Terrinieka T. Williams

Parental Involvement (and Uninvolvement) at an Inner-City High School

This study sought to understand the perceptions of parental involvement and parental uninvolvement at a predominantly African American inner-city high school. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents and 10 staff at an inner-city public high school. Five major themes emerged regarding the meanings of parental involvement at this school: Participation at School, Being There Outside of School, Communication, Achieve and Believe, and Village Keepers. Results showed that some participants’ perceptions of parental involvement were consistent with earlier understandings of parental involvement. Results also highlighted areas in which earlier models may not address the context of inner-city schools.

Faith Leaders' Comfort Implementing an HIV Prevention Curriculum in a Faith Setting

YOUR Blessed Health (YBH) is a faith-based HIV prevention pilot program designed to increase faith-based organizations’ capacity to address HIV/AIDS among African American congregations. Faith leaders (e.g., pastors, pastors’ spouses) were trained to deliver youth and adult HIV education sessions. Perceptions of comfort with discussing 11 sexual health topics were assessed after program implementation. Twenty-nine faith leaders self-reported their comfort discussing sexual behaviors, sexual communication, and sexual abuse. Overall, faith leaders were comfortable discussing these sexual health topics; however, denominational and leadership role differences were found. These findings suggest African American faith leaders are willing to lead faith-based HIV prevention efforts, but that consideration of denominational differences and organizational roles in faith-based health promotion programs is critical.

An exploration of faith leaders' beliefs concerning HIV prevention: thirty years into the epidemic.

Despite the growing body of research on faith-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) initiatives, there are few studies exploring the perspective of faith leaders involved in HIV prevention efforts. This exploratory study examined how 29 faith leaders conceptualized key aspects of HIV prevention. Sexual health beliefs, perspectives on condom distribution, and facilitating factors and barriers to implementing an HIV program were explored. Seventy-six percent of participants agreed with the statement “they would be willing to make condoms available to adolescents.” These findings highlight the importance of reconciling any differences between religious doctrine, leadership role, and beliefs of faith leaders in addressing HIV in churches.

‘I make sure I am safe and I make sure I have myself in every way possible’: African-American youth perspectives on sexuality education

High rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections play a major role in the physical, mental, and emotional health of young people. Despite efforts to provide sexuality education through diverse channels, we know little about the ways in which young people perceive school- and community-based efforts to educate them about sexual health. Forty-eight African-American young people participated in six focus groups to discuss their sexuality education experiences. Three major themes emerged that highlight experiences and perspectives on optimal strategies for promoting sexual health. These themes were: (1) experiences with school-based sexuality education (SBSE), (2) seeking information outside of schools, and (3) general principles of youth-centred sexuality education. Young people in the focus groups expressed their varying satisfaction with SBSE due to the restricted content covered and lack of comfort with the instruction methods. Participants described how they reached outside of SBSE for sexuality education, turning to those in the community, including local organisations, health care providers, and peers, also expressing variability in satisfaction with these sources. Finally, participants identified three important principles for youth-centred sexuality education: trust and confidentiality, credibility, and self-determination. These findings give voice to the often-unheard perspectives of African-American young people. Based on their responses, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the optimal combination of school-, family-, peer-, and community-based efforts to support young people as they move towards adulthood.

Sexual Health Communication Within Religious African-American Families

While research suggests youth prefer parents and family members to serve as the primary sources of sexual health information, fear and discomfort around discussing sex with their parents may leave youth misinformed and underinformed. This study explored sexual heath communication within religious African-American families. Thirty adolescents participated in four focus groups, and 19 adults and 30 adolescents participated in six focus groups, at two predominantly African-American Christian churches in Flint, MI. All data were analyzed inductively using a constant comparison approach. Nearly all participants reported attending church weekly. Three themes emerged and are described: initiating sex talks, using mistakes as teaching tools, and clarifying prevention messages. Participants highlighted the need for religious parents to offer both religious and practical guidance to adolescents about sexual health. Findings from this study may be used to inform future sexual health promotion interventions for religious African-American families.

Discussing Adolescent Sexual Health in African-American Churches

This study describes the ways in which two African-American churches discuss adolescent sexual health topics. Six focus groups were conducted in two churches in Flint, Michigan, that reported no formal sexual health programming for their congregants. Three themes emerged to highlight the different perspectives about the role of churches in adolescent sexual decision-making and sexual health education: (1) churches as sources of sexual information, (2) churches as complex communities, and (3) recommendations for sexual education in churches. Participant responses suggest that churches can and should serve a resource for sexual health information. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

The Role of Prenatal Stress and Maternal Emotional Support on the Postpartum Depressive Symptoms of African American Adolescent Fathers

This study sought to better understand the ways in which prenatal stress and support from their mother influences postpartum depressive symptoms among African American adolescent fathers. The study’s objectives were to (a) examine the relationship between prenatal stress and maternal support with postpartum depressive symptoms among African American adolescent fathers and (b) determine whether maternal support buffers the relationship between prenatal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms among adolescent fathers. A total of 59 first-time adolescent fathers participated in the study. Results revealed that more prenatal maternal support and lower prenatal stress were predictive of lower levels of postpartum depressive symptoms among fathers. Results did not support the buffering hypothesis for maternal support. This finding suggests that maternal support plays a positive role in the lives of adolescent fathers regardless of their prenatal stress levels. Study findings highlight the need to more broadly explore resources available to adolescent fathers. Future researchers must expand the discourse on adolescent parents to include the psychological risks and potential protective factors present in the lives of young African American fathers.

Two Ecological Models of Academic Achievement Among Diverse Students With and Without Disabilities in Transition

School experiences can have positive effects on student academic achievement, yet less is known about intermediary processes that contribute to these positive effects. We examined pathways between school experiences and academic achievement among 117 low-income urban students of color, many with disabilities, who transitioned to other schools following a school closure. Using structural equation modeling, we tested two ecological models that examined the relationships among self-reported school experiences, school support, academic self-efficacy, and school-reported academic achievement. The model in which the relationship between school experiences and academic achievement is mediated by both school support and academic self-efficacy, and that takes previous academic achievement into account, was an excellent fit with the data. The roles of contextual and individual factors as they relate to academic achievement, and the implications of these findings, are discussed.