Youth Pathways to Placement: The Influence of Gender, Mental Health Need and Trauma on Confinement in the Juvenile Justice System

Although the juvenile crime rate has generally declined, the involvement of girls in the juvenile justice system has been increasing. Possible explanations for this gender difference include the impact of exposure to trauma and mental health needs on developmental pathways and the resulting influence of youth’s involvement in the justice system. This study examined the influence of gender, mental health needs and trauma on the risk of out-of-home placement for juvenile offenders. The sample included youth referred to three urban juvenile probation departments in Texas between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008 and who received state-mandated mental health screening (N = 34,222; 30.1 % female). The analysis revealed that, for both genders, elevated scores on the seven factor-analytically derived subscales of a mental health screening instrument (Alcohol and Drug Use, Depressed-Anxious, Somatic Complaints, Suicidal Ideation, Thought Disturbance, and Traumatic Experiences), especially related to past traumatic experiences, influenced how deeply juveniles penetrated the system. The findings suggest that additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of trauma interventions and the implementation of trauma informed systems for youth involved with the juvenile justice system.     

Afterschool Youth Program Design and Structural Quality: Implications for Quality Improvement

This study examined quality and afterschool program designs with a focus on conditions of persistent low quality. Using an action science case study method, data from a quality-improvement project were examined to explore circumstances and reasons for low quality. Four identified program designs varied by emphasis on academics, school alignment, physical space, resources, and grouping strategies, as well as by the operationalization of youth choice. These program design features were found to be dynamically interrelated and key elements of structural quality yet were not found to be targets of state, funder, or agency quality improvement interventions guided by the current broad theory of change for quality initiatives. Structural quality, conceptualized as dynamic and interdependent, may be a prerequisite condition for self-directed quality improvement or a focus of targeted quality interventions.     

最早的青年工人组织——比利时青年近卫军的历史作用

比利时青年近卫军是国际青年工人运动的第一个组织。它的建立改变了青年工人运动以往那种分散斗争的形式,使青年工人运动开始走上有组织的斗争道路。比利时青年近卫军的活动表明,国际青年工人运动已经从不自觉的和不成熟的经济斗争转向自觉的和较为成熟的政治斗争。     

中国青年志愿服务的支持体系分析

志愿服务的支持体系由支持和保障志愿行动发展的政策、智力、资金、资源等组成,包括社会环境因素和组织内部因素。中国青年志愿服务经历了单一支持体系向拓展支持体系、多元支持体系、综合支持体系变化的过程;支持体系的结构包括党政支持体系、群团支持体系、社团支持体系、公众支持体系、专业支持体系和传播支持体系等;支持体系的要素包括政策、资金、人力、品牌等。在加快社会建设、创新社会治理的背景下,青年志愿服务支持体系建设要注重统筹协调、联盟合作、专业提升和国际发展。     

Homelessness Among Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Youth: Implications for Subsequent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Although lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth with a history of homelessness (running away or being evicted from their homes by parents) report more psychological symptoms than homeless heterosexual peers, it is unclear whether symptoms are due to homelessness, given the absence of a non-homeless comparison group. This study longitudinally investigates whether LGB youth with a history of homelessness report more subsequent psychological symptoms than non-homeless LGB youth and examines potential mediators of any such relationships. Of the 156 LGB youth interviewed (49% female; 78% non-White), 48% reported past homeless experiences. Homelessness was associated with subsequent symptoms of anxiety, depression, conduct problems, and substance abuse and to changes in symptoms over time even after controlling for childhood sexual abuse and early development of sexual orientation. Stressful life events, negative social relationships, and social support from friends mediated the relationships between homelessness and symptomatology. These findings suggest the need for interventions to reduce stress and enhance social support among LGB youth with a history of homelessness in order to reduce psychological symptoms.     

Chapter 17: The Community as an Advocate for Youth:

State treatment foster care programs established by the National Youth Advocate Program are described in terms of youth served, homes established, treatment program, implementation problems, and evaluation procedures.     

广东省青少年工作科学体系与创新策略分析

广东省青少年工作要以科学发展观为指导,正确处理和谐社会与青少年工作、社会政策与青少年工作、公共事务与青少年工作、公民教育与青少年工作、可持续发展与青少年工作的关系。建立政党青少年工作、政府青少年事务、社会青少年服务、社团青少年工作“四位一体”的科学体系。同时,对于广东省青少年工作的创新与发展提出了10条具体对策建议。     

Youth in Crisis: The Well-Being of Middle Eastern Youth and Adolescents During War and Peace

This study reports data of psychological well-being and self-esteem of Gaza Palestinian, Israeli Bedouin Arab, and Israeli Jewish adolescents during the time shortly before and after the signing of the Israeli-Palestinian Autonomy Agreement. The study is a partial follow-up to previous research examining the impact of violence, warlike conditions, and extreme social change on the mental health adjustment of adolescents of this region. Results of the Derogatis Symptom Checklist, revised and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory showed the following: (a) psychopathology was significantly higher among Gaza youth, while Israeli Jewish and Bedouin youth showed lower levels; (b) youth from Gaza had the lowest levels of self-esteem, while there were no differences between Israeli Jewish and Bedouin youth; and (c) despite the long interval that had elapsed between the first (amid the Intifada) and second administrations (subsequent to the Oslo accords) of the measures, and the changing conditions, there was minimal evidence of change in levels of distress.     

