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Using data from a regional census survey of high school students, we compared substance use patterns between transgender and cisgender students, and students who did not know if they are transgender (DKT). Data from more than 23,000 youth from 26 high schools were used to compare alcohol-related behaviors, marijuana use, and non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) between these three groups. We also examined differences in substance use behaviors between these groups by grade. Results show that transgender students have significantly higher odds of engaging in most types of substance misuse behaviors including problem drinking, current marijuana use, and NMUPD, compared to cisgender students. DKT students have significantly higher odds of engaging in problem drinking, and NMUPD compared to cisgender students. Furthermore, differences in some substance use behaviors between transgender and cisgender students are greater among students in earlier grades compared to later grades; though this was not the case when comparing cisgender students to DKT students. Results highlight the elevated risk of substance use among transgender youth--especially during early high school years, and students who are not sure about their gender identity. Implications about the need for targeted and early prevention efforts for this vulnerable population are discussed.

Background: Teen pregnancy rates and related risks remain elevated among Latino teens. We tested the impact on youth sexual behaviors of a brief, culturally targeted, bilingual media intervention designed for parents of young adolescents. Methods: "Salud y éxito" (Health & Success) uses dramatic audio stories to model positive parenting practices. After completing classroom surveys, 27 urban schools in the Northeast and Southwest serving low-income Latino communities were randomized so that all families of seventh grade students were sent either: (1) booklets on healthy eating and exercise; (2) Salud-50, where families either received booklets or the intervention, or (3) Salud-100, where all families received the intervention. Postintervention follow-up surveys were conducted at 3- and 12-months. Multilevel analyses tested intervention effects, controlling for sociodemographics. Results: Compared with controls, at 12-months postintervention (8th grade spring), youth in Salud-100 report lower sexual risks (touching, AOR 1.46, CI 1.19-0.84, p < 0.001; lifetime sex (AOR 0.74, CI 0.61-0.90, p < 0.01); and sex intentions (AOR 0.78, CI 0.63-0.96, p < 0.05). Consistent with a dose-response, Salud-50 results are between those from Salud-100 and control schools. Conclusions: "Salud y éxito" is an effective parenting intervention that can augment school-based health and sexuality education and help Latino parents support their children during early adolescence.

This article describes four doctoral students' process of coming together to support each other's work. What emerged was a powerful space of learning and a framework on research for social change. The authors hosted a 2-hour reflection session, which was recorded and transcribed. Text of that session appears in this article along with discussion of (a) key principles of the social change framework, (b) the ways the students came to take ownership over their work and to collaborate, and (c) guidance for other researchers working against the isolation and competition that is too common in the academy.

The study examined the relationship between young adolescents' sources of information on sex and precursors to sexual activity. Surveys were conducted with 3,940 Latino sixth grade students. According to results, girls who received information from their parents were less likely to engage in sex precursors. For boys, getting information from other adults was negatively associated with engagement in sexual precursors. Getting information from peers was associated with a higher likelihood to engage in sexual precursors for both genders. This study highlights the importance of parent-child communication about sex and physical development, particularly for girls.

In modern democratic societies, one of the main roles of education is to promote critical thinking and open‐mindedness. However, this objective can sometimes be seen as clashing in many societies with another one of education's primary objectives—to inculcate in the younger generation a set of common values and beliefs that reinforces collective identity. The current article examines the tension between these two educational goals—fostering open‐mindedness and critical‐thinking skills, on the one hand, and promoting closed‐minded national identity, on the other hand, in the context of intractable conflicts. In particular, we offer an analysis of the unique challenges of nurturing open‐minded and critical thinking among students in the presence of processes and content common in education systems of conflict‐ridden societies. These challenges are discussed in relation to the role that open‐mindedness and critical thinking could play in promoting peace‐building processes were they not hindered by nationalistic educational approaches designed to ensure unwavering support of the conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the Artsbridge approach to building partnership and mutual understanding between Israeli and Palestinian teenagers. Intensive training in the US and partnership with NGOs in Israel and the West Bank cultivate qualities necessary for effective future leadership and cooperation. The training model integrates art instruction, expressive therapy, training in reflective dialogue, and informal recreational activity. This integrated approach addresses the effects of living in protracted conflict on the development of flexibility, creativity, empathy, and inter-subjectivity necessary for building post-conflict society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes four doctoral students' process of coming together to support each other's work. What emerged was a powerful space of learning and a framework on research for social change. The authors hosted a 2-hour reflection session, which was recorded and transcribed. Text of that session appears in this article along with discussion of (a) key principles of the social change framework, (b) the ways the students came to take ownership over their work and to collaborate, and (c) guidance for other researchers working against the isolation and competition that is too common in the academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving the identification of and intervention with patients at risk for suicide requires innovative training techniques that safely and effectively teach or enhance practitioners' skills. Virtual patient simulations (VPS) can be particularly effective for this purpose because they allow for repetition in skill building as well as a safe space to practice difficult interactions with patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a novel VPS that trains practitioners in suicide risk assessment, as well as to examine pre-post changes in suicide-related knowledge through a pilot of the VPS training., Methods: Practitioners (n=20) were recruited from a Federally Qualified Health Center in the northeastern United States to test the feasibility and acceptability of a VPS suicide risk assessment training. A paired samples t -test was conducted to compare mean differences in practitioners' suicide risk assessment knowledge scores from pre- to post-training, on a scale of 0 to 10., Results: The VPS was feasible to implement, with 18 of 20 participants using the VPS for an average of 21 to 95 minutes, and was acceptable to participants, with an average satisfaction rating of 5.82 out of 7. Participants' knowledge scores improved significantly by an average of 1.86 points from pre- to post-training., Conclusions: The VPS was feasible and acceptable to this sample of practitioners and significantly increased knowledge from pre- to post-training. As such, VPS holds promise as a technique to develop skills in suicide risk assessment., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: KHM O'Brien, S Fuxman, N Tirone, and J Goldstein Grumet are employed by Education Development Center and L Humm is employed by and owns shares in SIMmersion, LLC. Both Education Development Center and SIMmersion may benefit from sales of the product once commercialized. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.