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The study examined how adolescents' individual characteristics and class context are related to bystander behaviors in cases of ethnic victimization. The sample included 1065 adolescents in Sweden (M[subscript age] = 13.12, SD = 0.42; 55% males). Female adolescents, adolescents of immigrant background, and adolescents with positive attitudes toward immigrants had greater intentions to defend and comfort victimized peers. Positive inter-ethnic contact norms in class were positively associated with intention to comfort the victim. Teachers' non-tolerance of ethnic victimization was positively related to adolescents' intentions to ask the perpetrator to stop and talk to teacher. The effects were the same across adolescents with different attitudes toward immigrants. Findings highlight the importance of class context and teachers in fostering adolescents' prosocial and assertive interventions in bias-based hostile behaviors.

The aim of the present study was (a) to investigate the effect of perceived parents' disapproval of peer relations and perceived parental monitoring on youth's engagement in organized sports activities, (b) to examine whether youth's engagement in delinquent behaviors mediates the link between parents' behaviors and youth's participation in and dropout from organized sports, and (c) to test whether the mediation process is moderated by youth's immigrant background. Data were collected from immigrant and Swedish adolescents (N = 687) in seventh grade over two consecutive years. Our main findings revealed that youth who disclose their whereabouts to parents and whose parents practice control are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, and, in turn, more likely to engage in organized sports. The findings were similar with respect to sports dropout. Most importantly, these results hold for both immigrant and Swedish youth.

The present study examined how teachers respond to ethnic-victimization, and whether teachers' responses buffer the effect of such aversive encounters on immigrant youth's psychological adjustment. The sample included youth of immigrant background residing in Sweden (N = 423; M[subscript age] = 13.19, SD = 0.51; 44% girls), and their head class teachers. Cluster analysis revealed three subgroups of teachers based on their responses to ethnic victimization: (1) high in enlisting parents; (2) high in initiating discussions with other teachers; (3) high in multiple forms of strategies (i.e., authority-based interventions, comforting and supporting the victim, contacting parents, and initiating discussions with other teachers). The effects of ethnic victimization on youth's depressive symptoms and self-esteem were significantly lower when teachers used multiple forms of strategies than when teachers used collaborative actions or enlisted parents. The findings highlight the importance of approaching ethnic victimization as a multi-dimensional phenomenon, thereby accessing multiple actors so as better to combat aversive effects on the victim.

A significant developmental task for adolescents growing up in diverse societies is exploring their ethnic and cultural identities to develop a clear understanding of what these identities mean for their lives. Schools, especially teachers, are crucial socialization agents that can contribute to ethnic/racial identity development among adolescents and promote civic norms and values, such as the appreciation of diverse perspectives and embracing differences. Despite this pivotal role, empirical literature lacks a systematic examination of the experiences of pre- and in-service teachers working in diverse school settings. Recognizing this gap, the current topic issue presents six papers aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of teachers' perspectives and challenges regarding ethnic/racial issues, along with their reflections on the transformations through training or seminars developed as part of the Identity Project or through implementing the Identity Project in schools. In this paper, our goal is to discuss the main findings of these six papers by integrating them with existing empirical literature. We also raise some methodological and conceptual considerations to advance research aimed at fostering culturally responsive teaching and cultivating equity-minded educators, and ultimately nurturing future generations with positive self-perceptions and genuine acceptance and respect for others from diverse backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, up to 1,500 mitochondrial precursor proteins are synthesized at cytosolic ribosomes and must be imported into the organelle. This is not only essential for mitochondrial but also for many cytosolic functions. The majority of mitochondrial precursor proteins are imported over the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM). In recent years, high-resolution structure analyses from different organisms shed light on the composition and arrangement of the TOM complex. Although significant similarities have been found, differences were also observed, which have been favored during evolution and could reflect the manifold functions of TOM with cellular signaling and its response to altered metabolic situations. A key component within these regulatory mechanisms is TOMM70, which is involved in protein import, forms contacts to the ER and the nucleus, but is also involved in cellular defense mechanisms during infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The implementation of preventive interventions is considered a crucial aspect of their success. However, few studies have investigated which components of implementation are most important. Objective: We aimed to understand whether the components of implementation integrity--adherence, quality of delivery, dose, and participants' involvement--influenced the effectiveness of four parenting programs. We also investigated factors associated with these components. Method: Data come from a national evaluation of parenting programs in Sweden. The study was a randomised controlled effectiveness trial, with a sample of 535 parents with 3-12-year-old children. Measures included parenting behaviors (angry outbursts, harsh parenting, attempts to understand, rewarding, and praising), child conduct problems (ECBI and SNAP-V), and measures tapping into the four components (adherence, quality of delivery, dose, and participant involvement). Results: We ran multilevel models and found that implementation quality (adherence and quality of delivery) did not influence the effects on parents and children. Conversely, participant involvement was associated with improvements in parenting and child conduct. Finally, parents' perceptions of their leaders as supportive and understanding were associated with parents' responsiveness and attendance. Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of having actively engaged parents to maximise intervention effects.

