Economic Strain and Adolescent Violence. Are extracurricular activities a conditioning effect?

This article examines the extent to which participation in sports acts as a conditioning effect to the relationship between economic disadvantage and adolescent violent delinquency. Deriving hypotheses from general strain and social control theories, we use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to test if type of extracurricular activity participation diminishes the risk of economic disadvantage on violent delinquency. In support of social control theory, the direct effect of academic clubs and performing arts is negatively associated with adolescent violence. Additionally, analyses indicate that participation in contact sports decreases the relationship economic disadvantage and violent delinquency when other strain controls are added including race/ethnicity, family structure, lack of parental supervision, etc. Overall findings are expected of the social control conditioning effect of general strain theory.

Childhood adversity subtypes and violence victimization and perpetration among early adolescents in Shanghai, China

Background This cross-sectional study aimed to identify adverse childhood experience (ACE) subtypes using variable- and person-centered approaches and examine the possible sex-differentiated associations with violence involvement as victim, perpetrator, and victim-perpetrator. Methods Adolescents aged 10–14 years in three junior high schools in Shanghai, China, were selected using a cluster sampling method in November and December 2017. Participants were surveyed anonymously using a computer-assisted self-interview approach via tablets. Thirteen items modified from the CDC-Kaiser ACE study were used to measure the ACEs. Results show subtypes as neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction by developing cumulative index score from the variable perspective and subgroups identified through the latent class analysis (LCA) from the person perspective. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between each ACE subtype and violence victimization and perpetration after adjusting for some demographic characteristics. Results A total of 1,700 participants were included in the final analysis. Approximately 1,322 (77.76 %) participants reported experiencing at least one ACE. The prevalence of neglect, abuse, and household dysfunction was 64.12 % (n = 1090), 61.29 % (n = 1042), and 18.24 % (n = 310), respectively. Three classes were identified through the LCA: low exposure to all ACEs (n = 854, 50.23 %), high exposure to emotional and physical abuse and neglect (n = 715, 42.06 %), and high exposure to all ACEs (n = 131,7.71 %). After controlling the covariates, experiencing abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction was significantly related to violence victimization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.19, 3.29, 2.37, P < 0.001) and victim-perpetrator (aOR = 3.48, 4.41, 5.16, P < 0.001). Adolescent violence perpetration was only found to be associated with being neglected (aOR = 2.37, P = 0.003) and suffering household dysfunction (aOR = 3.25, P < 0.001). LCA revealed the cumulative effects of ACEs on adolescent violence victimization and perpetration. Sex-stratified analysis indicate that girls were more vulnerable to the negative effects of ACEs, with a higher risk of perpetration among girls exposed to distinctive subtypes or multiple ACEs. Conclusions ACEs were ubiquitous and significantly associated with an elevated risk of violence victimization and perpetration during early adolescence. Future research should examine whether these associations persist over time and the intermediating mechanism from the perspectives of individual neurodevelopment, cognition and resilience ability, and social support.

Violence and Mental Health among Adolescents in South East Nigeria

BackgroundThere is rise in the prevalence of mental health illnesses among the adolescent and the impact of violence on this rising trend requires to be evaluated. This is the aim of this study.Methods.The study was a cross-sectional school based study. Adolescents in the selected schools were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Information on the previous experience of violence, the action they took, and the effect on them were collected. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS. Significant was set at the p-value of <0.05.ResultsA total of 716 adolescents were involved in the study. The prevalence of violence was 87%. About 57.2% of the violence occurred at home, 44.2% done by relatives and 49.2% within the past 6 months. Sexual abuse was 10.2%. Among the adolescents that experienced violence, 58.7% suffered some form of mental health illness(es). There was significant difference between the action the adolescents took after the violence incident and the action their considered appropriate (p=0.00001). Female gender (p=0.042), not living with parents (p=0.015) and poverty (p=0.00001) significantly correlate with adolescent violence.Discussion and Conclusion.Violence is high among adolescent and associated with high prevalence of mental health illnesses. Intervention to reduce violence should target improvement in poverty alleviation programs to empower families to carter for their children should be implemented.

