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This study evaluated the efficacy of School-Based Teen Courts (SBTCs) using a rigorous experimental trial with 24 middle- and high-schools randomly selected to receive SBTCs (n= 12) or to business-...

Background United States (US) Hispanic/Latinos experience a disproportionate burden of obesity, which may in part be related to demographic or sociocultural factors, including acculturation to an US diet or inactive lifestyle. Therefore, we sought to describe the association between adulthood weight histories and demographic and sociocultural factors in a large diverse community-based cohort of US Hispanic/Latinos. Methods We estimated the effect of several factors on weight gain across adulthood, using multivariable linear mixed models to leverage 38,759 self-reported current body weights and weight histories recalled for 21, 45 and 65 years of age, from 15,203 adults at least 21 years of age at the baseline visit of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (2008–2011). Results The average rate of weight gain was nearly 10 kg per decade in early adulthood, but slowed to Conclusions Using self-reported and weight history data in a diverse sample of US Hispanic/Latinos, we revealed that both demographic and sociocultural factors were associated with the patterning of adulthood weight gain in this sample. Given the steep rate of weight gain in this population and the fact that many Hispanic/Latinos living in the US immigrated as adults, efforts to promote weight maintenance across the life course, including after immigration, should be a top priority for promoting Hispanic/Latino health and addressing US health disparities more broadly.

Although research advocates for comprehensive cross-sector youth violence prevention efforts, mobilizing across sectors to translate scientific recommendations into practice has proven challenging. A unifying framework may provide a foundational step toward building a shared understanding of the risk and protective factors that impact youth violence. We conducted two empirical tests of the nurturing environment framework on youth violence across ethnic and geographically diverse rural and urban adolescent samples. Results show that overall the characteristics of nurturing environments are associated with lower levels of aggression and violence. In addition, minimizing exposure to socially toxic conditions had the strongest associations with lower aggression and violence. Findings were supported across both samples, suggesting that this framework may apply in urban and rural, economically disadvantaged contexts.

Objective: Universal prevention programs such as Positive Action (PA) mitigate risk factors and enhance promotive factors, often leading to improved adolescent functioning and school climat...

Objective: Youth violence is best tackled through a multifaceted approach targeting risk and protective factors at multiple ecological levels. The North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention C...

Introduction Optimism is viewed as an important resource for resilience and is associated with various wellbeing outcomes, yet few measures of optimism have been validated for use with adolescents. The aim of this study was to (a) test the factor structure invariance of the School Success Profile Success Orientation scale across gender and four racial/ethnic groups and (b) estimate group-level differences in optimism. Methods Data from a diverse sample of adolescents ( N = 2063; mean 12.3 years; 52% female) from the southeastern United States were examined using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis. Models for configural, metric, and scalar invariance were tested using WLSMV estimation in Mplus. Results Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized one-factor model and indicated scalar invariance across gender and the four racial/ethnic (i.e., African American, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Native American) groups. Cross-group comparisons of latent factor means indicated statistically significant differences in self-reported optimism. Female respondents reported higher optimism than males. Among the four racial/ethnic groups, African American youth reported the highest optimism levels. Native American youth reported higher optimism than Caucasian and Hispanic/Latino youth. Conclusions Results suggest the Success Orientation scale is appropriate for many assessment and evaluation purposes, including the assessment of optimism across gender and race/ethnicity and the investigation of substantive questions regarding cross-cultural differences in adolescents' expectations of the future.

Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of family-based programs for reducing adolescent risk behaviors and promoting adolescent health; however, parent engagement, specifically in terms of recruitment and retention, remains a consistent challenge. Recruitment rates for family-based prevention programs range from 3 to 35%, while, on average, 28% of caregivers drop out before program completion. Thus, engagement of parents in prevention programming is of utmost concern to ensure families and youth benefit from implementation of family-based programs. In this manuscript, two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded projects share their experiences with engagement of parents in violence prevention programs. Problems related to parent engagement are reviewed, as are structural, attitudinal, and interpersonal barriers specific to recruitment and retention. Examples of successful implementation strategies identified across urban and rural sites are also analyzed and lessons learned are provided.

