Contraceptive use and non-use among teenage girls in a sexually motivated situation

This qualitative narrative study examined contraceptive use and non-use in light of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The purpose of this paper was to understand contraceptive use and non-use among Finnish teenage girls: why do girls use or not use contraception in a sexually motivated situation and how do the determinants of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (intention, attitudes, social norms, self-efficacy and preparatory behaviour) and situational factors affect girls' contraception-related behaviour? The data are comprised of the narratives of 41 girls regarding their experience with sexually motivated situations that involved contraceptive use or non-use. The narratives were analysed with narrative analysis, a categorical-content mode of reading. The findings suggest that, in light of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and its key determinants, attitude, intention and preparatory behaviour, like carrying condoms, having a condom available and discussing safer sex before intercourse, were not alone sufficient for predicting contraceptive use. The crucial element seems to be self-efficacy. This study provides situational information about adolescent girls' contraception-related decision-making and practical implications for health promoters and sex educators.     

Association between maltreatment and polydrug use among adolescents

Different studies have related sexual and physical abuse during childhood and adolescence to the development of substance abuse disorders. Nevertheless, we are not aware of the role that other more common maltreatment types, such as neglect, will play among the most risky pattern of consumption: the polydrug use. A clinical sample of 655 adolescents, divided into two groups: polydrug users and non-polydrug users, were assessed on their pattern of drug consumption, history of childhood maltreatment, current psychopathology and their family history of alcoholism. Polydrug users had a greater prevalence of all types of maltreatment, although the most associated to this group were sexual abuse and emotional neglect. Other relevant variables to adolescent consumption were: the diagnosis of depressive disorder, the presence of anxiety traits and the family history of alcohol dependence. Polydrug users have higher risks of having had problems during infancy and adolescence, such as maltreatment and other psychopathological conditions, with the addition of family history of alcoholism. Accordingly, practitioners should take into account that those variables may influence polydrug abuse because it is the most risky pattern for subsequent dependence of substances, and they should always be considered during treatment.     

Post-traumatic stress as a pathway to psychopathology among adolescents at high-risk for victimization

ObjectiveVictimization by violence elevates adolescents’ risk for developing internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Recent findings suggest that disruptions in developmental processes associated with post-traumatic stress (PTS) reactions may partially account for the relationship between victimization and the subsequent development of psychopathology during adolescence. The present study tested the temporal sequencing of these associations using multi-informant measurements in a large, diverse sample of adolescents at high-risk for victimization.MethodData were collected from a multi-site consortium of prospective studies, the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Information about 833 youth’s victimization experiences (i.e., direct, indirect, familial, and non-familial violence), PTS, and affective, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms were gathered from youth and their caregivers during biannual face-to-face interviews when youth were between the ages of 4 and 14 years, and continuously from official child protective services records.ResultsStructural equation modeling revealed that cumulative victimization contributed to elevations in youth and caregiver reported late childhood and early adolescent psychopathology. While PTS mediated the association between victimization and youth reported ADHD, ODD, CD, major depressive, and generalized anxiety symptoms during adolescence, it only mediated the association between victimization and caregiver reported affective symptoms.ConclusionsPTS reactions following childhood victimization partially accounted for escalations in psychopathology during the transition to adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of integrating trauma-informed assessment and intervention approaches with at-risk adolescents. Researchers should determine whether trauma-focused interventions sufficiently ameliorate other psychopathology among victimized adolescents or if additional interventions components are necessary.     

Contraceptive self-efficacy in adolescents: a comparative study of male and female contraceptive practices

This comparative study examined the relationship between self-efficacy theory and contraceptive practices in male and female adolescents enrolled in Midwestern University. A survey method was employed to obtain data from 101 female and 106 male subjects aged 18-20, sexually active, single, and who had one sexual partner for at least 3 months. Findings suggest that both genders need to develop the necessary communication skills in sexual matters and contraceptive issues. Females scored low on several self-efficacy statements that involve the ability to communicate about sexual matters and securing the use of contraception. They also obtained a low score in statements that require assertiveness in preventing sexual intercourse in highly involved situations. Meanwhile, male subjects scored low in items involving communication skills. Finally, contraceptive self-efficacy was found to be significantly different for males and females in the following areas: females need to learn how to assume responsibility and to become more effective in securing contraceptives; and males need to learn to be assertive about avoiding sexual intercourse when not using contraception and to develop the ability to talk about using contraceptives.     