Group Homes for Problem Youth:

No abstract available for this article.     

6: Youth Workers in the Courts

Although mental health workers have long played an active and influential role in the provision of services to youth court, they have, as yet, devoted little effort to establishing standards to guide their procedures. As a result, numerous problems arise which to some extent threaten the credibility of youth court workers. The authors draw upon examples from the literature and the experiences of clinicians at the Metropolitan Toronto Forensic Service (METFORS) in identifying some of the difficulties associated with current practices. Guidelines are proposed.     

The Physiological Expression of Living in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods for Youth

Evidence suggests that the consequences of chronic exposure to stressors extend beyond psychological effects, and that adolescents living in socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods may experience an accumulation of exposure to stressors that wears down the physical systems in the body, resulting in hyper-activation of the stress response. This research examines the relationship between exposure to neighborhood stressors and salivary cortisol reactivity in a sample of 163 at-risk African American adolescents (average age 21; 50 % female) living in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. More specifically, the relationship between neighborhood stressors and physiological stress, measured by baseline cortisol and cortisol reactivity is assessed. This research also examines several moderating pathways between exposure to neighborhood disadvantage and cortisol reactivity including substance use, high effort coping, psychological stress and social support. Results indicate that both individual and neighborhood-level factors influence adolescent cortisol. High effort coping and psychological stress were associated with cortisol in the sample, and exposure to neighborhood socio-economic disadvantage resulted in an atypical cortisol response. In addition, neighborhood disadvantage interacted with intra- and interpersonal factors to affect cortisol indirectly. Thus, living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may take a psychological and physiological toll on adolescents, and it also may exert synergistic effects through individual coping and vulnerabilities.     

Competency in Establishing Positive Relationships With Program Youth: The Impact of Organization and Youth Worker Characteristics

Frontline youth workers’ ability to form strong, positive relationships with program youth is a key element in maximizing the benefits of program participation. A recent National Collaboration of Youth (2006 National Collaboration for Youth. ( 2006 ). Capturing promising practices in recruitment and retention of frontline youth workers. Retrieved from http://www.nydic.org/nydic/documents/CompletePublication.pdf  [Google Scholar]) report identified six elements associated with youth workers’ competency to complete their professional roles: compensation, training opportunities, supportive work environment, clear work roles, sense that work is valued, and networking opportunities. The current study investigated whether having these elements predicted 459 youth workers’ self-reported job competency in forming positive relationships with youth. Regression analyses revealed that job efficacy, clarity of work roles, and benefits significantly predicted competency in forming strong relationships with program youth. Findings are discussed in relation to practice implications for the youth work field.     

共青团组织承接政府青少年事务的研究

共青团组织承接政府青少年事务,是社会发展的需要。共青团组织有承接政府青少年事务的组织优势和工作经验。共青团只有承接政府青少年事务,才能更好地服务青少年,提高共青团组织的向心力。共青团组织可以承接的政府青少年的事务有：青少年的社会教育、青年的就业教育、青少年的健康宣传教育、青少年的参与、青少年的娱乐、青少年权益的维护、青少年违法犯罪的预防、青少年的社会矫正等。共青团组织承接政府青少年事务有4种方式：成立专门机构、建立青少年事务社会工作者队伍、联合政府职能部门开展活动、发展志愿服务等承接。共青团组织要承接好政府青少年事务,必须建立有效的工作机制。工作机制有：协调机制、预警机制、竞投机制、保障机制和评价机制。共青团组织承接政府青少年事务还要解决法律授权地位等问题。     

比利时养老模式对我国养老体系建设的启示

比利时作为典型的欧洲发达国家,在养老体系和长期照护制度建设上积累了较为成功的经验.本研究归纳和分析比利时养老模式、相关养老法规政策、养老经费筹集以及服务提供方的资质等,意在为进一步完善我国的养老体系提供参考.当前,比利时形成了居家养老、短期照护、老年公寓、养老院、老年护理院和老年病房等6种养老模式,并具有完善的法规和政...     

试论青年研究刊物与青少年公民教育创新

青少年公民教育是将青少年培养成合格社会公民的通识教育。网络时代和全球化的环境、“80后”与“90后”新生代的特征、社会转型的冲突等因素凸显了青少年公民教育需要大胆创新和突破。青年研究刊物在信息的收集与传播、研究力量的聚集与培养、先进理念的引导等方面对青少年公民教育创新具有重要功能。一定要利用多种途径,促进青年研究刊物为青少年公民教育创新服务。