Bullying is often ongoing during middle- and high-school. However, limited research has examined how cumulative experiences of victimization, perpetration, and bystander behavior impact adolescent behavioral and mental health and academic achievement outcomes at the end of high school. The current study used a sample of over 8000 middle- and high-school students (51% female; mean age 12.5 years) from the Rural Adaptation Project in North Carolina to investigate how cumulative experiences as a bullying victim and perpetrator over 5 years, and cumulative experiences of bystander behavior over 2 years impacted students’ aggression, internalizing symptoms, academic achievement, self-esteem, and future optimism. Following multiple imputation, analysis included a Structural Equation Model with excellent model fit. Findings indicate that cumulative bullying victimization was positively associated with aggression and internalizing symptoms, and negatively associated with self-esteem and future optimism. Cumulative bullying perpetration was positively associated with aggression and negatively associated with future optimism. Cumulative negative bystander behavior was positively associated with aggression and internalizing symptoms and negatively associated with academic achievement and future optimism. Cumulative prosocial bystander behavior was positively associated with internalizing symptoms, academic achievement, self-esteem, and future optimism. This integrative model brings together bullying dynamics to provide a comprehensive picture of implications for adolescent behavioral and mental health and academic achievement.

We evaluated the effectiveness of the Parenting Wisely (PW) program 6 months post intervention and assessed differences based on delivery format. Using a quasi-experimental design, parents (N = 311) participated in the PW program in one of five formats (i.e., parents-only intensive workshop, parents-only 5-week group, parents and adolescents 5-week group, parent and adolescent online, and parent-only online format). An additional 53 parents served as a comparison group. We used the McMaster Family Assessment Device, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Violent Behavior Checklist to measure family functioning, parenting, and adolescent behavior. Relative to the comparison group, at 6 month follow-up parents who participated in PW reported increases in confidence in their parenting skills, decreases in conflicts with their adolescents, and decreases in adolescent externalizing and violent behavior. Mechanisms of change analyses supported the conceptual model that program effects were related to child behavior changes by influencing positive parenting and decreasing negative family dynamics. PW effectiveness did not vary substantially by delivery format, except for the intensive workshop format, which was less effective than other formats. These findings extend research on PW to include evidence of sustained program effects on adolescent externalizing and violent behaviors in an ethnically diverse, socioeconomically disadvantaged sample. Study findings are relevant to agencies and clinicians who are seeking to implement an evidence-based, flexible parent-training program.

The social emotional learning (SEL) conceptual model posits that SEL programs lead to increased knowledge and skills, improved attitudes about self, others, and school, and supportive learning environments, which in turn improve student emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Positive Action (PA) is an SEL program for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students. Extensive research documents the effectiveness of PA in decreasing adolescent risk factors and enhancing protective factors, however, minimal research has examined the mechanisms of change responsible for these effects. The current study examined whether PA was associated with SEL outcomes (i.e., alcohol use, aggression, depression, and anxiety) through school hassles (a proxy for school climate). The analytic sample consisted of 8333 ethnically/racially diverse, rural adolescents (51% female) in grades 6 through 12. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data. Engagement in PA was significantly associated with decreased school hassles, indicating an improvement in school climate. Subsequently, decreases in school hassles were significantly associated with decreased alcohol use, aggression, depression, and anxiety. Thus, there was an indirect effect between PA, decreased school hassles, and improved adolescent outcomes. Implications were discussed.

Previous US population-based studies have found that body weight may be underestimated when self-reported. However, this research may not apply to all US Hispanics/Latinos, many of whom are immigrants with distinct cultural orientations to ideal body size. We assessed the data quality and accuracy of self-reported weight in a diverse, community-based, US sample of primarily foreign-born Hispanic/Latino adults.Using baseline data (2008-2011) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), we described the difference between contemporaneous self-reported and measured current body weight (n = 16,119) and used multivariate adjusted models to establish whether the observed trends in misreporting in potential predictors of inaccuracy persisted after adjustment for other predictors. Last, we described the weighted percentage agreement in body mass classification using either self-reported or measured weight (n = 16,110).Self-reported weight was well correlated with (r = 0.95) and on average 0.23 kg greater than measured weight. The range of this misreporting was large and several factors were associated with misreporting: age group, gender, body mass categories, nativity, study site by background, unit of self-report (kg or lb), and end-digit preference. The percentage agreement of body mass classification using self-reported versus measured weight was 86% and varied across prevalent health conditions.The direction of misreporting in self-reported weight, and thus the anticipated bias in obesity prevalence estimates based on self-reported weights, may differ in US Hispanic/Latinos from that found in prior studies. Future investigations using self-reported body weight in US Hispanic/Latinos should consider this information for bias analyses.See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B276.