昆明地区高校大学生避孕方法KAP调查

目的:了解昆明地区高校大学生对常用避孕方法的知识掌握程度及使用的相关态度及行为现况,为西部高校开展更有针对性的性健康教育和服务提供参考。方法:采取随机抽样的方法,对昆明3所高校的350名在校本科生进行自填式问卷调查。结果:共收回310份有效问卷,男、女生对常用的避孕方法知晓率排名前三的均为:安全套、短效口服避孕药、安全期避孕。在更愿意选择的避孕方法上男、女生没有差异,均为安全套,其主要影响因素为:容易使用、方便获取、效果好、对身体没有副作用。在有过性行为的学生中(共74人),通常获得避孕用具的来源依次为:药店(51.4%)、商店(32.4%)、校医院或学校相关机构(17.6%)、网购(10.8%)、同学或朋友给予(6.8%)。结论:昆明地区在校大学生对常用避孕方法的知识掌握程度并不高,知识更新水平有限。更偏爱容易使用又方便获取的避孕方法,如安全套。应针对大学生避孕方法的KAP特点,多渠道、多层次地开展有效的避孕相关的宣传教育和服务。     

Substance use, substance abuse, and LD among adolescents with a childhood history of ADHD

A clinic-referred sample of 109 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was followed into adolescence for the ascertainment of alcohol and other drug use and abuse. Learning disability (reading or math) in childhood was examined as a predictor of adolescent substance use and substance use disorder for alcohol and marijuana. No statistically significant group differences for children with LD versus those without LD emerged even after using different methods to compute LD. IQ/achievement discrepancy scores were similarly not predictive of later use or abuse. However, children with ADHD who had higher IQs and higher levels of academic achievement in childhood were more likely to try cigarettes, to smoke daily, and to have their first drink of alcohol or first cigarette at an early age. Children with ADHD who had higher reading achievement scores were less likely to have later alcohol use disorder. Although these findings are necessarily preliminary, due to the small number of children interviewed, the pattern of results suggests that level of cognitive functioning--rather than discrepancy between IQ and achievement--is important for the prediction of later substance use and abuse, at least in this clinic-referred sample of children with ADHD. Further, different mechanisms of risk related to cognitive functioning may be operating for experimentation with legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, regular cigarette smoking, and problematic alcohol use.     

Primary prevention of child abuse and neglect: Identification of high-risk adolescents

Based on the result of the study, the following conclusions are made:

1. 1. The parenting inventory developed has adequate levels of content validity, construct validity, internal reliability, and stability over time.

2. 2. Approximately 13% (150) of the adolescents responding to the inventory had factor scores -1 or more standard deviations below the group mean. It is concluded that the further the score deviates below the mean, the greater the risk the adolescent becomes for practicing abusive parenting behaviors.

3. 3. Abused adolescents have significantly lower mean scores than non-identified abused adolescents, suggesting that abused adolescents espress attitudes towards parenting and child-rearing which are similar to the parenting and child-rearing practices of abusive parents.

4. 4. Female adolescents, whether members of the abused or non-identified abused group, have higher mean scores than abused or non-identified abused male adolescents. The results suggest that male adolescents of both groups express more abusive parenting attitudes than females of both groups.

5. 5. Each of the four group parenting constructs can effectively be used to discriminate between abused and non-identified abused adolescents. Construct B:

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, however, had the greatest discriminatory capability.

The results of the study have indicated the utility of the inventory in assessing the parenting attitudes of adolescents and in discriminating between adolescents identified as abused and those non-identified as abused. In its present stage of development, the inventory may only be validly used to identify adolescents' attitudes towards child-rearing and parenting. Before the inventory is employed to identify potential child abusers for treatment purposes, it is recommended that longitudinal research be concluded. Such research should be designed to provide data relative to the predictive validity of the inventory.     

Contraceptive and sexuality knowledge among inner-city middle school students from minority groups

In exchange for a free physical examination, 116 minority group youths from inner-city middle schools in Texas consented to answer open-ended questions about their sexual behavior, contraceptive knowledge, and type and source of knowledge of sexuality. The students ranged in age from 12-15 years (mean age, 13 years); 27% were Hispanic and 73% were black. Sex education was not a part of the curriculum at the 4 schools from which respondents were drawn. When asked what sex meant to them, 37% of female adolescents and 23% of males indicated they did not know or it did not mean anything. Among remaining students, recreation was identified as the central meaning be males (23% of total), while females tended to cite romance (21% of total). Only 47% were able to list at least 1 question they had about sex; most common were questions about the morality of premarital intercourse and the experience of adolescent pregnancy and parenthood. 89% of females and 57% of males were able to name at least 1 contraceptive method, generally condoms (44%), abstinence (36%), and the pill (8%). Hispanic females named the highest number of contraceptive methods on average (2.2), followed by black females (1.9), Hispanic males (1.8), and black males (1.3). Among female adolescents, 53% listed their mother as their primary source of knowledge about sexual matters and 6% listed a friend. Among males, fathers (17%) and friends (17%) were the most frequent knowledge sources. The fact that these young adolescents view their parents as credible and approachable sources of information about sexuality suggests that school counselors should encourage such communication. aT the same time, the expressed need for more information on the moral aspects of sexuality indicates that values should be incorporated into any sex education program developed for this age group.     

