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Objectives: A growing number of life course studies are examining the influence of earlier life experiences on morbidity, disability, and mortality in mid-old age. Method: Drawing from the social pathway model, this study expands the life course literature by utilizing data collected over 35 years from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 Cohort, spanning four life course phases (childhood, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late-middle adulthood). Through structural equation analyses with a phantom model, we estimated depressive symptoms in late middle age as a result of pathway effects starting with childhood socio-economic status (SES) which effect young adulthood and middle adulthood. The multi-pathway life course model includes three potential mediators of middle adulthood: health risk behaviors, social activity, and negative life events. Results: We found limited support for a direct effect of childhood SES disadvantage on depressive symptoms in middle age. Instead, much of the effects of childhood SES on later-year depressive symptoms appear to be mediated by SES in young adulthood. Further, the long-term pathway is mediated through the influence of health risk behaviors and negative life events in middle adulthood. Conclusion: Our findings do not propose this chain is permanent and irreversible; rather, this study highlights the possibility that interventions focused on promoting health behaviors and improving living conditions for people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds could help reduce the instance of depression in middle age and health outcomes along the life course could be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Payday lenders provide high-cost short-term loans to those who have limited access to traditional financial institutions. Although an overwhelming majority of payday loan customers are repeat borrowers, studies examining the phenomenon of repeat borrowing is scant. Our study aimed to assess risk and protective factors among repeat payday loan borrowers. Using Bankruptcy filers' data obtained through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records database of the United States Bankruptcy Court of a Southern district, we conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to compare one-time and repeat borrowers with non-borrowers (N  =   453). Findings revealed that medical debt and the number of children are associated with an increased risk of repeat borrowing. Homeownership is associated with a decreased risk of both one-time and repeat borrowing. In contrast, student loans are associated with an increased risk of one-time borrowing. Implications for social work practice, policy, research, and education to engage with financially vulnerable households, build assets and financial capability, and address risk and protective factors of alternative financial services such as repeat payday loan borrowing toward achieving socio-economic justice goals are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer victimization patterns from elementary school transitioning into late middle school have not been assessed in detail. Even less work has considered how these patterns differ across family context and then are linked to delinquency in adolescence. This study used longitudinal data (n = 2,892) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine peer victimization classification and change over six years while distinguishing across sex and family contexts. Latent transition analysis (LTA) shows that youth can be classified into minor victimization, mainly verbal victimization, and all-type victimization subgroups over time with some sex differences, regardless of whether they were in two-parent families. The majority of the youth were in either the mainly verbal victimization (53% for boys; 42% for girls) or all-type victimization (12% for boys; 21% for girls) statuses when they were about 9 years old, but substantial transition positioned most boys (84%) and girls (82%) in the minor victimization status instead when they were about 15 years old. Youth who were Hispanic, in two-parent families, and more open to parents had a reduced risk of peer victimization, but youth who were in a poor family had an increased risk of peer victimization. Peer victimization statuses were significantly associated with youth delinquency, and there were sex and time differences in the association. In year 9, 45% to 94% of boys and 24% to 75% of girls were involved in delinquency based on their victimization statuses, but the difference was 48% to 67% for boys and 39% to 59% for girls in year 15. The findings suggest developing and implementing peer victimization prevention starting from early elementary school, concurrently addressing peer victimization and delinquency, and paying close attention to sex and family context differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the growing presence of immigrant families in the US, little is known about physical fighting in school among youth from those families. Objective: The present study examines the social-ecological determinants of school physical fighting among youth in immigrant families. Implications for practice are also discussed. Method: Using the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study data set, the study sample consisted of 4288 immigrant students in 9th-12th grade. Models were estimated using multivariate logistic regression. Variables in the individual, family, friend/peer, and school contexts were included by fitting four hierarchical logistic models to the data. Results: Results indicated that youth in immigrant families who are males, in lower grade level, racial/ethnic minorities, and of low family socio-economic status (individual) were likely to engage in physical fights. Youth in immigrant families who feel detached from their parents (family); speak another language with friends (friend/peer); and perceive school discipline to be unfair, feel discriminated against by teachers, and who perceive school crimes to be a problem (school) are also at an elevated risk of physical fights. Conclusion: Findings from the study contribute to a growing body of research on youth in immigrant families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research on bullying and peer victimization among school-age youth focuses on identifying risk and protective factors, developing interventions, and assessing outcomes to address this pervasive problem. This article reviews research on bullying and victimization of Latino and Asian youth. The review suggests that risk and protective factors associated with bullying among Latino and Asian youth might differ considerably from their mainstream peer groups that are often the focus of bullying research. This article examines the macrosystem- (immigration, poverty), exosystem-, and microsystem-level factors (family environment, peers, and school environment), along with ontogenetic factors that are related to bullying involvement among Latino and Asian youth in the United States. It also highlights the need for further investigation into the bullying experiences of Latino and Asian youth, and advocates for the development of culturally relevant interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article discusses the construction of military prostitution in South Korea during the U.S. military rules 1945-1948. Since September 1945 when the 24th Army Corps led by General John R. Hodge, arrived to accept the transfer of power over Korea from the Japanese empire, U.S. soldiers stationed on military bases have had a significant presence in Korean society. The presence of prostitutes around military bases and the state regulation of sex workers who serve soldiers have been common features of European, U.S., and Asian military systems. Officially, U.S. Department of Defense policy prohibits prostitution in areas under its control. The policy of prohibition was intended to protect the "efficiency, health, and welfare of the Army and Navy.