Purpose Rural communities are currently being impacted by a nationwide epidemic of prescription opioid misuse. Rural adolescent substance users may be at substantial risk for later addiction to these and other drugs. Methods This study uses Latent Class Analysis to identify subtypes of polysubstance users among a sample of 7,074 rural adolescents. Separate models were estimated for middle- and high-school youth. Predictive validity was estimated using cumulative ordinal logistic regression of the classes on a set of youth and family characteristics. Findings We identified a 4-class solution for both middle- and high-school students marked by initiation of an increasing number of substances used at greater frequency. These classes included Substance Nonusers, Primarily Alcohol Users, Initiators-Low Frequency Users, and Initiators-Moderate-to-High Lifetime Frequency Users. About 6%-10% of youth reported using prescription drugs at least once, and in the moderate-to-high frequency class, middle-school youth were more likely to use prescription drugs and inhalants compared to high-school youth in the same class. The 4 classes were associated with race/ethnicity, and in high school with receiving free/reduced price lunch. Conclusion In general, younger adolescents have lower overall use rates, but within certain classes identified by this analysis, the observed pattern suggests that younger cohorts are turning to prescription drugs and inhalants. These findings support the implementation of universal substance use prevention programs, targeted programs for youth experiencing risk factors associated with substance use, and improved rural substance abuse treatment options.

The Youth Court in Schools Project was implemented in two low-income, violent, racially/ethnically diverse rural counties. This study examined if the presence of Youth Court impacted students’ perceptions of school danger, individual functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Data were gathered from 3454 youth; following multiple imputation, data were analyzed using paired samples t tests. Results indicated that perceptions of school danger increased significantly and self-esteem decreased significantly in the control schools pretest to posttest. Violent behavior, anxiety, friend rejection, and bullying victimization decreased significantly in the Youth Court intervention schools pretest to posttest, but did not change significantly in the control schools. Findings provide preliminary evidence that Youth Court is an effective way of improving school climate, individual functioning, and interpersonal relationships.

Teen Court is a prevention program aimed at diverting first time juvenile offenders from the traditional juvenile justice system and reintegrating them into the community. Few studies have examined if Teen Court impacts adolescent functioning. We examined how Teen Court participation impacted psychosocial functioning, social relationships, and school experiences in a sample of 392 rural Teen Court participants relative to two comparison samples, one from the same county as Teen Court (n = 4276) and one from a neighboring county (n = 3584). We found that Teen Court has the potential to decrease internalizing symptoms, externalizing behavior, violent behavior, parent-adolescent conflict, and delinquent friends, and increase self-esteem and school satisfaction.

Most body mass index (BMI) genetic loci have been identified in studies of primarily European ancestries. The effect of these loci in other racial/ethnic groups is less clear. Thus, we aimed to characterize the generalizability of 170 established BMI variants, or their proxies, to diverse US populations and trans-ethnically fine-map 36 BMI loci using a sample of >102,000 adults of African, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, European and American Indian/Alaskan Native descent from the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology Study. We performed linear regression of the natural log of BMI (18.5-70kg/m2) on the additive single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at BMI loci on the MetaboChip (Illumina, Inc.), adjusting for age, sex, population stratification, study site, or relatedness. We then performed fixed-effect meta-analyses and a Bayesian trans-ethnic meta-analysis to empirically cluster by allele frequency differences. Finally, we approximated conditional and joint associations to test for the presence of secondary signals. We noted directional consistency with the previously reported risk alleles beyond what would have been expected by chance (binomial p&nbsp

In this article, we discuss the second session of the Entre Dos Mundos/Between Two Worlds (EDM) program for immigrant families. EDM is a curriculum that uses psychodrama techniques to help immigrant families adjust to cultural changes and prevent family problems that arise from acculturation stress. We present three case studies that highlight different action structures for working with multiple-family groups of Latino/a immigrants. Directors' notes are presented, and group processes are discussed.