Schools are crucial socialization contexts where civic norms and values such as appreciating diverse perspectives and embracing differences can be systematically transmitted to the next generations. This process, in turn, can foster the development of more inclusive societies. However, increasing polarized political climate poses a risk for the formation of harmonious interactions between youth of different ethnic origins in schools. Teachers are considered as crucial resources in addressing negative student interactions and helping victims in overcoming the consequences of their negative experiences. Nevertheless, our understanding of how teachers respond to ethnic victimization incidents is limited, along with the factors influencing their responses. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined the relative contributions of teachers’ general efficacy (i.e., managing disruptive behaviors in class) and diversity-related efficacy (i.e., addressing challenges of diversity) on their responses to ethnic victimization incidents. The sample consisted of head teachers of 8th grade students (N  =  72; 56% females). The results showed that teachers adopt a diverse range of strategies to address incidents of ethnic victimization, with a primary focus on prioritizing the comfort of the victim as the foremost action. Further, we found that teachers’ efficacy in handling disruptive behaviors in class, as opposed to their efficacy in addressing diversity-related issues, explained their responses to victimization incidents. Specifically, teachers with a high sense of efficacy for classroom management were more likely to contact parents of both victims and perpetrators and to provide comfort to the victim. These findings highlight the necessity of supporting teachers to enhance their efficacy in classroom management, and in turn to address potential challenges in diverse school settings more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a longitudinal design, we asked 2 age cohorts of adolescents (15- and 18-year-olds) whether they, during the last year, had experienced events that had increased their civic interest and about details of their experiences. Based on self-determination theory, we predicted that the adolescents who reported having experienced events of this kind had already been more interested and had had more positive feelings about politics much earlier in time, and that this original interest would have increased more over time, than that of other adolescents. Second, we proposed that the adolescents who had encountered events that triggered their civic interest would have been engaged in behaviors that reflected their needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence, much earlier in time, and that, over time, they would have increased these behaviors more than other adolescents. These 2 predictions were largely confirmed. As for the content of the events the adolescents reported, many of them concerned national and international issues experienced as threatening, and that challenged the adolescents' beliefs and morality. Overall, a previous interest in politics and engagement in exploratory behaviors that reflect the adolescents' psychological needs seem to play crucial roles in understanding why adolescents in their everyday life encounter events that trigger their civic interest. Further, the findings show that having had everyday experiences that trigger the adolescents' civic interests are associated with a later increase in political interest more broadly.

Immigrant youth are at risk of experiencing harassment in school; however, we have only limited understanding of what makes youth harass their peers on ground of their ethnic origin. To address this major limitation, we examined (a) whether youth's negative attitudes toward immigrants impact their engagement in ethnic harassment over time and (b) whether youth's impulsivity, their tendencies to engage in risky behaviors, and a chaotic surrounding school environment moderate the link between their negative attitudes toward immigrants and their involvement in ethnic harassment. The sample included 583 Swedish youth (X-bar[subscript age] = 13.93, SD = 0.71). Youth with negative attitudes toward immigrants ethnically were found to harass their immigrant peers when they had high levels of impulsivity and violent tendencies. Contrary to our expectation, youth perceptions of school atmosphere did not act as a moderator. The present study highlights the importance of identifying risk factors to reach a comprehensive understanding of ethnic harassment.

Prevention field has achieved major advances in developing, implementing, and testing the efficacy of preventive interventions in controlled settings. Nevertheless, there is still a gap in translating the success of programs in efficacy trials into real-life settings. Dissemination of evidence-based programs is a major challenge. The authors argue that promoting adoption of evidence-based programs requires further improvements in three areas, and collaboration between researchers and practitioners. First, there is a need to develop a holistic assessment system encompassing both risk/need and readiness assessments. Second, there is need for new methods for improving implementation quality. Third, prevention research needs to focus more on identifying the mechanisms that explain how programs work and the core elements of the program. Both researchers and practitioners have roles and opportunities to collaborate to achieve developments in these areas.