Kelly N. Graves

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE PERPETRATED BY COLLEGE WOMEN WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A HISTORY OF VICTIMIZATION

Using a longitudinal design, the current study explored intimate partner violence perpetration among 1,300 college women within the context of ones history of physical and sexual victimization across 4 years of college. Structural equation modeling indicated that sexual victimization does not predict concurrent use of womens intimate partner violence but does predict subsequent use of womens intimate partner violence during the later years of college. In contrast, physical victimization is associated positively with concurrent use of womens intimate partner violence but is negatively associated with subsequent use of womens intimate partner violence for women. Furthermore, the negative relationship of victimization to subsequent perpetration primarily is due to those with high levels of victimization histories. The present study provides the first model of intimate partner violence within the context of victimization history using longitudinal data. The findings indicate that womens intimate partner violence perpetration is not context-free, but rather is influenced by their own physical and sexual victimization histories.

Factors Associated With Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Involvement Among Children With Severe Emotional Disturbance

Recent research has highlighted the fact that there is an overrepresentation of children with mental health problems in the juvenile justice system. Thus, this study uses a clinical sample of children receiving mental health services to examine demographic (e.g., age, ethnicity), person-level (e.g., anxious and/or depressed), family-level (e.g., number of transitions in living situations), and school-level factors associated with being involved in the mental health and juvenile justice service systems (i.e., dual involvement). Analyses were conducted separately by gender to investigate differences in dual involvement and possible differences in the predictors of dual involvement. For boys and girls, older adolescents and a higher number of living transitions were associated with dual involvement. For girls only, depression and/or anxiety and social problems were associated with dual involvement. The findings highlight the need for greater collaboration among service systems given the strong overlap between mental health and juvenile justice involvement for many children.

Teaching Conflict Resolution Skills to Middle and High School Students Through Interactive Drama and Role Play

ABSTRACT In response to the rising levels of school conflict, the present study investigated a new approach to conflict resolution for middle and high school students using interactive drama and role play called the Win-Win Resolutions program. The standardized curriculum delivered within the school setting includes strategies for self-control and anger coping, self-management of feelings, and interpersonal problem-solving. Participants included 2,440 students using a pre-post survey methodology. Results indicated middle and high school students showing a decrease in their levels of relational aggression, and high schools students showing a decrease in their levels of physical aggression. Furthermore, high school students indicated an increase in their levels of effective communication while both middle and high school students exhibited an increase in their general knowledge regarding positive conflict resolution strategies. Implications and recommendations for school-based conflict resolution programs are offered.

Ethnic, Gender, and Age Differences in Adolescent Nonfatal Suicidal Behaviors

This study examined ethnic differences in adolescent nonfatal suicidal behaviors as well as age and gender variation both across and within ethnic groups. Using a large (n = 14, 346) sample of adolescents in Grades 7 through 12, African Americans reported relatively high rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts and Southeast Asians reported high rates of suicidal thoughts. Hispanic Americans, European Americans, and Asian Americans were similar in their reports of nonfatal suicidal behaviors. Gender differences also varied across ethnicity as Southeast Asian boys (particularly older boys) reported more suicidal thoughts and attempts than Southeast Asian girls.

Contextual Risk and Parental Attributions of Children’s Behavior as Factors that Influence the Acceptability of Empirically Supported Treatments

This study examined the acceptability of several empirically supported treatments (child social skills training, parent training and medication) within a sample of low-income African American mothers of a preschooler exhibiting significant disruptive behavior. Contextual risk and causal and responsibility attributions were predicted to be associated with treatment acceptability. Eighty-seven participants completed an attributional-style measure of child misbehavior and considered hypothetically the acceptability of several empirically supported treatments. Social skills and parent training were highly accepted, while medication was not. Greater causal attributions (childs behavior viewed as global, stable and due to something within the child) were associated with higher acceptability of social skills training. The relationship between attributions and medication was moderated by risk. In the context of high risk, lower causal attributions were associated with higher acceptability of medication whereas in the context of low risk, lower causal attributions were associated with lower acceptability of medication. In contrast, in the context of high risk, higher responsibility attributions (childs behavior viewed as purposeful, selfish and deserving of blame) were associated with greater acceptability of medication, while in the context of low risk, higher responsibility attributions were associated with lower acceptability of medication. Implications for future research and the implementation of empirically supported treatments within communities of color and those with economic disadvantage are discussed.

Building Positive Life Skills the Smart Girls Way: Evaluation of a School-Based Sexual Responsibility Program for Adolescent Girls

In response to the public health epidemic of teenage pregnancy, the present study investigated a new, gender-specific, school-based approach to adolescent pregnancy prevention for middle school girls called Smart Girls Life Skills Training© (Smart Girls). Participants included 854 students (633, experimental group; 221, control group) across three time points to assess change in social sexuality expectations, personal/self sexuality expectations, perceived susceptibility, and parent—adolescent communication. Girls who received the Smart Girls curriculum increased their personal/self sexuality expectations and improved some aspects of their parent—adolescent communication compared to control group participants. The evaluation provides initial evidence that Smart Girls is at least partially effective at changing personal/self sexuality expectations and parent—adolescent communication for middle school girls. Implications, recommendations, and next steps for school-based teen pregnancy prevention programs are offered.

Utilization of Individual versus Family Therapy Among Adolescents with Severe Emotional Disturbance

Service utilization patterns among children with severe emotional and/or behavioral disturbances are described for 89 children and families, interviewed at two time points across a 6-month period. Children received a greater number of individual therapy sessions than family therapy sessions, and children significantly decreased their levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Family therapy was associated with decreases in internalizing behaviors when children reported outcomes. Individual therapy was not associated with changes in either internalizing or externalizing behaviors regardless of reporter. Symptom severity did not dictate whether children were provided individual or family therapy. Recommendations for individualized treatment plans are offered.