relationship between the fear of deportation and perceptions of law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the willingness to report crimes among Latinos in the US. Understanding the relationship between increased immigration enforcement and fear of deportation may promote public safety by improving the relationship between the police and Latino communities. Findings Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses of the data found that participants who had a greater fear of deportation reported: (1) less confidence that police would not use excessive force (p < .01); (2) less confidence that police would treat Latinos fairly (p < .05); (3) a lower likelihood of reporting crimes (p < .05); and (4) less confidence that the courts would treat Latinos fairly (p < .01). Applications Social work practitioners can help address this issue and improve the relationship between law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the Latino community by: delivering cultural competence training for police and criminal justice personnel; educating Latinos about how to protect their rights when interacting with police and the criminal justice system; and by advocating for immigration reform that can help improve public safety and reduce fear in Latino communities.

The role of the Government in addressing social issues in Ghana: The perceptions of Ghanaian undergraduate social work students

Summary Data for this exploratory study were drawn from a sample of 185 Ghanaian social work students from one university in Ghana in the Fall of 2010. Complementary log–log ordinal logistic regressions were run to analyze the relationship between Ghanaian social work students’ sociodemographic variables and their perceptions of the central government’s role in addressing social issues in Ghana. Findings The results of this study demonstrated that there are indeed differences between Ghanaian social work students by age, gender, marital status, and number of children on their perceptions of the role of the government in addressing social issues in Ghana. The findings revealed that social work students who were female, younger, nonmarried, or without children were more likely to perceive that the government should ensure employment, health insurance, and equal opportunities to Ghanaians. Moreover, the findings revealed that social work students with one or more children were less likely to perceive that the government should ensure health insurance. Applications Social work administrators and educators may wish to make several changes to undergraduate social work students’ coursework and practicum placement training that requires social work students to take and complete (a) theoretical courses that emphasize concepts associated with human rights and social justice, (b) diversity courses that emphasize the intersection between age, gender, marital status, poverty, and inequality in Ghana, (c) macro courses that emphasize the historical, political, economic, and social realms of the district, regional, and central governments in Ghana, and (d) practicum placements at macro public sector organizations.

The Relationship Between Disadvantaged Fathers’ Employment Stability, Workplace Flexibility, and Involvement With Their Infant Children

ABSTRACT In the United States, the slow pace of economic recovery and change in the workplace has created barriers for disadvantaged fathers to engage with their infant children. Using secondary data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (n = 1,548), one of a few national studies that examine disadvantaged fathers, we conducted a series of regression analyses examining the relationship between disadvantaged fathers’ employment stability, workplace flexibility, and involvement with their infant children. The results showed that resident, younger, Black, higher income-earning fathers and fathers with stable employment and workplace flexibility were more involved with their infant children. This study provides additional evidence to the literature espousing the importance of workplace policies and arrangements that provide employees with stability and flexibility in the workplace. In doing so, policymakers, employers, and practitioners should develop and implement workplace policies and arrangements strengthening the relationships between disadvantaged fathers and their children and families, employees and their employers, businesses and their consumers, and businesses and their communities. With changes in the American household and workforce nationwide, especially as they relate to men and disadvantaged fathers, it is important that future research continue to examine the relationship between these two entities.

The Moderating Role of Parental Monitoring on the Influence of Peer Pro-Drug Norms on Alcohol and Cigarette Use Among Adolescents in Mexico

This study utilized data drawn from a study of 980 adolescents living in Tijuana, Mexico, in February 2009 to examine whether parental monitoring had a moderating impact on the influence of peer pro-drug norms on lifetime and past-30-day alcohol and cigarette use among a group of adolescents living along the United States–Mexico border. The results of primary analyses indicated that parental monitoring did moderate the influence of peer pro-drug norms for past-30-day cigarette use for males but not for females. Research and practice implications for U.S. and Mexican culturally grounded prevention programs are discussed.

Legal Representation and Education for Minority Youth Intervention

Literature has revealed that ethnic/racial minority youth are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. The present study investigated whether providing legal representation to ethnic/racial minority youth in juvenile court would lead to fewer convictions and less severe sanctions. The sample consisted of 10,938 youth (2003–2007), with 32% ethnic/racial minority youth. The states juvenile sentencing guidelines were used to evaluate the legal representation practice. Multinomial regressions were conducted to examine the effect of legal representation and ethnicity on convictions and sanctions, controlling for criminal history and severity of offense. Results were that legal representation for both ethnic/racial minority and non-minority youth decreased the likelihood of convictions. However, legal representation was also associated with less and more severe sanctions than recommended sentencing guidelines. Taken together, legal representation for youth in juvenile court may lead to dismissal of criminal charges, but for those youth who are convicted, attorney presence may lead to receiving more severe sanctions.