Many immigrants experience acculturation stress, which arises from the difficulties and conflicts immigrants face as they adjust to a new culture. Without the support of prevention and intervention services, acculturation stress can result in an increased risk for aggressive behavior and mental health problems. Entre Dos Mundos/Between Two Worlds is an acculturation-based intervention that uses psychodrama, sociodrama, and sociometric techniques to decrease acculturation stress among Latino immigrant adolescents and their parents. An example of an Entre Dos Mundos group session presented in this article illustrates the application of psychodrama and sociometric techniques and discusses their utility in decreasing acculturation stress and promoting biculturalism.

Current research on how adolescents cope with bullying is primarily quantitative, examines youth in Grades 1 through 6, and neglects to specifically assess how victims of bullying cope with being bullied. The current qualitative study explored the coping strategies of 22 rural middle- and high-school youth victimized by bullying. Results indicated that youth report using an array of emotion focused coping strategies (an internal coping strategy that focuses on emotion regulation) and problem focused coping strategies (active behaviors that are aimed to decrease or eradicate the stressor). These coping strategies included help seeking, physical and verbal aggression, standing up for themselves, and prosocial bystander behavior. While the majority of coping strategies were similar between middle- and high-school participants, these groups reported utilizing verbal and physical aggression in different ways. Further, certain coping strategies, such as help seeking and lashing out with physical and verbal aggression, were utilized as both emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies. Implications are discussed.

The current study examined risk and protective factors across microsystems that impact the development of internalizing symptoms and aggression over 4 years in a sample of culturally diverse, rural adolescents. We explored whether risk and protective factors across microsystems were associated with changes in rates of internalizing symptoms and aggressive behavior. Data came from the Rural Adaptation Project (RAP), a 5-year longitudinal panel study of more than 4,000 students from 26 public middle schools and 12 public high schools. Three level HLM models were estimated to predict internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) and aggression. Compared with other students, risk for internalizing symptoms and aggression was elevated for youth exposed to risk factors in the form of school hassles, parent-child conflict, peer rejection, and delinquent friends. Microsystem protective factors in the form of ethnic identity, religious orientation, and school satisfaction decreased risk for aggression, but were not associated with internalizing symptoms, whereas future orientation and parent support decreased risk for internalizing symptoms, but not aggression. Results indicate that risks for internalizing symptoms and aggression are similar, but that unique protective factors are related to these adolescent behavioral health outcomes. Implications and limitations were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

OBJECTIVES: Despite high prevalence rates and evidence that acculturation is associated with adolescent behavioral and mental health in Latino youth, little research has focused on aggressive behavior for this population. The aim of the current study was to fill this research gap by examining the influence of several aspects of family functioning, including parent-adolescent conflict, parent worry, and parent marital adjustment, on aggression among Latino adolescents. METHOD: Data come from the Latino Acculturation and Health Project (LAHP), a longitudinal investigation of acculturation in Latino families in North Carolina and Arizona. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to estimate a longitudinal rater effects model of adolescent aggression as reported by 258 Latino adolescents each paired with 1 parent for a total of 516 participants across 4 time points over a span of 18 months. RESULTS: Results indicated a general decline in aggression over the study window. In addition, parent-adolescent conflict and parent worry predicted higher adolescent aggression whereas parent marital adjustment predicted lower adolescent aggression. CONCLUSIONS: The salience of family risk factors for aggression among Latino adolescents is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en

School personnel (teachers, administrators, counselors, staff, and social workers) would greatly benefit from a stronger understanding of bullying dynamics. In order to heighten their understanding, we must strengthen bullying research. Despite more than 40 years of bullying research, a number of methodological weaknesses continue to plague the field of bullying. First, there is a lack of a common definition of bullying, making it difficult to compare results across studies. Second, some researchers use one-item measures of bullying, a practice that lacks content validity and fails to assess the entire scope of the bullying dynamic. Third, many measures fail to assess all forms of bullying. Fourth, researchers often fail to provide a definition of bullying or to even include the word “bullying” in their measures, thus conflating the measurement of bullying and aggression. Finally, most scales measure the prevalence of bullying and fail to assess the motivations for bullying or reasons why youth are bullied or bully others. The current article provides an overview of these five weaknesses present in bullying research, presents possible solutions, and discusses implications for school personnel.

