Social psychological factors involved in adolescents' efforts to prevent their friends from driving while intoxicated

The present research examined factors that could be used to improve campaigns geared toward having adolescents prevent their friends from driving while intoxicated. Three areas were examined: (1) adolescents' ability to make accurate judgments of their friends' drunkenness using information about the number of drinks consumed and the time to consume, (2) their perceptions of the consequences that could ensue if they were to attempt to prevent their friends from driving while intoxicated, and (3) their knowledge of viable strategies if they were to attempt such interventions with their friends. The results show that adolescents have perceptual biases when using information about number of drinks and time to consume when making judgments of drunkenness, and that intervention attempts with friends are likely to result in confrontations. The implications of these findings for the timing and content of educational efforts is discussed.This research was supported in part by Grant AA0687502 from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and by the Center for Applied Research at the State University of New York at Albany.Received Ph.D. from University at Albany. Research interest is in social and cognitive psychology.Received Ph.D. from University of Illinois. Research interest is in social and cognitive psychology.Research interest in developmental psychology.Received B.S. from Siena College. Research interest is in social and cognitive psychology.     

Welfare reforms,family resources,and child maltreatment

This paper examines the impact of welfare reforms on several measures of child maltreatment. The authors use state‐level data from 1990 to 1998 to examine whether recent welfare reforms have increased or reduced the incidence of reported and substantiated cases of maltreatment, the incidence of specific types of substantiated maltreatment—physical abuse and neglect—and the number of children living in out‐of‐home care. The welfare reforms considered are the imposition of: family caps, lifetime limits, work requirements, sanctions for non‐compliance, and the restriction of welfare benefits to immigrants. How welfare benefit levels and changes in state Earned Income Tax Credit programs affect reports and substantiated cases of maltreatment are also considered. Evidence strongly indicates that reductions in states' welfare benefit levels increase the number of children in out‐of‐home care, and some evidence indicates that strict lifetime welfare limits and tougher sanctions for noncompliance are related to higher levels of substantiated maltreatment. The evidence on family caps is mixed: family caps appear to be associated with fewer instances of substantiated maltreatment, but more children in out‐of‐home care. Because most of the welfare reforms examined have been in effect for only a short time, these results should be considered preliminary. Overall, however, they provide some evidence that the recent welfare reforms in the United States may have increased child maltreatment. © 2003 by the Association for Public Policy and Analysis and Management.     

Adolescent and Young Adult Mothers’ Relationship Quality During the Transition to Parenthood: Associations with Father Involvement in Fragile Families

Data from the Fragile Families and Child-Well-being Study were used to examine predictors of involvement among fathers of young children (N=2,215) born to adolescent and young adult mothers (ages 14–25; N=2,850). Participants were interviewed immediately following their baby's birth and at 3-years postpartum regarding co-parental relationship quality, fathers’ caretaking behavior (“father involvement”), and fathers’ provision of material support for the child (“in-kind” support). Early postnatal and 3-year postpartum parental relationship quality and father-child cohabitation predicted 3-year father involvement while early father involvement did not. The race of fathers, specifically African American, was associated with lower levels of father involvement. For in-kind support, 3-year father-child cohabitation and 3-year relationship quality were both positively associated with provision of in-kind support. Father's income was not a significant predictor but mother's involvement with a new partner at the 3-year follow-up was marginally significant. Lastly, the race of fathers, specifically African American and Latino, was associated with provision of less in-kind support. Christina B. Gee, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, The George Washington University, Christina Gee's research interests include coparenting and father involvement during transition to parenthood among adolescent mothers and fathers, adolescent mothers’ psychological adjustment, and romantic relationships among at-risk couples. Christopher M. McNerney, B.A., Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Christopher McNerney's research interests include marginalized couples, couples interventions, and family treatments to improve parenting outcomes. Michael J. Reiter, B.A., Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Michael Reiter's research interests include interfaith and interracial romantic relationships within a family systems approach. Suzanne C. Leaman, B.A., Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Suzanne Leaman's research interests include adolescents and young families, minority mental health, low-income communities, and the implications of dating violence for mental health.     

Aggression and delinquency: Family and environmental factors

Juvenile delinquency has become an increasing concern to society; aggressive behaviors are particularly harmful. This study examined parent and youth behaviors and personality types that may influence delinquent and aggressive behaviors. Youths were referred by the court to an intervention program; ratings of delinquency and aggression were derived from parent reports, self-reports, and court referral data. Results showed that high parent ratings of youth aggressiveness were related to high turmoil in the home and to youths' positive opinions of delinquent peers, while high aggressiveness of the youths' referring offenses was related to lax punishment. Developmentally, this suggests that in adolescence both the peer group and home influences are important in shaping different aspects of the youths' aggressive and delinquent behaviors.This study was partially conducted under University of Virginia Research Policy Council Grant No. 199505. The study was funded in part by a NICHD Training Grant (HD07289) to Dr. D. W. Fulker. Preparation of the paper was facilitated by grant RR-07013-20 awarded to the University of Colorado by the Biomedical Research Support Grant Program, Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.Received Ph.D. in psychology from University of Virginia. Current research interests are intelligence and prosocial and antisocial behaviors from a developmental behavior genetics perspective.Received Ph.D. in psychology from Michigan State University. Current research interests are developmental pathways to problem behaviors of youth in high-risk communities.Current research interests are volunteer interventions with adolescents at risk for delinquency.Current research interests are clinical applications and intervention with adolescents and families.     

Multi-Sphere Governance in South Africa: An Interim Assessment

After considerable debate about whether a democratic South Africashould be constituted on federal lines, the 1996 Constitutionadopted three "distinctive, interdependent and interrelated"spheres of government. "Co-operative government" followed theGerman model, emphasizing concurrency, provincial delivery ofnational policies, and provincial representation at the center.Implementing this model, with new institutions, actors, andprocesses, has proved difficult because the governing partystrongly favors a relatively centralized polity, and becauseprovinces and local governments have weak political, administrative,and fiscal capacities. The analysis concludes that while thenew system has become fairly well established in a short time,its long-term success in promoting the values of democratization,effective governance, and conflict management remains uncertain.     

A Painting,a Crime,a Controversy

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique - The exhibition by the Whitney Museum of American Art of a painting of the lynched Emmett Till by...     

Less is More—Optimization of DNA Extraction from Canine Feces

Although most DNA crime laboratories may not encounter fecal samples often, they are a familiar sample type in non‐human forensic laboratories due to their prevalence in the environment. Fecal matter can be challenging due to low numbers of nucleated cells and the presence of inhibitors that impede amplification success. Sampling location (internal vs. external), sampling quantity (10–200 mg), and various extraction protocols (silica matrix, bead beating, and clean‐up column) were evaluated to maximize DNA yield. The greatest yield of intact DNA was obtained using a modified silica matrix extraction protocol (VGL‐Fecal) on 30–50 mg of fecal matter collected from the external surface of a stool that had been dried for 24 h. This optimized sampling and extraction protocol was applied to a pilot study where DNA yield and genotyping success were evaluated. By optimizing our collection, sampling, and extraction procedures, a reliable method for maximizing the yield of canine fecal DNA was developed.