Rashmi Shetgiri

Predictors of Weapon-Related Behaviors among African American, Latino, and White Youth

OBJECTIVE To identify risk and protective factors for weapon involvement among African American, Latino, and white adolescents. STUDY DESIGN The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health is a nationally representative survey of 7th-12th grade students. Predictors at wave 1 and outcome at wave 2 were analyzed. Data were collected in the mid-1990s, when rates of violent crime had been declining. The outcome was a dichotomous measure of weapon-involvement in the past year, created using 3 items (weapon-carrying, pulled gun/knife, shot/stabbed someone). Bivariate and multilevel logistic regression analyses examined associations of individual, peer, family, and community characteristics with weapon involvement; stratified analyses were conducted with African American, Latino, and white subsamples. RESULTS Emotional distress and substance use were risk factors for all groups. Violence exposure and peer delinquency were risk factors for whites and African Americans. Gun availability in the home was associated with weapon involvement for African Americans only. High educational aspirations were protective for African Americans and Latinos, but higher family connectedness was protective for Latinos only. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to prevent weapon-related behaviors among African American, Latino, and white adolescents may benefit from addressing emotional distress and substance use. Risk and protective factors vary by race/ethnicity after adjusting for individual, peer, family, and community characteristics. Addressing violence exposure, minimizing the influence of delinquent peers, promoting educational aspirations, and enhancing family connectedness could guide tailoring of violence prevention interventions.

Practical strategies for clinical management of bullying

Practical strategies for clinical management of bullying / , Practical strategies for clinical management of bullying / , کتابخانه دیجیتال جندی شاپور اهواز

Bullying Trends, Correlates, Consequences, and Characteristics

Bullying is regarded as a significant problem in the US among school-aged youth. Rates for bullying among school-age youth range from 10 % to 30 % internationally with a notable increase during the middle school years. Rates appear to vary across sex and race/ethnicity. Many studies report that boys are more likely to engage in physical bullying than girls. Several national and international research studies have documented that experiences of being victimized or bullying other students are associated with decreased academic achievement. Although there is fairly consistent evidence that there is increased suicide risk for those involved in bullying, evidence suggests that risk might vary for youth who are bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Only recently, have studies examined the link between bullying involvement and later delinquency and/or criminal behavior. Bullies and children who are victimized by bullying are heterogeneous groups.

Infant temperament and behavioral problems: analysis of high-risk infants in child welfare

ABSTRACT Researchers have demonstrated the association between difficult temperament in infancy and early childhood behavioral problems, but to date this has not been demonstrated in the child welfare population. This study utilized the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of children in the child-welfare system. The sample consisted of 1084 infants 0–12 months old at baseline who were investigated for suspected child abuse. The researchers used longitudinal, multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between difficult temperament score in infants 0–12 months who had child welfare involvement and clinical-range Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000) score at 36-months-follow-up. Findings from this study suggest that among children with substantiated maltreatment, difficult temperament in infancy predicts early childhood behavioral problems. This relationship persists after adjusting for other risk factors, such as placement, caregiver depression, and family income. The study also discusses implications for child welfare practices. Abbreviations: National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing II (NSCAW-II); Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL); Early Childhood Behavioral Problems (ECBPs)

Anti-bullying Policies and Advocacy

There are currently no federal laws directly addressing bullying. Bullying does, however, overlap with discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability or religion. State and local lawmakers in many parts of the country have taken action to prevent bullying and protect children. Almost all 50 states have an anti-bullying statute, and most states also have model anti-bullying policies to provide guidance to school districts on how to design their anti-bullying policies. There are significant state and local differences in how these anti-bullying statutes function. Many agencies and organizations have created promising and best practices to improve outcomes for children who are bullied. Physicians and public health practitioners can play an enormously important advocacy role, along with principals, educators, parents, and students in promoting knowledge about bullying prevention and sharing resources.

Bullying and Special Populations

Research findings consistently demonstrate that specific populations are at increased risk of being victimized and/or bullied by their peers, including students with disabilities, sexual minority youth, and obese or overweight youth. Students with disabilities are twice as likely to be identified as perpetrators and victims of bullying than students without disabilities. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are almost four times as likely to be victimized by bullying as children without ADHD; relational bullying and ostracism are particularly prevalent in this group. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at particularly high risk for victimization from bullying. Weight-based bullying is identified as the most common reason for victimization at 41 %, followed by perceived sexual orientation at 38 %, and intellectual ability or academic performance at school at 10 %.

School-Based Bullying Prevention Strategies

Most bullying prevention strategies are school-based. Many bullying prevention programs available to schools and communities are not evidence-based. In the past 6 years, several meta-analyses have been conducted, and data indicate that the efficacy of school-based bullying prevention programs have varied across countries and contexts. School-based violence prevention programs that facilitate social and emotional learning skills, address interpersonal conflict, and teach emotion management have shown promise in reducing youth violence, bullying, and disruptive behaviors in classrooms. Programs that have been well-studied include the Olweus Bully Prevention Program (OBPP), Peaceful Schools Project, KiVa National Anti-bullying Program in Finland, Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program, Second Step: Student Success Through Prevention program, the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) program, and the Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating (RULER) Approach.

“Sometimes People Mean?”: A Parent’s Perspective on Victimization of Children with Special Health Care Needs

Bullying among children with special health care needs is a highly-charged topic for parents, and writing about it brings not only opportunities to examine the research, but also some unexpected feelings. Reading articles, blogs, and watching YouTube videos of parents working together with teachers, administrators, and legislators to prevent bullying is inspiring; it is through these collaborative efforts that bullying prevention will succeed. But my own child’s story keeps creeping in; unresolved outcomes from bullying experiences in the past, which may never be completely resolved. The experiences of my child with special health care needs, his challenges with being bullied, and my attempts to protect him, are similar to many of the stories found in case reports and news articles.

Clinical Management of Bullying

Bullying among children is an important concern for parents. In one study of parents of children 2–17 years old, bullying was one of the top ten health concerns for children and adolescents. Multiple professional medical societies have issued policies or recommendations regarding bullying and the healthcare provider’s role in bullying prevention and intervention. American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures guidelines recommend that pediatricians inquire about bullying, beginning with the 5-year-old well-child visit, and continuing through adolescence. There is little information on evidence-based bullying-prevention interventions in the clinical setting. The majority of adolescents access social media sites daily, with more than one out of five adolescents accessing these sites more than ten times a day. There are some unique strategies that can be used for cyber bullying.