Measures of violent behavior are often assumed to function identically across different groups (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity). However, failure to verify measurement invariance can lead to biased cross-group comparisons. The current study examines the measurement invariance of the Violent Behavior Checklist–Modified across genders and race/ethnicities. Using multiple group confirmatory factor analysis, configural and metric invariance are assessed in a sample of racially/ethnically diverse middle and high school students ( N = 4,128) in two rural counties. Results indicate that the Violent Behavior Checklist–Modified has partial measurement invariance across genders and race/ethnicities. Specifically, four out of six items were non-invariant across genders, while one out of six items was non-invariant across race/ethnicities. Findings suggest that the latent factor of violence may be qualitatively different across males and females. Implications are discussed.

This chapter applies the three central definitional components of bullying (i.e., repetition, power imbalance, and intent to harm) to child maltreatment and ongoing and intense sibling conflicts within the home. Powerless infants, toddlers, young children, and adolescents can become victims of bullying in their own homes, arguably causing more long-term trauma than any other experience across the life span. Research on victimization by parents and adult caretakers is reviewed. Power dynamics between siblings are also discussed. An overview of both of these phenomena including definitions, prevalence rates, economic cost, demographic characteristics, and negative developmental impacts is included. Then we discuss child maltreatment and ongoing and intense sibling conflict through the bullying framework, which is an innovative addition to the bullying literature, as the currently accepted definitions of bullying fail to identify ongoing, negative family dynamics as bullying. We argue that certain family dynamics can and should be defined as bullying.

Bullying does not stop with high school graduation. To the contrary, young adults who graduate from high school and enter college are at risk for hazing, a brutal and illegal form of abuse used to initiate newcomers into sports teams, groups, clubs, and organizations. Hazing involves intense humiliation and often causes enduring emotional and physical scars, and sometimes death. Fraternity and sorority pledges and new members of sports teams, marching bands, clubs, or groups are at risk for hazing victimization while senior members of these groups perpetrate hazing “traditions.” Although some might argue that pledges or newcomers willingly engage in hazing, we believe that hazing can best be understood as a form of bullying. We provide an overview of hazing, including a discussion of the definition in general and as related to state anti-hazing laws. We also provide prevalence rates and discuss the consequences of hazing. Finally, we apply the three definitional components of bullying (repetition, power imbalance, and intent to harm) to hazing incidents and argue that the bullying dynamic forms a foundation for a nuanced understanding of hazing.

This chapter provides an overview of bullying dynamics manifested in teen dating violence (TDV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) between married, cohabitating, or dating adult partners. An overview of TDV and IPV are provided including definitions, prevalence rates, causes, and consequences. Then we go on to apply the bullying definitional framework (repetition, power imbalance, intent to harm) to TDV and IPV and argue that these forms of violence can be understood as forms of bullying. For example, both power and repetition are emphasized in a cycle of coercion and violence inherent in these two forms of violence. Many researchers do not include TDV or IPV in their definition of bullying; however, we apply the lens of the bullying dynamic to broaden the understanding of perpetration and victimization in close relationships. Many couples experience power imbalances and repeated aggression with intent to harm in overt or covert ways. Viewing intimate partner dynamics through the lens of bullying behavior creates a unique way to understand conflict that can plague adolescent and adult couples.

The negative consequences of bullying victimization extend across victims’ entire ecology. In the current chapter, the third iteration of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the Process–Person–Context–Time (PPCT) model, is modified slightly (i.e., to Person–Process–Context–Time) and used to organize and understand the consequences associated with bullying involvement. Person refers to individual characteristics that impact development and the current chapter discusses the individual mental health and neurobiological impacts of victimization. Process refers to social interactions that impact development and the current discussion of bullying victimization highlights the negative peer relationships and social interactions experienced by victims. Context refers to the surrounding environment that impacts development; given that bullying commonly occurs in the school context victims often dislike school and the negative impact of bullying on the school context is discussed. Time refers to the ongoing process of development and the current chapter discusses cumulative victimization that is ongoing over time as well as the longitudinal impacts of bullying victimization.

Cyberbullying is the act of using electronic means (e.g., e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, websites, gaming sites, cellular phones) to threaten, humiliate, insult, exclude, or intimidate others. However, given unique aspects of virtual communication (e.g., lack of vocal intonation, facial expression, body language) it is sometimes difficult to identify cyberbullying. Further, the three central features of traditional bullying (e.g., bullying not using electronic means), repetition, power imbalance, and intent to harm are complicated by the nuances of cyberbullying. This chapter discusses the definition of cyberbullying as well as defining the roles in the cyberbullying dynamic and explaining the different methods (e.g., exclusion, flaming) and means (e.g., text messaging, e-mail) used to cyberbully. The devastating consequences of cyberbullying on cybervictims, cyberbullies, and cyberbully-victims are discussed as well as the commonalties between cyberbullying and traditional bullying.