Theories of education among academically able adolescents

The associations among views about the purposes of school, motivational orientations, and beliefs about the causes of academic success were examined in a sample of students of very high academic ability and attainment. The abilities of these students would make them especially well placed to outperform their peers academically and to attain those occupations of high status and income that require high academic attainment. Nevertheless, the view that school should help one gain status and wealth was not (whereas views that school should make one a responsible citizen were) associated with an orientation to learning for its own sake, satisfaction with school learning, or beliefs that success comes from attempts to learn. Similarly, despite the manifest competence of the sample, a competitive ego orientation was not associated with satisfaction with school learning, whereas a task orientation was. These results strengthen previous conclusions that a competitive orientation to schoolwork and the view that school should promote one's chances of gaining wealth and occupational status might be relatively incompatible with interest in learning and satisfaction with school. They also add to our understanding of the highly able.     

Social problem-solving among disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged adolescents

The study examined the differences of social problem-solving (SPS) among 12-, 14- and 16-year-old Hungarian disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged adolescents (N = 382) and investigated the relationship between SPS and family background (FB). SPS was measured through students’ own and their teachers’ evaluations by an adapted questionnaire (Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised, factors: negative/positive problem orientation, rationality, impulsivity and avoidance). Based on the total values of SPS, the difference between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged adolescents was significant in all age groups in the case of negative orientation. The difference was significant in the case of impulsivity at the age of 12; in the case of avoidance at the age of 14; in the case of rationality and avoidance at the age of 16. FB had the strongest link with negative orientation, impulsivity and avoidance. In case of impulsivity and avoidance, variance explained by FB was higher among 16-year olds than among 12- and 14-year olds.     

Conceptions of athletic excellence among children and adolescents

Youth in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12 were interviewed about their beliefs regarding athletic excellence. A set of open-ended questions assessed beliefs about the source of athletic ability and the differences between excellent athletes and others. Respondents also rated excellent athletes on a checklist containing various physical, cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal traits. Younger children were less likely than adolescents to differentiate excellent athletes. All participants, but especially adolescents, attributed greater physical skills to highly competent athletes. All but the third graders thought excellent athletes were different from others in terms of cognitive skills (e.g., attention, concentration), and adolescents believed excellent athletes also differed from others in terms of attitudes (e.g., motivation, determination). Older males were more likely to believe that athletic excellence was due to natural ability, whereas older females were more likely to attribute excellence to early social support and facilitation.     

Vulnerability or resilience to early substance use among adolescents at risk: The roles of maltreatment and father involvement

Although research has indicated that maltreated children are at higher risk of adolescent substance use, it remains unclear whether the type and timing of maltreatment affect the likelihood of adolescent substance use. Research has also found father involvement to be a potential protective factor against adolescent substance use, but the role of quality vs. quantity of father involvement as well as gender differences in the effects of father involvement on substance use among at-risk adolescents have not been studied. The current study adds value to the existing literature by filling these gaps in knowledge. We conducted a secondary data analysis with a sample of 685 at-risk adolescents drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. The study found a connection between early childhood (birth to 5) physical abuse and adolescent substance use, but not for later childhood physical abuse or other forms of child maltreatment. The quality of father involvement was found to be a protective factor, regardless of child gender; quantity of father involvement was not significant. Based on these findings, development of intervention strategies focusing on prevention of early childhood physical abuse and promoting positive father-child relationships are important prevention strategies for adolescent substance use. Additionally, professionals working with at-risk adolescents need to be cognizant of the implications of early childhood physical abuse and act accordingly to mitigate the increased potential for adolescent substance use.     

Family structure and academic skills among Finnish adolescents

This study investigated whether family structure accounts for adolescent academic performance in Finland in the analysis. The thirteen- to fourteen-year-old (grade 8) students' (N = 171) literacy skills were measured and their mathematical performance was tested. Information about family structure was gathered via a questionnaire sent to their homes. The findings of the study revealed that adolescents from other than two-parent intact families performed particularly well in regard to literacy skills. There were no gender differences with respect to either skill. The adolescents came from families of each type of structure, across all skill levels, suggesting that adolescent learning outcomes are not determined by diversity in family structure.     

Psychological responses to blood vengeance among Arab adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the well being of Arab adolescents who live under the threat of ongoing blood vengeance, and to assess the impact of socio-demographic characteristics, cultural context, and family functioning as a mediators factors. METHOD: The sample consisted of 100 adolescents in grades 6-8. Self-reported standardized measures were used to assess the participants' level of self-esteem (Rosenberg's scale), mental health (the Brief Symptom Inventory BSI), and perceived family functioning (the McMaster Family Assessment Device FAD). RESULTS: The participants of this study demonstrated higher levels of distress and symptomatic behavior as compared to the Israeli norms. In a series of multiple regression, General Family Functioning emerged as the major predictor associated with mental health. Female participants reported a higher anxiety level than their male counterparts. Male participants, on the other hand, were more willing to continue the feud of blood vengeance. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that there are similarities among children and adolescents who live in war zones and those who live under a threatening blood vengeance. Family functioning appears as the major mediator of well being. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Bullying and victimization among Turkish adolescents: the predictive role of problematic internet use,school burnout and parental monitoring

Education and Information Technologies - This study aims to examine the paths between excessive Internet use, school burnout and parental monitoring and their predictor effects in peer bullying and...