Sherry C. Betts

Exploring the Utility of Social Control Theory for Youth Development Issues of Attachment, Involvement, and Gender

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of social control theorys “attachment” and “involvement” bonds as protective factors to examine gender differences in reports of delinquency and academic achievement in a sample of 7th to 12th graders. Attachment bonds were operationalized as attachment to parents, to nonparent adults, and to peers; involvement bonds were operationalized as time spent in various school- and non-school-based activities. It was expected that, with respect to delinquency and academic achievement, attachment bond variables would be more protective for females than the involvement bond variables, whereas the involvement bond variables would be more protective for males than the attachment bond variables. The findings suggest that although several of the involvement bond variables of social control theory are predictive of both delinquency and academic achievement for both genders, only the attachment bond variables provide such an overall protective function for females. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Adolescent Suicide Risk and Peer-Related Violent Behaviors and Victimization

This exploratory study seeks to better understand the link between peer-related violence (perpetration and victimization) and suicide risk among youth. The study uses data gathered from Arizona, Nevada, and Wyoming, where the highest rates of adolescent suicide in the United States are found. The data derive from in-school surveys of eighth-grade students conducted during 1998 and 1999. Higher levels of reported suicide risk were prominent among the multiethnic, urban, and female respondents. Male and female respondents who perpetrated violence by initiating fights, threatening to use weapons, and using weapons to assault others were more likely to be classified in the high-risk suicide group than those who did not. General results were similar for victims and those witnessing violence. Implications for prevention programming and future research are discussed.

Examining Fourth Generation Evaluation: Application to Positive Youth Development

The utility of Guba and Lincolns (1989) Fourth Generation Evaluation (FGE) method has been a source of debate in the field of evaluation (e.g. Adelman, 1996; Greene, 1996; Laughlin and Broadbent, 1996). The majority of these debates tend to focus on hypothetical implementation issues. Few, if any, have attempted to examine FGE through direct application of the method to an actual evaluand of interest. The purpose of the present article is to examine the utility of incorporating the FGE methodology as one of the first steps in a community–university collaboration regarding youth. The strengths and limitations of the FGE methodology will be highlighted through a discussion of its application. Revealed strengths of FGE include the involvement of multiple stakeholder groups, exposure to multiple perspectives, and fostering early support for later programmatic developments. Limitations include difficulties in defining stakeholders, and providing evidence of education and empowerment. The information gained from this application has practical implications for others seeking to employ the FGE methodology.

System-Wide Evaluation: Taking the Pulse of a National Organization Serving Children, Youth, and Families at Risk

Effective organizations evolve with society. As a response to conditions that place children and their families at risk, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Cooperative Extension) funded the Children, Youth, and Families At Risk National Initiative and expanded the audiences typically served. To assess organizational support for programs for at-risk audiences and examine system-wide changes, Cooperative Extension conducted a system-wide evaluation effort. From late 1997 to early 1998, data were collected from 4,956 Extension professionals working on issues related to children, youth, and families. The Organizational Change Survey was developed to measure 5 components of organizational support for programming. Performance gap items were included to compare perceptions of the current system to perceptions of an ideal system. In this article, we outline the evaluation process and discuss results that informed Cooperative Extension regarding the st...

Evaluation Research in Context: A Community Application for Youth and Family Programs

Despite extensive literature on evaluation strategies and models, few published reports exist relative to practical applications of such strategies. This article follows one community as it mobilized around youth issues, resulting in a pregnancy prevention program. The intent of this article is to outline the application of evaluation concepts and strategies and to examine the effect of the larger program development and evaluation processes rather than to present specific results of the evaluation data collected over the course of this work. The utility and merit of evaluation concepts will be discussed as the authors follow a small southwestern rural community over nearly 2 years.

A multidisciplinary NGO: the interface of home economics with gender and development

Patricia Goldey teaches and researches social development and social policy, with primary interests in gender and rural livelihoods at the University of Reading. Sherry C. Betts conducts applied research and programme evaluation on home economics and adolescent issues at the University of ArizonaPatricia Goldey teaches and researches social development and social policy, with primary interests in gender and rural livelihoods at the University of Reading. Sherry C. Betts conducts applied research and programme evaluation on home economics and adolescent issues at the University of Arizona