Bystanders are individuals who witness a bullying episode but are not directly involved as a bully or victim. Bystanders engage in three basic behaviors: (1) negative bystanders—They support the bully either with verbal encouragement or by actually engaging in the bullying; (2) passive bystanders—They do nothing and simply observe the bullying or wait until the bullying has ended and then comfort the victim; or (3) prosocial bystanders—They support the victim by confronting the bully, getting a teacher, or removing the victim from the situation. Recently, the term “upstander” has been used to describe prosocial bystanders. The current chapter provides an overview of prevalence rates of bystander presence and various bystander behavior. A discussion is provided of motivating factors behind bystander responses to bullying including individual psychology, sociometric status/popularity, and situational factors. The impact of witnessing bullying on bystanders is also discussed as well as an overview of how to increase prosocial bystander behavior.

This chapter provides an overview of the bullying dynamic and explains how other forms of violence (i.e., sibling violence, child maltreatment, teen dating violence, domestic violence, college hazing, workplace bullying, elder maltreatment, discrimination, and violence within and between larger organizations) can be understood through the framework of bullying. An in-depth discussion of the definition of bullying is provided, including a new and innovative definition. The complexities of the definition, including power imbalance and repetition, are discussed. An overview of different forms of bullying (e.g., physical, verbal, relational, electronic) and national and international prevalence rates is included.

In this chapter, we apply our definition of the bullying dynamic— repeated aggression over time, power imbalance, and intent to harm—to macro level conflict between social groups. Bullying does not just happen on a small scale on school playgrounds, college campuses, or at home. Bullying also occurs on a larger scale including racism, discrimination, genocide, and mass murder which are often spearheaded by the multiple hate groups in the US and around the globe. Further, the inequality present in the US contributes to unequal power that can set up bullying dynamics between socioeconomic classes, genders, and races/ethnicities. A theoretical lens (i.e., social capital theory, social dominance theory, oppression model) is used to explain group level bullying. This chapter examines how bullying is a global phenomenon that occurs outside the bounds of school yards and can be huge in scale with devastating consequences.

This chapter provides an overview of roles inherent in the bullying dynamic and how these roles are related to peer social groups. Youth can be involved in the bullying dynamic as a bully, victim, bully-victim, or bystander. Sociometric status provides a window to view child and adolescent peer relationships and hierarchical group formation. A detailed discussion of sociometric status and its relationship to bullying is provided. An in-depth discussion of theoretical explanations for why bullying happens is provided, applying several theories from evolutionary psychology and sociology. Implications for practitioners are also provided.

In this chapter, we examine bullying perpetration and victimization in the workplace. First, we set forth a definition of workplace bullying, then we discuss prevalence, costs, and the impact on victims. We relate workplace bullying to other forms of perpetration and victimization and discuss salient issues in policy and practice strategies.

As the US population grows older with the graying of the Baby Boomers, elder abuse is becoming increasingly common. From financial manipulation through physical abuse and neglect, the elderly are a particularly vulnerable group, especially those struggling with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This chapter reviews the research on elder maltreatment beginning with a review of definitions and prevalence rates. We then apply the bullying definitional framework to elder abuse and then discuss elder abuse in the context of community settings (i.e., when elders reside with their families or on their own) and institutional settings (i.e., nursing homes).

This final chapter serves as a review of the preceding 11 chapters. We discuss why bullying should be seen as a public health priority, if not a pandemic, based on prevalence, cost, and impact. This discussion offers additional insight into how forms of bullying and violence are interconnected and escalated by the presence of guns. We also provide information on interventions and possible ways of combatting bullying and violence across the life span.

