Factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young adults exposed to childhood sexual abuse

Objective: The aims of this study were to identify the factors which discriminated young people exposed to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who developed psychiatric disorder or adjustment difficulties in young adulthood from those young people exposed to CSA who did not develop psychiatric disorder or adjustment difficulties by age 18.Method: Data were gathered on a birth cohort of 1,025 New Zealand children studied from birth to the age of 18 on (a) exposure to CSA; (b) patterns of psychiatric disorder and adjustment difficulties at age 18 years; (c) factors that may have influenced responses to CSA including characteristics of the abuse, parental bonding, parental characteristics, and adolescent peer affiliations.Results: Just over 10% of the cohort reported CSA. Those reporting CSA were at increased risks of a range of difficulties at age 18 (depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, other substance abuse/dependence, post sexual abuse trauma, attempted suicide). However, not all of those exposed to CSA developed difficulties and approximately a quarter of those exposed to CSA did not meet criteria for any adjustment difficulty. Further analysis suggested that the extent of adjustment difficulties in those exposed to CSA was influenced by two additional factors: (a) the extent of affiliations with delinquent or substance using peers in adolescence; and (b) the extent of paternal care or support in childhood.Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that while young people exposed to CSA are at increased risks of psychiatric disorder and adjustment difficulties in young adulthood, not all individuals exposed to CSA will develop adjustment difficulties. Important factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young people experiencing CSA appear to be the nature and quality of peer and family relationships.     

Factors discriminating among profiles of resilience and psychopathology in children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV)

ObjectiveTo evaluate the social and emotional adjustment of 219 children in families with varying levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) using a model of risk and protection. To explore factors that differentiate children with poor adjustment from those with resilience.MethodologyMothers who experienced IPV in the past year and their children ages 6–12 were interviewed. Standardized measures assessed family violence, parenting, family functioning, maternal mental health, and children's adjustment and beliefs.ResultsUsing cluster analysis, all cases with valid data on the Child Behavior Checklist, Child Depression Inventory, General Self-Worth and Social Self-Competence measures were described by four profiles of children's adjustment: Severe Adjustment Problems (24%); children who were Struggling (45%); those with Depression Only (11%); and Resilient (20%) with high competence and low adjustment problems. Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed children in the Severe Problems cluster witnessed more family violence and had mothers higher in depression and trauma symptoms than other children. Resilient and Struggling children had mothers with better parenting, more family strengths and no past violent partner. Parents of children with Severe Problems were lacking these attributes. The Depressed profile children witnessed less violence but had greater fears and worries about mother's safety.ConclusionFactors related to the child, to the mother and to the family distinguish different profiles of adjustment for children exposed to IPV who are living in the community. Resilient children have less violence exposure, fewer fears and worries, and mothers with better mental health and parenting skills, suggesting avenues for intervention with this population.Practice implicationsFindings suggest that child adjustment is largely influenced by parent functioning. Thus, services should be targeted at both the child and the parent. Clinical interventions shaped to the unique needs of the child might also be tested with this population.     

The effects of perceived professor competence,warmth and gender on students’ likelihood to register for a course

Abstract

The present research examined whether students’ likelihood to take a course with a male or female professor was affected by different expectations of professors based on gender stereotypes. In an experimental vignette study, 503 undergraduate students from a Canadian university were randomly assigned to read a fictitious online review, similar to those found on RateMyProfessors.com, that varied professor gender, overall quality score and level of caring for students. Students responded to items assessing their likelihood to take a course with the professor, perceived competence and warmth of the professor, and their own gender bias. An analysis of variance revealed an interaction between professor gender, student gender, quality score and caring. When quality score was low, male students indicated a lower likelihood of taking a course with female professors who were not described as caring. Regression analyses showed, however, that students' gender bias was negatively associated with likelihood to take a course with a female professor. These results imply that student gender plays a role in evaluations of female professors who do not display stereotypical warmth but that gender bias, which is typically higher for males at the group-level, may be an underlying factor.     