Experiences of violence among female and male grade eight learners: baseline findings from the Girls Achieve Power (GAP Year) trial across three South African townships

Background: South African adolescents experience disproportionally high rates of violence, with lifelong health, social and economic impacts. Few papers present risk factors associated with experiences of adolescent violence. Methods: A baseline cross-sectional survey was done (April 2017 – Sept 2018) with 3432 grade 8 learners in the Girls Achieve Power (GAP Year) trial from 26 high schools in three townships (Soweto and Tembisa, Gauteng and Khayelitsha, Western Cape). Collected data on lifetime experiences of different types of violence, perpetrators, and place of violence. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to enumerate experiences of, and factors associated with violence. Results: A total of 2383 respondents are included. Most (63.1%) were girls, 81.5% aged 12-14. In total 26% had ever experienced violence, higher among boys (p=<0.001). Physical violence was most common (35.7%), then psychological (21.8%), sexual (13.1%), neglect (10.6%), cyberbullying (7.6%), corporal punishment (6.5%) and economic abuse (4.8%). Boys experienced more physical violence (36.0%); girls experienced more psychological violence (22.2%). Gauteng had double the reports of sexual violence (18.4% vs 7.6%, p<0.001). Violence happened most at school (27.4%), followed by the park (19.8%) or their friends’ home (12.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that boys (aOR 1.57; 95% CV 1.27-1.94; p=0.000), those aged 15-17 years (aOR 1.41; 95% CV 1.07-1.84; p=0.013), those who ever used substances (aOR 1.92; 95% CI 1.54-2.37; p=0.000), and those who sometimes feel worthless (aOR 1.35; 95% CI 1.10-1.64, p=0.003) were at higher odds of ever experiencing violence. Those who had never had sex were less likely to have ever experienced violence (aOR 0.66; 95% CI 0.51-0.83; p=0.001). Conclusion: Urgently need wider adoption, scaling, and sustaining of evidence-based primary violence prevention and structural interventions are required to reduce the high burden of adolescent violence. Stakeholders across the ecological model are needed to tackle harmful cultural norms that perpetuate violence.

Impoverished Single Mother Households and Violent Delinquency: Bonding, Negative, and Bridging Social Capital

This paper develops an economic and social capital model linking single mothering in poverty to adolescent violence. Our model focuses on bonding social capital within parent-child relationships, negative social capital in delinquent peer groups, and bridging social capital residing in youths’ friendship networks. Our research is the first to consider that the family experiences of adolescents’ peers affect adolescent violence. We test hypotheses using the Add Health, finding that peer networks are a source of bridging social capital through which collective parenting helps explain youth violence as well as the links between family structural (dis)advantages and youth violence.

Pathways From Family Violence to Adolescent Violence: Examining the Mediating Mechanisms

PurposePast research has documented a significant relationship between family violence and adolescent violence. However, much is unknown about the processes through which this association occurs, especially in the non-Western cultural context. To address this gap, we propose an integrated model encompassing multiple pathways that connect family violence to adolescent violence. Specifically, this study investigates how family violence is related to adolescent violence through violent peer association, normative beliefs about violence, and negative emotions.MethodWe tested the model using the two-wave survey data collected from a probability sample of more than 1,100 adolescents residing in one of the largest metropolitan areas in China in 2015 to 2016.Results and ConclusionsThe results indicated that family violence predicted adolescent violence perpetration. Violent peer association, normative beliefs, and negative emotions, however, mediated much of the relationship between family violence and adolescent violence.

“I’m meant to be his comfort blanket, not a punching bag” – Ethnomimesis as an exploration of maternal child to parent violence in pre-adolescents

This is the first study to use ethno-mimesis to explore the lived experiences of mothers navigating child-to-parent violence initiated by pre-adolescent children. The current child-to-parent violence research landscape is predominantly focused upon the experiences of parents of adolescent children, identifying that violent behaviours can be used as a life-long strategy. This research uses innovative methods to explore the lived experiences of mothers, and how they understand and navigate the violence of their pre-adolescent child. Using ethno-mimesis to allow for the intersection of socio-cultural theory (social roles and expectations); experience (reflection on motherhood); and practice (creating visual representations), five mother experiencing child-to-parent violence were identified and recruited from three parent support groups in the North of England. These mothers individually reflected on their experiences of violence, as mothers with young children, with responses thematically analyzed underpinned by phenomenological inquiry. Mothers in this research identified the violence as a symptom of wider structural, neurological, or mental health difficulties their child was experiencing rather than the problem itself. Participants did not believe the violence was intentional but was due to uncontrollable and overwhelming emotions. Nevertheless, there was considerable overlap between the experiences of these mothers and previous research into maternal experiences of adolescent violence; maternal experiences of adult child-to-parent violence, and intimate partner violence. By understanding the behaviours of younger children, there is opportunity to provide whole-family interventions which will prevent lifecourse trajectories, and focus upon the challenges and support needs of mothers living with this form of violence and abuse.