Bullying is a complex social dynamic that can best be understood by using various theoretical frameworks. The current article uses social capital theory, dominance theory, the theory of humiliation, and organizational culture theory to better understand the motivations behind bullying behavior, bullying’s negative effects on victims, and how school culture and climate play a role in the prevalence of bullying. Specifically, the acquisition and maintenance of social capital and the desire for dominance are prime motivating factors for the initiation and continuation of bullying perpetration. The lack of social capital experienced by victims serves to maintain victims in their current role and prevents them from gaining social status. Further, the domination used by bullies to subjugate victims results in intense humiliation that has lasting negative effects on victims, such as anger and depression. The overall culture and climate of the school setting impacts the prevalence and severity of bullying behavior, highlighting the need for whole school bullying interventions. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Little research has examined the way in which perceptions of peer behavior (i.e., descriptive norms) influence externalizing behavior among rural adolescents. Using a social norms framework, the current study examined gender differences in the relationship between perceived delinquency among friends and externalizing behavior in a sample of rural adolescents. Based on previous research, the authors proposed that adolescents experience negative emotional responses when they believe that their peers are engaging in delinquency, which subsequently influences externalizing behavior. Consequently, internalizing symptoms were explored as a mediator of the relationship between perceived friend delinquency and externalizing behavior. Data came from the NC-ACE Rural Adaptation Project, a longitudinal panel study of adolescents in two rural, economically disadvantaged counties with exceptional racial/ethnic diversity (29 % White, 25 % African American, 25 % American Indian, 12 % Mixed Race/Other, 9 % Hispanic/Latino). Using multiple group structural equation modeling (N = 3489; 51 % female), results indicated that perceived friend delinquency was significantly related to externalizing behavior and this relationship did not vary by gender. Internalizing symptoms fully mediated the relationship between perceived friend delinquency and externalizing behavior and the path between perceived friend delinquency and internalizing symptoms was stronger for males. Implications of these relationships for prevention and intervention programming for externalizing behavior were highlighted.

The current study examined multilevel risk factors and developmental assets on longitudinal trajectories of aggressive behavior in a diverse sample of rural adolescents. Using ecological and social capital theories, we explored the impact of positive and negative proximal processes, social capital, and contextual characteristics (i.e., school and neighborhood) on adolescent aggression. Data came from the Rural Adaptation Project, which is a 5-year longitudinal panel study of more than 4,000 middle and high school students from 40 public schools in two rural, low income counties in North Carolina. A three-level HLM model (N = 4,056 at Wave 1, 4,251 at Wave 2, and 4,256 at Wave 3) was estimated to predict factors affecting the change trajectories of aggression. Results indicated that negative proximal processes in the form of parent-adolescent conflict, friend rejection, peer pressure, delinquent friends, and school hassles were significant predictors of aggression. In addition, social capital in the form of ethnic identity, religious orientation, and school satisfaction served as buffers against aggression. Negative proximal processes were more salient predictors than positive proximal processes. School and neighborhood characteristics had a minimal impact on aggression. Overall, rates of aggression did not change significantly over the 3-year study window. Findings highlight the need to intervene in order to decrease negative interactions in the peer and parent domains.

Multifaceted approaches to youth-violence prevention package evidence-based programs into initiatives that yield large-scale impact. This study assessed the impact of a package of evidence-based violence prevention programs, implemented as part of the North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center, on county-level violence indicators.Using growth-curve modeling, the target county was compared to all other counties in North Carolina and a comparison county.Results reveal downward trends on several county-level indicators (i.e., undisciplined/delinquent complaints, total delinquent complaints, juvenile arrests-aggravated assaults, and short-term suspensions) throughout the intervention period. However, statistical tests were unable to confirm that intervention-period scores on youth-violence indicators were significantly different than expected scores given the relationship between pretest and intervention-period scores in other North Carolina counties.Although additional administrative data points are needed to support the hypotheses, this study provides preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center interventions.

This chapter provides a comprehensive review of research linking acculturation and violent behavior for adolescents of three minority populations: Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI), and American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN). Studies on Latino and A/PI youth indicate that higher levels of adolescent assimilation were a risk factor for violence. Ethnic group identity or culture of origin involvement appear to be cultural assets against youth violence, with supporting evidence from studies on A/PI youth; however, more studies are needed on Latino and AI/AN youth. Although some evidence shows low acculturation or cultural marginality to be a risk factor for higher levels of fear, victimization, and being bullied, low acculturation also serves as a protective factor against dating violence victimization for Latino youth. An emerging trend, in both the Latino and A/PI youth literature, shows the impact of acculturation processes on youth aggression and violence can be mediated by family dynamics.