Cognitive development in relation to secondary school final examination results in the Italian school system

A Piaget‐type questionnaire was presented to about 800 students of the Science Faculty of Bari University at the very beginning of their first academic year. The score results of the questionnaire were analysed in terms of cognitive development and correlated with the grade obtained in the final examination at secondary school. The correlation (when statistically significant) were always positive but low. This suggests that more attention should be paid in the final examination to students’ master of high‐level cognitive processes.     

The relationship between adverse childhood experiences,healthcare utilization,cost of care and medical comorbidities

BackgroundPrior research suggests that those experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be higher utilizers of the healthcare system. The frequency and financial impact of kept, cancelled and no-showed visits is largely unknown.ObjectiveTo examine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on healthcare utilization in a sample of US adults.Participants and SettingTwo thousand thirty-eight adult patients who completed an ACE screening within the behavioral health department of a medium sized, Midwestern healthcare system during 2015–2017 were included.MethodsData was extracted retrospectively from 1-year post ACE screen.ResultsIndividuals with high ACEs (4+) made more but kept fewer appointments than those with no or moderate (1–3) ACEs (p < 0.0001). Individuals with high ACES had more late-cancelled and no-showed appointments compared to those with no ACEs (p’s < .0001). Relationships were significant even after controlling for age, gender, and insurance type. Those with high ACEs had the greatest impact on potential lost revenue given that they late-cancelled and no-showed more appointments. Those with high ACEs also had more medical comorbidities, medications, and needed care coordinator than those with moderate or no ACEs (p’s < .05)ConclusionsResults from this study should be used to inform providers and health care systems on the effects of adversity on patterns of utilization of health care and encourage innovative strategies to better address the needs of these patients.     

Variance and Context Differences in Teaching at Differentially Effective Schools

ABSTRACT

This study follows up on recent research exploring the differences in teaching within more or less effective schools. Results verify that teachers in more effective schools score consistently higher on indices of effective teaching than those in typical or less effective schools. Furthermore, teachers in more effective schools demonstrate less variance in teaching behaviors, indicating more formal or informal socialization at the school level. Additional differences in mean and deviation scores were noted between elementary and junior high schools, suggesting differential school processes at operation in those two levels.     

National Board Certification and Teacher Effectiveness: Evidence From Washington State

ABSTRACT

We study the effectiveness of teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in Washington State, which has one of the largest populations of National Board-Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the nation. Based on value-added models in math and reading, we find that NBPTS-certified teachers are about 0.01–0.05 student standard deviations more effective than non-NBCTS with similar levels of experience. Certification effects vary by subject, grade level, and certification type, with greater effects for middle school math certificates. We find mixed evidence that teachers who pass the assessment are more effective than those who fail, but that the underlying NBPTS assessment score predicts student achievement.     

Performance in a prematriculation gross anatomy course as a predictor of performance in medical school

The University of California at Davis School of Medicine offers a prematriculation program to nontraditional students. As part of the program, students take a 7‐day course on the gross anatomy of the upper limb that concludes with a written examination and a practical examination based on prosections. Here, the performance of students who took the course from 2002 to 2004 (n = 48) is compared with their performance in the medical gross anatomy course as well as their performance on Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Both rank in the prematriculation program's anatomy course and the score on the examination were correlated (significant at the 0.01 level) with performance on the medical gross anatomy midterm and final examinations, the overall final grade, and class rank. Performance in the prematriculation anatomy course was also correlated with the score on Step 1 of the USMLE (rank significant at the 0.02 level; examination score, significant at the 0.05 level). Students who took the prematriculation course who eventually withdrew, were dismissed for academic reasons, or who failed the first attempt at the Step 1 of the licensing exam (n = 5) had a significantly lower score (77.6 ± 11.1; P < 0.05) on the prematriculation examination than did successful prematriculation students (86.2 ± 7.9). Thus, a gross anatomy examination following a short prematriculation course can be a predictor not only of medical student performance in anatomy, but also of performance on a standardized licensing examination. Anat Sci Ed 1:224–227, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.     

Examining the engagement of career academy and comprehensive high school students in the United States

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of student engagement of career academy students to those at a traditional comprehensive high school using propensity score matching and structural equation modeling. We found that academy students had significantly higher levels of emotional engagement and significantly lower levels of behavioral engagement than those at comprehensive schools. We also found no statistically significant differences in the levels of cognitive engagement of academy students compared to comprehensive school students. We believe the academy model has the promise of transforming the high school experience for students as it relates to their attachment to the school, their relationships with peers and teachers, and their sense of belonging and safety. However, academies need to work with students to create and develop co-curricular and extracurricular activities of interest to engage students in their schools at a higher level.     

Likes and Dislikes of Indonesian Pupils

Abstract

An investigation of the hypothesis: Children who select unconventional (U) careers have more creative ability than those who select conventional (C) ones. C or U careers were determined by frequency of occupational choice of 609 sixth grade children. Measures of creativity were the Minnesota Tests of Creative Thinking. Using t tests at the .05 level of confidence, U boys were compared against C boys and U girls against C girls on four different measures of creativity. While ail U groups scored higher than C groups on the creativity measures (with one exception), the results were statistically significant only for nonverbal elaboration. The results partially confirm the hypothesis and simultaneously provide evidence of the validity of the Minnesota tests. The norms on occupational choice contribute to identifying the developmental sequence of career aspirations.     

Interpretations of Parenting by Mainland Chinese and U.S. American Children

Objective. This study examined whether mainland Chinese and U.S. American children’s interpretations of their parents’ coercive authority assertion and critical comparison and shaming moderate relations between their reports of parenting and adjustment. Design. Middle-school children from mainland China (n = 217) and the United States (n = 207) rated their parents on coercive authority assertion and critical comparison and shaming, indicated whether they approved of their parents’ practices, rated their parents’ underlying intentions, and reported their own depression, antisocial behavior, and school motivation. Results. Moderation analyses showed that associations between coercive authority assertion or critical comparison and shaming and child depression were stronger for American and Chinese children whose approval ratings for these practices were relatively low. Greater coercive authority assertion was related to lower antisocial behavior for children who rated their parents high for the child beneficial interpretation and to lower school motivation for children who rated their parents low for the parent beneficial interpretation. For American children, greater coercive authority assertion also was related to greater depression for those who rated their parents relatively low for the child beneficial interpretation. For Chinese children, greater critical comparison and shaming was related to increased school motivation for those who rated their parents high on the child beneficial and/or parent beneficial interpretations. Conclusions. When children interpret their parents’ behavior in a more positive manner (i.e., they approve or think it is motivated by concern for the child), negative effects of coercive authority assertion and critical comparison and shaming may be mitigated. However, some cultural differences were found, particularly with respect to school motivation.     

“Neglected moms” - The implications of emotional neglect in childhood for the transition to motherhood

BackgroundThe transition to motherhood involves many challenges that require adjustment; included among them are adapting to body changes, forging a maternal identity, and attaching to the baby. Although these tasks may not be easy for any women, those who experienced emotional neglect during childhood may find them especially difficult.ObjectiveThe aim of the current study was to examine a model illuminating the mechanism underlying the association between childhood emotional neglect and women’s adjustment during pregnancy and the postpartum period.Participants and settingThree hundred and ninety four Israeli women participated in the study, during their pregnancy (Time 1) and two months postpartum (Time 2).MethodsParticipants filled out a battery of questionnaires assessing their history of childhood emotional neglect, body experience, maternal self-efficacy, attachment to the fetus/baby, and depression.ResultsResults from structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that childhood emotional neglect was associated with depression at both Time 1 and Time 2. These associations were mediated by the body experience during pregnancy (Time 1) and motherhood (Time 2) as well as by anticipated maternal self-efficacy (Time 1) and maternal self-efficacy (Time 2). The model explained 56% of the variance of postpartum depression (Time 2).ConclusionsThese findings point to the long-term implications of childhood emotional neglect for women’s adjustment to the transition to motherhood. The underlying mechanism suggested by the research model is discussed.     

Two Are Better Than One: The Joint Influence of Maternal Preparedness for Parenting and Children's Self-Esteem on Academic Achievement and Adjustment

Research Findings: This study investigated the joint influence of maternal cognitive readiness to parent and children's self-esteem on children's academic achievement and behavioral adjustment in the classroom at age 10. Participants were 153 adolescent mothers and their firstborn children. Findings indicated that low levels of prenatal maternal cognitive readiness to parent were associated with impairments in children's achievement and adjustment at age 10, regardless of the children's level of self-esteem. Among dyads in which mothers were more cognitively prepared for the parenting role, however, children with higher self-esteem showed notably better achievement and adjustment compared to those with lower self-esteem. These results illustrate the joint influence of mothers' preparedness for parenting and children's self-esteem on the school performance of children who are generally considered to be at high risk for impairments in achievement and adjustment. Practice or Policy: Findings are discussed in terms of the enduring impact of cognitive readiness to parent and self-esteem on the academic achievement and behavioral adjustment of at-risk children, with a focus on implications for intervention and prevention based on the specific findings from this study.     

Effect of Group Discussion on Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Risk Taking in Educational Situations1

Abstract

Ninety-two elementary and secondary school teachers were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions and one control condition to investigate the effect of group discussion on their attitudes towards risky actions discussed, as well as others not discussed. Significantly more positive attitudes were found in teachers who engaged in group discussion on both items discussed (at the . 01 level) and those not discussed (at the . 05 level). The theoretical background and implications of these findings are discussed.     

Attitude Toward Mathematics and the Predictive Validity of a Measure of Quantitative Aptitude

Abstract

The distribution of inter-test sums of squares for 7,021 freshmen was found to be markedly skewed positively. Formens high variability was usually due to a relatively lower English score; for women, a lower mathematics score. The “high-variables” (sum of squares 100 or more) had higher variances on each of the tests than did the “low-variables.” High-variable men were most likely to have mathematics as their highest score and social studies as lowest; for women, high social studies and low mathematics was the most likely combination. For men, the numbers of “high- variables” majoring In mathematics and “low-variables” in English were disproportionately high. Fathers of high- variable men had an education that was either higher or lower than the modal level for all the fathers.     

Differences in Mental Ability and Academic Achievement of Two Groups of High School Graduates

Abstract

This study investigated the differences between the means and the standard deviations in mental ability and academic achievement of two groups of high school students who were differentiated on their indicated aspirations for higher education. The subjects were 636 randomly selected 1961 graduates from nine public, comprehensive high schools in Portland, Oregon.

The hypothesis and sub-hypotheses were stated in the null form. Tests of significance at the .01 level of confidence were determined by utilizing the t tests.

The findings indicated that there were high significant differences between the means of the two groups for all characteristics except the GPA's, and no significant differences between the variability of the scores except in the Stanford Reading Scores.     

Pupils’ Perceptions of Teachers

Abstract

The study, with 536 second-sixth graders as subjects, attempted to investigate the relationships between teacher and “idea”-teacher discrepancies (hereafter designated as discrepancies) and six dependent variables. Results of the study were summarized as: (a) high-school achievement scorers tended to manifest low discrepancies, and vice versa; (b) boys appeared to exhibit higher discrepancies than girls did; (c) those more socially acceptable children seemed to exhibit low discrepancies, and vice versa; (d) those children who indicated higher school attitude scores had a tendency to show low discrepancies, and vice versa; (e) those children who rated themselves high on aggressiveness were inclined to show high discrepancies, and vice versa; and (f) there was no statistically significant relationship between peer-report aggressiveness and such discrepancies.     

Gender and Social Inequality at Oxford and Cambridge Universities

Abstract

The academic efficiency and social justice of entry procedures at Oxford and Cambridge Universities are examined over the past quarter of a century. For each major subject the mean A‐level scores of males and females entering from state and independent schools are compared with mean final examination scores in the major subjects. In any comparison of state and independent cohorts of the same gender, within the bounds of normal statistical fluctuation, the difference in A‐level score is a good predictor of the difference in finals score. For example, when between state men and independent men the difference in A‐level score is zero, the difference between mean finals score is zero also. The origin of female under‐achievement is examined. In most subjects there is pronounced gender inequality due to the following chain of circumstances: (1) to break‐even in finals women require at entry better grades at Advanced Level than men; (2) women used to have much the better A‐levels and so, in finals a quarter of a century ago, they matched and even — in some subjects — surpassed the men; (3) the A‐levels of women entering Oxford and Cambridge Universities fell off during the 1970s; (4) today female A‐level scores are slightly worse than male A‐level scores, and so female finals scores are much worse, in most subjects, than male finals scores. The concept of an ideal subject is defined; this is a subject in which zero difference in A‐level score between male and female yields zero difference in finals score. Law at Cambridge and chemistry at Oxford are ideal subjects. Ideal subjects are rare at Oxbridge: most subjects exhibit a significant male lead in finals when male and female have equal A‐level scores. The most non‐ideal subject at Oxford is mathematics, in which zero difference in A‐level score between males and females yields a male lead in finals score of 13%: at Oxford the other non‐ideal subjects are physics (male lead at equal A‐levels 11%), philosophy, politics and economics (9%), history (8%), modem languages (8%) and English (5%). An ideal subject is a paradigm which requires even‐handedness between male and female cohorts in the following parameters: (1) efficiency of course selection from school; (2) efficiency of teaching; (3) efficiency of finals assessment; (4) latent ability. A pronounced relative decline in the A‐level scores of girls educated in state maintained schools entering English and Welsh universities occurred in the 1970s; it is attributed to the reform of the state school system, particularly the growth in mixed‐sex comprehensive schools and the decline in the number of female single‐sex grammar schools. A peculiar aspect of the admissions filters at both Oxford and Cambridge ensures that state‐school educated men gaining entry do so with A‐level scores markedly superior to those of the other three cohorts.     

A longitudinal investigation of protective factors for bereaved maltreated youth

BackgroundMaltreated youth are at an elevated risk for the development of problem behaviors. Coping with the death of a family member or close friend during adolescence, referred to as bereavement, is a stressful event that could potentiate risk linked to maltreatment. However, developmental research suggests that youth adjustment is a product of multiple risk and protective factors. Although maltreated youth who experience loss may be particularly vulnerable to behavior problems, personal and contextual factors may attenuate or exacerbate youths’ risk for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.ObjectiveThe overarching goal of this study is to examine individual, family, and community-level protective factors for maltreated youth who experience bereavement. Specifically, we aim to examine the effect of age 12 bereavement on age 16 internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, and to investigate the moderating role of multi-level protective factors at ages 14 and 16.MethodsThe study consisted of a sample of 800 youth (52.4% female, 45.1% African-American) drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), collected from 1998 to 2011.ResultsMaltreated youth who experienced significant loss were at increased risk for externalizing symptoms, compared to non-bereaved maltreated youth (β = 0.085, p < .05). Individual future orientation (β = 0.103, p < .05) family future orientation (β = −0.120, p < .05), parental monitoring (β = −0.123, p< .01), and neighborhood collective efficacy (β = −0.126, p < .01) each significantly moderated the association between bereavement and externalizing symptoms.ConclusionsThese results have implications for future interventions aimed towards reducing problem behaviors in adolescents with a history of child maltreatment and who experience bereavement.     

Personal strengths and perceived teacher support as predictors of Singapore students’ academic risk status

Abstract

This study explored the relative salience of students’ personal strengths and teacher support in predicting academic risk status. The participants were Secondary One (S1, Grade Seven) students from Singapore who scored below the cohort’s mean score in a national test administered at the end of primary education, and were identified as low risk (n = 309) or high risk (n = 396), based on their S1 achievement score in the English Language subject. Logistic regression analysis was conducted with academic risk status as criterion variable and the following potential predictors: students’ background variables (i.e. socio-economic status, cognitive ability and initial achievement), personal strengths, teacher–student relatedness, and teacher autonomy and competence support. After controlling for the effects of the students’ background variables, teacher trust emerged as the strongest (negative) and most stable predictor of high-risk status; teacher alienation and teacher–student communication were found as significant positive predictors of students’ placement in the high-risk group.