MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Journal of Community Psychology' source. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:31:54 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497173&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20507 AbstractI describe feminist community psychology principles that have the potential to expand and enrich mentoring and that honor Barbara Snell Dohrenwend, a leader who contributed to the research, theory, and profession of community psychology. I reflect on the affect that Barbara Dohrenwend had on life and on the development of feminist community psychology. Examples of peer mentoring between Barbara Dohrenwend's research assistant, John L. Martin, and me are used to illustrate radiating effects of mentoring and interrelationships among forms of mentoring. Feminist community psychology principles discussed in relation to mentoring include mutuality, the power of contexts, and the importance of recognizing and affirming stigmatized and oppressed aspects of identities. The concepts of “m... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497173 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:30 +0100 5497173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497172&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20480 This article examines the meaning, operation, and outcomes of education and related formation of feminist identity development within an Afghan women's humanitarian and political organization. Qualitative data, including 110 interviews, archival review, and participant observations, were collected using a feminist, community, strengths‐based approach and were re‐analyzed here with a focus on educational processes. Findings revealed multiple educational mechanisms, both similar to and different from many Western assumptions. Within these educational mechanisms, themes of critical consciousness and feminist identity also arose. Outcomes were mapped against Downing and Roush's (1985) feminist identity development model. Similarities, differences, limitations, and lessons in the applicatio... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497172 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:29 +0100 5497172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497171&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20502 This article describes experiences in an Irish context of education programs delivered in 2 communities, 1 based on class (a working class urban community) and 1 based on sexual orientation (an urban lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community). It aims to illustrate how feminist education can play an important role in feminist community psychology. Principles and practices of feminist education, or feminist pedagogy, have a great deal in common with feminist community psychology, but have been most often practiced in academic rather than in community settings. Feminist education in community settings provides a participatory and dialogical context in which knowledge can be cocreated from the bottom up. It allows for the exploration of diversity and the development of a political ana... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497171 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:27 +0100 5497171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497170&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20482 AbstractPsychology has made advances in rectifying its historical negation of women's perspectives, as evidenced by a steady increase in women's scholarship and distinctly feminist works. However, in community psychology, the scope and magnitude of works generated both by and about women from a feminist framework have not kept pace with discourse on the nature of graduate education. The purpose of this article is to stimulate further discussion about the ways in which greater attention to the principles and practices of feminist pedagogy can enhance the interpersonal processes and content of community psychology graduate education. We provide illustrative examples of feminist pedagogy for community psychology from doctoral student and female and male faculty perspectives. We conclude by di... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497170 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:26 +0100 5497170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497169&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20490 AbstractDespite the contributions of feminist theory and practice to improve workplace conditions in various sectors of business and industry, academic workplaces largely remain structured around a traditionally hierarchical, male workplace model and culture, which can inhibit women's career advancement. Using autobiographical narrative, I draw upon my own experiences as a single mother working in the academy to highlight women's acceptance and advancement in the academy. These experiences illustrate many themes pertaining to how women are evaluated at work, differential treatment of female versus male faculty and mothers versus childless women, and women's abilities to balance work and family. I conclude with recommendations for how we as feminist community psychologists can improve our o... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497169 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:25 +0100 5497169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497168&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20489 AbstractIn this article, I present some of my history and experiences to demonstrate how gender and class affected my career path as a community psychologist. The goal of this article is to show how the internalization of combined gender/class roles influenced my choices, behaviors, and expectations, and how actions of others interacted with my choices and behaviors to contribute to struggles and successes. It illustrates the push‐pull that occurred at an individual level that affected my ability to embrace an alternative perspective. I discuss my encounter with second‐wave feminism, undergoing the shifting identity in the transition from my blue‐collar origins to a white‐collar world, my expectations of sisterhood, and the affect of organizational structures and cultures. I use my... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497168 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:24 +0100 5497168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497167&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20488 AbstractIn this article, I offer a critical feminist theoretical reflection on my lived experiences as a working‐class White woman as a challenge to some of the dominant narratives in academia. In particular, I describe my development of feminist and class‐consciousness as an “organic intellectual.” I discuss changes to my working‐class identity and the challenges of breaking through the glass‐class ceiling as an academician. I reveal how stigma management has irrevocably shaped my academic life and how my attempts at cultural suicide have overshadowed my professional and personal lives. I ask for a radical critique of higher education and argue for the importance of community psychology to infuse feminism and class consciousness into the field to address societal power asymmet... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497167 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:23 +0100 5497167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497166&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20503 AbstractThis narrative describes how my educational journey led me to become a Latina feminist community psychologist. My experiences as a Central American woman living in the United States has made me deeply committed to feminist community values and the importance of social justice. Throughout the journey, I connect how immigration status, culture, and gender are intertwined in my career path. My journey includes discussion of my education from elementary school to a doctoral program. I acknowledge the positive role that mentors have had in my educational success. I also discuss how the voices of people of color and women are not always adequately heard or represented in feminist community psychology (FCP). My intensely personal stories are shared in the spirit of connecting with other w... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497166 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:21 +0100 5497166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497165&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20481 This article describes a feminist intervention to raise awareness about, and problematize, the pervasive experience of silencing, as reported by women, people of color, students, people identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (GLBTQ), people with national origins outside of North America, and people with disabilities, within the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA). A theater‐based intervention was designed and scripts were written from real‐life experiences that defined and described the problem of silencing as structural. We highlight three main points that emerged from intervention: (a) nontraditional approaches that step outside the cultural norms of a setting have great potential for raising awareness; (b) questions of power, privilege, and voice ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497165 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:20 +0100 5497165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497164&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20493 This article is a reflective narrative bringing together personal, collective, and action learning reflections from three women: all mothers, feminists, and community psychology practitioners. Its focus on mothering highlights the interconnectedness and tensions across these roles, as well as the shared learnings arising from this collaboration. The article draws on our experiences in two participatory action research projects in different parts of Melbourne, Australia, to illustrate how our feminism informed approaches to improving mothers' and children's well‐being within a community environment. Learnings for practice include the importance of support and partnership with and empowerment of mothers in all their diversity, and of community change towards communal and child‐centered s... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497164 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:19 +0100 5497164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497163&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20491 AbstractFeminist scholars and community psychologists have argued that reflexivity is a necessary component to conducting socially conscious research. Reflexivity, however, is rarely evident in community psychology. In this article, we share the uncomfortable realities that surfaced during a community‐based research project in which we adapted and implemented an HIV prevention intervention for young Black sexual minority women. We each describe how aspects of our identities, values, and socialization affected our engagement in the research and our interactions with and feelings towards participants. In doing so, we hope to call attention to the messiness of community‐based work, as well as to promote a community of scholars who are open to self‐appraisal and willing to share their le... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497163 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:18 +0100 5497163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5497162&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20515 AbstractIn this special issue, we view the development of feminist community psychology (FCP) as an ongoing project that must be co‐created. This is reflected in articles that focus on authors' unique social locations inside and outside organizations in which they work, critical reflections on their multilayered identities, feminist methodological and pedagogical concerns, and the power of mentoring and social support. Authors discuss ways that critical reflexivity, feminist identities, and pedagogies can influence and be influenced by the practice of community psychology (CP). The intersectionality of identities is highlighted based on marginalized statuses from race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality to motherhood and “otherhood.” Authors also describe FCP practices including efforts ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5497162 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:24:17 +0100 5497162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307020&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20506 (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307020 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:38 +0100 5307020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307019&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20448 AbstractBuckner (1988) extensively reviewed theoretical concepts proposed by a variety of scholars and developed the Neighborhood Cohesion Instrument (NCI) to measure three latent constructs (attraction to neighborhood, neighboring, and psychological sense of community). This instrument has been applied in most Western countries. The purpose of this research is to use Taiwan as a case study to assess whether the NCI can be applied to community research in an East Asian country. The authors apply confirmatory factor analysis to analyze two datasets collected in Taipei and the rural areas in Taiwan, separately. After scrutinizing the model fit indices and estimates of internal consistency, composite reliability and variance extracted, the authors conclude that the NCI can at least survey ind... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307019 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:37 +0100 5307019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307018&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20492 AbstractFew studies have compared urban and rural adolescents' mental health problems, especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental health problems and coping styles of adolescents in urban and rural areas in China. A total of 927 urban and rural high school students in Shandong Province of China were recruited for the study. The results of the study are as follows: (a) students in rural low‐socioeconomic status (SES) areas, especially females, had more mental health problems than did those in rural high‐SES and urban areas; (b) rural low‐SES students were more likely to cope by venting and fantasizing than did the other two groups; (c) regardless of residence and SES, mental health problems were inversely related to the use of problem s... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307018 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:36 +0100 5307018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307017&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20486 AbstractThis longitudinal study examined psychological integration of women who were homeless at the study's outset. Participants (N = 101) were recruited at homeless shelters and participated in 2 in‐person interviews, approximately 2 years apart. A predictive model identifying factors associated with having a psychological sense of community within one's neighbourhood was developed from previous empirical research and tested. Having dependent children, living in higher quality housing, and having more positive contact with neighbours predicted higher levels of psychological integration. Counter to predictions, living in one's current housing for longer predicted lower levels of psychological integration in this sample. The findings suggest the importance of providing high‐quality, af... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307017 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:35 +0100 5307017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307016&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20485 This article describes a latent profile transition analysis (LPTA), one of several PCMs. To demonstrate LPTA, we estimate risk profiles and treatment effects using data from a cohort study of a school‐based social skills training program. We define four steps in PCMs analysis, describe key statistical tests, and conclude with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of PCMs for practice research. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307016 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:34 +0100 5307016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307015&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20484 AbstractProcesses of psychological empowerment for members of community‐based organizations may be strongly influenced by organizational factors. Using survey data from a random sample of urban residents (n = 974), the present study examines how individual perceptions of empowering features of organizations (group‐based belief system, role opportunity, leadership, and social support) and sense of community relate to participants' psychological empowerment. Relational power, a hypothesized component of interactional empowerment, is examined as the dependent variable. Structural equation modeling highlights a mediating relationship in the development of an understanding of relational power. The study extends prior research on the predictors of psychological empowerment and discusses the ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307015 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:32 +0100 5307015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307014&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20483 This study examined the influences of disadvantaged residential neighborhood on anxiety and depression, and potential resources that buffer against internalizing problems when youths were exposed to neighborhood stressors. Multilevel analysis of 196 PHIV+ and 129 perinatally HIV‐exposed but uninfected youth (PHIV−) in New York City found that higher exposure to neighborhood disorder was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety for PHIV+ and PHIV− youths. Stressful events unrelated to residential neighborhoods significantly mediated the relationship between neighborhood disorder and anxiety and depression. Social problem solving and religiosity did not moderate the relationship between neighborhood disorder and internalizing problems. Our findings highlighted that inter... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307014 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:31 +0100 5307014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307013&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20479 This study explores the experiences and support needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people living in Sussex (UK), and the training needs of practitioners working with LGBTQ young people. The aims were to explore the experiences of young people including bullying, “coming out,” social service and educational needs, and to investigate how practitioners view the needs of LGBTQ young people. Twenty‐nine interviews were conducted and analyzed thematically. Participants stressed the social and health impact of discrimination and bullying on young people as well as barriers faced in accessing services. Young people require support, yet practitioners lack the training to provide that support. Practitioners are open to this training and both groups of pa... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307013 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:30 +0100 5307013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307012&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20478 AbstractThe study is aimed at examining the relationship between psychological empowerment of women volunteers and their clients in community volunteer projects in Israel. Based on an ecological approach, the study also aimed at examining whether the variables that explain empowerment of women who volunteer also explain empowerment of their clients. The sample included 148 women, who were divided into 74 volunteer‐client pairs. Psychological empowerment of volunteers did not correlate significantly with psychological empowerment of clients. However, the volunteer women's motives for volunteering and the quality of the volunteer–client interaction correlated positively with psychological empowerment of the clients. Empowerment of volunteers was explained primarily by social motives, by ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307012 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:28 +0100 5307012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307011&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20477 This study examined a comprehensive screening model within children attending Head Start programs from urban (n =232) and rural (n = 231) communities. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; LeBuffe & Naglieri, 1999) was used to measure social‐emotional protective factors (i.e., Total Protective Factors [TPF]) and risk factors (i.e., Behavior Concerns [BC]) within children that resided in two different community settings. Children from low‐income rural programs received higher scores on a subscale measuring children's relationship to adults (i.e., Attachment subscale). Additionally, children from low‐income urban programs received higher scores on children's ability to self‐regulate (i.e., Self‐Control subscale). Significant differences between children from rural and ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307011 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:27 +0100 5307011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307010&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20476 This study examines whether and how select individual characteristics moderate the relationship between neighborhood disorder and a sense of personal control. Our findings show that neighborhood disorder is associated with a decreased sense of control. However, regression analyses including interaction terms of neighborhood disorder and some individual characteristics show that the negative effect of neighborhood disorder on sense of control is greater among Whites and people with low economic hardship, compared with racial minorities and those with high economic hardship, when neighborhood disorder is high. These results imply that, for Whites and those with low economic hardship, sense of control is more vulnerable to high levels of neighborhood disorder, even though Whites and people wi... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307010 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:26 +0100 5307010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5307009&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20504 AbstractIn this article, we respond to criticisms posed by McMillan (2011) of our recent paper, “Viewing Community as Responsibility as well as a Resource: Deconstructing the Theoretical Roots of Psychological Sense of Community.” We clarify that the focus of our article was to explore the macro theoretical frameworks and second‐order assumptions that have guided the measurement and study of the psychological sense of community (PSOC) construct to date. We then correct McMillan's mischaracterization of our work as a normative theory by clarifying that our thesis was not that PSOC is a value – but rather that (a) people have values and belief systems, and (b) these belief systems may interact with aspects of a community context to evoke a sense of responsibility for a community to w... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5307009 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:39:25 +0100 5307009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121784&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20470 AbstractIn a representative sample of the Italian population (N=2,002), surveyed in January 2008, we studied the direct and interactive effects exerted on fear of crime by direct and indirect victimization, on the one hand, and perceived level of disorder of participants' community, on the other hand. Indirect victimization fostered fear of crime among participants reporting high levels of social disorder in their community. However, direct and indirect victimization did not influence fear of crime among participants reporting not living in a disordered community. Implications and limitations of this work and possible further research directions are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121784 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:55 +0100 5121784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121783&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20461 AbstractThis investigation examined the relationship between living in disordered neighborhoods during childhood and anxiety 1 year later. Objective measures of neighborhood environment and individual data from a study of mental health in suburban children were utilized. Linear regression models were used to assess relationships between neighborhood hazard and anxiety. Childhood neighborhood disorder was inversely associated with generalized anxiety (β=−0.037, p<0.01) and social phobia (β=−0.33, p=0.03), but not other forms of anxiety including separation anxiety or panic disorder. We suspect that children with early exposure to disordered neighborhoods are either desensitized to toxic environments or that anxiety is not well specified for this population. © 2011 Wiley Periodical... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121783 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:54 +0100 5121783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121782&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20465 AbstractRisk for peer victimization varies by ethnicity, but few studies explore how the ethnic context of the school can affect this. Using a large sample of schools and high school students, we used hierarchical linear modeling to explore victimization risk by ethnicity within the ethnic context of the school. Models predicted total, physical, verbal, and sexual harassment victimization. At the student level, the model included sex, ethnicity, and the percent of same ethnicity students at the school. At the school level, the model included diversity, mean perception of school safety, and mean perception that they were targeted because of their race/ethnicity. At the student level, having more same‐ethnicity peers, and at the school level, having greater overall diversity, decreased vic... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121782 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:52 +0100 5121782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121781&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20475 This study describes a formal evaluation of a single semester mentoring program that was implemented within the context of a school‐university‐community partnership. Middle school students were randomly assigned to a school‐based mentoring program (n=60) or a control group (n=60) during the first semester of middle school. Results suggest that random assignment to the mentoring program designed to ease the transition to middle school was associated with statistically significant decreases in reading grades and null effects on other measures, including school and teacher connectedness. These results reinforce the need to evaluate mentoring programs on a case‐by‐case basis and continue to innovate in the area of school‐based mentoring until robust, replicable evidence‐based pro... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121781 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:51 +0100 5121781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121780&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20474 AbstractThe study's aim was to develop a multidimensional model for the assessment of child maltreatment prevention readiness in low‐ and middle‐income countries. The model was developed based on a conceptual review of relevant existing models and approaches, an international expert consultation, and focus groups in six countries. The final model comprises 10 dimensions: key country conditions; problem assessment; legislation, mandates, policies, and plans; will to address the problem; institutional links and intersectoral collaboration; institutional resources and efficiency; material resources; human and technical resources; informal social resources; and program implementation and evaluation. This model and the instrument being developed on the basis of it address an unmet need in t... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121780 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:49 +0100 5121780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121779&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20473 This study examines families' use of behavioral health hospitalization and foster care placement before, during, and after shelter use, comparing families based on shelter pattern and type of housing exit. Results show that inpatient and foster care services use drops in the homelessness period, but rebounds after exit, regardless of pattern of shelter use and type of housing exit. Results suggest that shelters supplant use of services, but not on a sustained basis. Despite declines in concurrent services use, the homelessness period is overall more costly for episodically and long‐term shelter users, primarily owing to the high costs of shelter. High rates of inpatient and foster care services use after the homeless spell suggest that providers of homeless assistance should systematical... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121779 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:47 +0100 5121779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121778&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20472 AbstractThe current study evaluated associations between attending a community‐based youth program, neighborhood problems, and child depressive symptoms in a sample of 147 children (mean [M] age=8.22 years, 54.4% male). Findings suggested that both program attendance and neighborhood problems were uniquely associated with child depressive symptoms while also considering the variance associated with child delinquency, such that high levels of attendance and low levels of neighborhood problems were associated with low levels of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, a marginally statistically significant trend (p<.06) for program attendance to buffer the effects of neighborhood problems on child depressive symptoms was found. Implications for findings are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121778 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:44 +0100 5121778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121777&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20471 This study examined the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescents' problem behaviors, moderated by adolescent gender, as well as the association between maternal depressive symptoms and the family environment characteristics above and beyond child variables. Data were collected from 137 mothers of runaway adolescents with alcohol and/or substance abuse problems. Results showed that both internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors of adolescent girls, as opposed to problem behaviors of boys, were significantly associated with maternal depressive symptoms. In addition, higher family cohesion was significantly related to lower maternal depressive symptoms even after controlling for adolescent problem behaviors. However, no significant relationship was found between f... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121777 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:43 +0100 5121777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121776&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20469 This study examined the impact of an earthquake as well as the role of sense of community as a protective factor against depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults who survived an 8.0 magnitude earthquake in 2008. A household survey of a random sample was conducted 3 months after the earthquake and 298 older earthquake survivors participated in it. The results showed that earthquake‐associated distress had a direct effect on depression controlling for coping, informal support, and sense of community. The results also showed that the effect of earthquake‐associated distress is contingent upon the level of sense of community. The findings highlighted the role of individuals' sense of community as a protective factor against traumatic experiences and suggested that attempts to build t... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121776 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:42 +0100 5121776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5121775&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20468 AbstractThe aim of this study is to test the influence that social integration in the community might have on subjective well‐being (SWB) beyond the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, self‐esteem, stressful life events, and social support from intimate and confidant relationships. We explore this set of relationships among Latin American immigrants in Spain, a group at risk of social exclusion. Results show a positive and statistically significant relationship between social integration and SWB, after controlling for the statistical effects of the other variables. Promoting social integration in the community among immigrant population might grant them access to wider community resources that might play an important role on their SWB. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5121775 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:13:39 +0100 5121775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002255&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20454 In conclusion, a qualitative survey on the stakeholders' opinion is useful, but it needs a steering that integrates the different points of view and joins them with methodological requirements and funds availability. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002255 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:56 +0100 5002255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002254&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20452 AbstractCalifornia's voter‐approved Children and Families Act of 1998 calls for money collected from tobacco taxes to support services for families with children up to 5 years of age. Sacramento County uses a portion of its allocation for small community grants with the specific intent of building social capital among neighbors and across communities. The evaluation of the 995 Community Building Initiative (CBI) events funded from July 2007 to June 2010 included randomly selecting parents from a larger population (n=29,607). Structured interviews with 538 parents identified those who had attended community events within the last 6 months and assessed hypothesized outcomes. Attending any community event was related to increased measures of social capital. However, those participating in a... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002254 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:55 +0100 5002254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002253&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20464 This study examined the pathways from violence exposure to aggressive behaviors in urban, elementary school youth. We utilized structural equation modeling to examine putative causal pathways between children's exposure to violence, development of posttraumatic stress symptoms, permissive attitudes towards violence, and engagement in aggressive behaviors. Self‐report measures were administered to 259 4th‐grade students from urban schools. Almost 100% of participants reported exposure to at least one experience with violence. Results demonstrated that both posttraumatic stress symptoms and attitudes toward violence mediated the relation between exposure to violence and aggression. This model suggests that the relation between violence exposure and youth violence and aggression is multid... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002253 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:55 +0100 5002253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002252&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20463 AbstractMen who have sex with men (MSM) represent more than half of all new HIV infections in the United States. Utilizing a collaborative, community‐based approach, a brief risk reduction intervention was developed and pilot tested among newly HIV‐diagnosed MSM receiving HIV care in a primary care setting. Sixty‐five men, within 3 months of diagnosis, were randomly assigned to the experimental condition or control condition and assessed at baseline, 3‐month, and 6‐month follow‐up. Effect sizes were calculated to explore differences between conditions and over time. Results demonstrated the potential effectiveness of the intervention in reducing risk behavior, improving mental health, and increasing use of ancillary services. Process evaluation data demonstrated the acceptabili... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002252 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:54 +0100 5002252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002251&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20462 This study examined effects of the duration of Head Start enrollment on children's academic outcomes. Study questions are as follows: (a) Do Head Start children's baseline characteristics differ among those who entered at age 3 and enrolled in Head Start for 1 year, those who entered at age 4 and stayed for 1 year, and those who entered at age 3 and stayed for 2 years? (b) Do children's academic scores differ among the three groups? (c) Do these effects differ depending on the number of family risk factors and on children's scores at the beginning of the year? Findings indicate that children who entered Head Start at age 3 and stayed for 2 years showed higher academic outcomes than those enrolled later or for less time. Benefits were greater among children with more family risk factors and... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002251 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:54 +0100 5002251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002250&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20460 This study, based on an ecological perspective, examined the relation of perceived neighborhood violence, child misbehavior, parental attitudes to aggressive discipline tactics, and the actual use of aggressive discipline tactics. Research questions were: To what extent is perceived neighborhood violence associated with aggressive discipline by parents? What is the mechanism through which perceived neighborhood violence is linked to aggressive discipline? Data were obtained from a stratified probability sample of 1,649 women. Findings indicated that the more the study participants perceived their neighborhood as violent, the more frequent is the parental use of aggressive discipline. It seems that child misbehavior and parental approval of corporal punishment are affected by perceived neig... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002250 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:53 +0100 5002250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002249&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20459 This study investigates the sense of community and interethnic relations in two different metropolitan areas that vary in ethnic heterogeneity. The study was conducted in Milan, Italy using a sample of 318 participants living in different city districts that vary in ethnic heterogeneity (low vs. high). The participants completed a questionnaire that assessed their psychological sense of community, blatant and subtle prejudice, host community acculturation strategies, and some measures of contact (quality, quantity, and type). The results indicate that high ethnic heterogeneity is related to a lower sense of community, higher blatant prejudice, and exclusionism. Residents living in lower ethnic heterogeneity neighborhoods reported closer contact opportunities and lower levels of prejudice. ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002249 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:53 +0100 5002249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002248&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20458 AbstractThis longitudinal study uses an ecological framework to examine school and individual influences on academic achievement among African American and Latino students with and without disabilities who had recently transferred to more inclusive schools. The authors' ecological framework includes four domains: organizational policies and practices, school environment, student–school connections, and psychological symptoms. The authors tested a comprehensive model with 111 students from 16 schools over 3 years, as well as an organizational model with a smaller sample. Organizational policies and practices of inclusion and student–school connections of belonging each predicted higher academic achievement, and psychological symptoms of aggressive behavior predicted lower academic achie... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002248 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:52 +0100 5002248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5002247&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20457 AbstractPublic service utilization data are often used as key outcomes in studies on homelessness. Although self‐report data on these outcomes are accessible and cost‐effective, various factors may affect retrospective recall in homeless populations. It is therefore necessary to establish validity of self‐report to ensure the integrity of studies involving such populations. Participants (N=134) were chronically homeless individuals with severe alcohol problems who participated in a housing first effectiveness trial (Larimer et al., 2009). The authors compared 30‐day and 3‐year retrospective self‐report data on sobering center, jail, and hospital use with archival records corresponding to the same timeframes. Analyses indicated good category‐specific agreement for 30‐day sel... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5002247 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:01:52 +0100 5002247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888155&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20466 (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888155 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:46 +0100 4888155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888154&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20444 This study examines the acceptability and preliminary outcomes from an open trial of a depression prevention intervention for low‐income African American adolescents and young adults in employment training programs. The sample (N=42) consisted of predominately African American adolescents and young adults (mean age=19.1) exhibiting subclinical depressive symptoms. A 9‐week intervention incorporating cognitive‐behavioral therapy and a focus on coping with stressful and traumatic events was delivered by young adult employment training program graduates. Data on attendance, participant ratings of intervention sessions, and fidelity of implementation indicated good intervention acceptability. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing changes in high‐ and low‐int... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888154 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:45 +0100 4888154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888153&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20447 This study adds to support for the multicomponent program in reducing peer victimization among young children. Teachers' important roles in monitoring program implementation are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888153 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:45 +0100 4888153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888152&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20456 This study tested the Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS‐Y), which was designed to represent the two hypothesized dimensions of leadership competence and policy control, using data from a sample of urban youth (n=865) located in the northeastern United States. Results indicated that the hypothesized 2‐factor model provided an adequate model‐to‐data fit, and that this model was a significantly better fit to the data than the 1‐factor model. Further analysis showed that SPC profile groups differed significantly on measures of community and school participation, neighborhood attachment, perceived school importance, and drug use. Findings provide empirical support for the validity of the SPCS‐Y and its underlying bidimensional model of SPC. Implications and directions for... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888152 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:44 +0100 4888152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888151&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20455 AbstractRecent discussions about the conduct of community interventions suggest the importance of developing more comprehensive theorizing about their nature and effects. The present study is an effort to infer how community interventions are theorized by the way they are represented in the peer‐reviewed scholarly literature. A coding of a random sample of 200 community intervention reports in eight journals encompassing public health, community psychology, and prevention science suggests the enduring influence of the laboratory tradition of psychology in both research design and the relationship of community interventionists to communities. Reflection on the underlying assumptions of community intervention theory and how community interventions are reported is recommended as critical to... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888151 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:43 +0100 4888151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888150&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20453 AbstractThe current study examined the direct and multiplicative influences by adolescent school context experiences (disengagement and maltreatment) and contextual characteristics (school minority concentration and school aggregated family poverty) on changes in depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood. Adolescent experiences with maltreatment and school disengagement were positively associated with changes in depressive symptoms over time. In addition, the school disengagement effect was larger among Hispanic youth than African American or European American adolescents. The influence by maltreatment was significantly greater in minority‐concentrated school contexts. Final models that included cross‐level interaction terms explained approximately 10.54% of level 1 varia... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888150 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:43 +0100 4888150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888149&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20451 AbstractOver the past two decades, the number of children with parents in prison has increased substantially. Using structural equation modeling with prospective longitudinal data gathered as part of the ongoing Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) trial, the study tests a theoretical model that examines the direct and indirect relationships between four specific domains (parental incarceration, social advantage, parent mental and physical health, effective parenting) as they relate to youth antisocial behavior in the 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. Across all three grades, the relationship between parental incarceration and youth antisocial behaviors was mediated through a complex set of pathways involving social advantage, parent health, and effective parenting. The models ex... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888149 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:42 +0100 4888149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888148&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20450 This study examines the role of school unfairness in predicting violent behavior among Italian early adolescents. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the relations between individual (demographics, psychosocial and relational characteristics, and perception of procedural and relational school unfairness), and class characteristics (mean school unfairness and socioeconomic status) and students' violent behavior. Data were analyzed using a two‐level model based on 6,744 students (3,398 boys; M age=14.14) nested within 348 classes. After adjusting for age, gender, and psychosocial confounding factors, relational and procedural unfairness in the school showed a significant association with violent behavior. School unfairness predicted between‐school variation in violent behavi... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888148 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:41 +0100 4888148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888147&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20449 AbstractThe purpose of this study was to assess the combined effects of ethnic identification and perceived parental monitoring on the substance use of a sample of 162 male and 192 female Mexican heritage seventh grade adolescents. Parental monitoring predicted lower risk for substance use. An interaction of ethnic identification by parental monitoring was observed with parental monitoring exhibiting stronger effects in decreasing use of alcohol use among boys who scored low on ethnic identification. For girls, decreased substance use was predicted by stronger parental monitoring coupled with high ethnic identification. Results are discussed in terms of how the youth's ethnic identification is a distinct process from acculturation, and how ethnic identification may operate as an added prot... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888147 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:40 +0100 4888147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4888146&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20439 AbstractThis is a response to the Nowell and Boyd (2010) article printed in this journal titled: Viewing Community as Responsibility as Well as Resource: Deconstructing the Theoretical Roots of Psychological Sense of Community. In that article, they argued that the McMillan theory of Sense of Community is a simplistic, needs‐based theory that excludes responsibility as a part of Sense of Community. They base their critique of McMillan's theory on March and Olsen's many articles. In this article, McMillan responds. He argues that Nowell and Boyd (2010) have yet to understand his theory and that they use a false dichotomy to critique it. He suggests that Third Position Thinking (Newbrough, 1995; Newbrough & McMillan, 2005) would help undo false dichotomies and provide a better descript... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4888146 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:29:40 +0100 4888146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673180&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20433 AbstractEight homeless people were interviewed about their experiences of health and social services. Three themes emerged: responsibility, identity, and feeling trapped. Although some felt they were responsible for their own situation and avoided help, most turned to formal channels for help, but professionals were often seen as offering unwanted labels and as being rule bound. In contrast, peers were considered more understanding but colluded with their problems. Participants also expressed feeling trapped within the homeless system. Therefore, by locating responsibility for change with others, they were left feeling stigmatized, but by turning to their peers, their situation remained the same. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673180 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:14 +0100 4673180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673179&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20437 AbstractThe association between community‐aggregated levels of individual and peer risk and protective factors and prevalence of adolescent substance use was examined in repeated cross‐sectional data among youth in 41 communities ranging in population from 1,578 to 106,221. The association between community levels of these risk and protective factors in 2000 and substance use 2 years later was examined by using within‐cohort analyses (e.g., sixth grade in 2000 predicting eighth grade in 2002) and cross‐cohort analyses (e.g., sixth grade in 2000 predicting sixth grade in 2002). In both within‐cohort and across‐cohort analyses, community‐aggregated levels of peer and individual risk and protective factors predicted adolescent substance use 2 years later, suggesting that focusin... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673179 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:13 +0100 4673179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673178&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20446 AbstractAmerican Indian/Alaska Native youth represent the strength and survival of many Nations and Tribes. However, the aftermath of colonialism has resulted in numerous health disparities and challenges for Native youth, including the highest rate of suicide in the United States. With the aims of elucidating the causes of behavioral health disparities, eliminating them, and improving behavioral health care for Native youth, a partnership of providers, community members, and university faculty and staff completed a comprehensive literature review, conducted advisory meetings with 71 American Indian youth, parents, and elders, surveyed 25 service providers, and engaged in ongoing consultation with traditional practitioners. Results from the multiple sources were synthesized and are reporte... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673178 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:12 +0100 4673178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673177&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20445 AbstractThe effectiveness of five tracking strategies (collateral contacts, Internet databases, driver's records, letters, and community visits) used in attempting to locate homeless and housed adolescents 4.5 years after they were first contacted was examined and compared. The study sample comprised 401 adolescents (252 homeless and 149 matched housed) from 8 counties in Southeast Michigan. Homelessness was defined as sleeping in a shelter, at a friend's home without parental permission, or on the streets for at least 1 night within 1 month before initial contact. We successfully located and interviewed 85% (n=340) of our sample at the 4.5‐year time point. The most effective tracking procedure was collateral contact, which was important in locating 43% of participants in this study, fol... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673177 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:12 +0100 4673177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673176&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20443 AbstractDrawing upon a sample of 772 migrant children and their parents in Shanghai, China, this study investigated how the interactions of social capital embedded in a range of social contexts (i.e., family, school, peer, and community) influenced the psychosocial adjustment of Chinese migrant children. Results of multiple‐group structural equation modeling revealed a moderating effect of community social capital on the associations between other dimensions of social capital and child psychosocial adjustment. Family social capital showed stronger effects when there was higher community social capital, while school social capital appeared to be most influential for children with lower community social capital. Peer social capital showed comparable effects on psychosocial adjustment regar... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673176 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:11 +0100 4673176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673175&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20442 This study compared risks and protective factors for acquiring symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between African‐American (n=299) and European‐American (n=206) student volunteers 3 months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (H‐KR). Respondents retrospectively provided information on peritraumatic emotional reactions and previous trauma that were recalled by H‐KR and H‐KR stressors. African‐American respondents reported higher levels of symptoms and higher rates of recollection of prior traumas during H‐KR than their European‐American counterparts. Hierarchical regression analyses found that previous trauma recollections predicted symptoms among European Americans but not among African Americans. Disaster‐related stressors, however, affected African Americans ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673175 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:10 +0100 4673175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673174&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20441 This study examined individual and neighborhood predictors of the psychological community integration of people with psychiatric disabilities and nondisabled community members. One hundred twenty‐three adults (60 psychiatrically disabled, 63 general community residents), completed measures of sense of community, life satisfaction, psychiatric symptoms, and perceptions of neighborhood. Mental health consumers living in independent scatter‐site apartments did not differ from other community members in either sense of community or life satisfaction. Among mental health consumers, neither symptoms nor demographic variables predicted sense of community, whereas objective neighborhood characteristics did. Conversely, among community members, age and symptoms predicted sense of community whil... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673174 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:10 +0100 4673174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4673173&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20440 AbstractThe authors present a model of interactive social psychological and relational feedback processes leading to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk reduction behavior change among active drug users trained as Peer Health Advocates (PHAs). The model is supported by data from qualitative interviews with PHAs and members of their drug‐using networks in the Risk Avoidance Partnership (RAP) project. Results suggest three mutually reinforcing social psychological processes that motivate PHAs to provide HIV prevention intervention to their peers and to reduce their own risk behaviors: development of a prosocial identity, positive social reinforcement from drug users and community members, and cognitive dissonance associated with continued risk behavior while engaging in health advocacy... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4673173 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:54:09 +0100 4673173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534246&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20438 This study examined the moderating role of family communication and problem solving on positive and negative outcomes in adolescents exposed to school and neighborhood violence. Participants were 90 adolescents and their parents, who completed measures of violence exposure, psychological and behavioral functioning, and communication and problem‐solving skills. Results indicated that after controlling for demographic variables and violence exposure in the home, communication and problem‐solving skills moderated the association between school and neighborhood violence exposure and psychological distress. There was no moderation of the violence exposure‐positive outcome association. The findings suggest that family communication and problem‐solving skills might serve a protective func... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534246 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:09 +0100 4534246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534245&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20436 This study examined the psychosocial and acculturative stressors of Hispanic youth (n=170) residing in the northeast and southwest United States through the use of focus group methodology. Findings are presented within a developmental perspective and suggest that Hispanic youth experience stressors broadly categorized across 6 domains, namely: (a) immigration, (b) communication and language, (c) school and academic, (d) peer, (e) family, and (f) social and economic. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534245 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:09 +0100 4534245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534244&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20435 AbstractLatino youth in a low‐income urban community are at high risk of exposure to violence. Given an accumulation of factors before, during, and after migration, immigrant youth might be at increased risk of exposure to violence and other relevant stressors (e.g., acculturation stress, language proficiency, acculturation/enculturation, and parental separations). Utilizing a short‐term longitudinal design, we assessed exposure to violence and immigrant stressors and examined their relative impact on psychopathology in a sample of 164 Latino youth. Immigrant youth reported greater exposure to immigrant stressors relative to native‐born peers, but few differences in rates of exposure to violence emerged. When considered alongside relevant immigration stressors, exposure to violence e... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534244 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:08 +0100 4534244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534243&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20434 AbstractFew studies have examined the effects of household change on adolescent development. We study household composition change and its effect on development, as measured by both internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors, in a sample of urban African American adolescents. Household change was defined based on the movement in or out of the household of one of the 2 most important adults adolescents named. We found 25% of adolescents reported changes in their household composition over the 4 years of high school. Youth who experienced change reported more internalizing symptoms and externalizing behavior than youth who did not experience change. Those reporting important people leaving their household had the greatest negative outcomes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Jo... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534243 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:07 +0100 4534243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534242&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20432 AbstractStriking racial disparities in infant mortality exist in the United States, with rates of infant death among African Americans nearly twice the national average. Community‐based participatory research approaches have been successful in fostering collaborative relationships between communities and researchers that are focused on developing effective and sustainable interventions and programs that target the needs of the community. The current article details the use of the Perinatal Period of Risk model as a method to engage communities by identifying factors influencing racial disparities in infant mortality and examining changes in those factors over a 10‐year period. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534242 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:07 +0100 4534242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534241&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20431 This study applies a typology of social support with 3 categories of social networks to investigate social ties and their benefits for homeless people. Data were derived from a 2‐year long series of participant observations of homeless or precariously housed people who came regularly to a downtown Atlanta public park. The findings are as follows: (a) the homeless men and women who regularly visited the park obtained four types of support: tangible, advice, belonging, and esteem support from non‐kin, family, and formal social services; and (b) the homeless combined support provided by different social networks in attempts to address their substantial needs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534241 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:06 +0100 4534241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534240&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20430 This study examined the psychosocial factors impacting upon the rule‐following behaviour of residents of a hostel providing crisis accommodation to women who are homeless. After their arrival, residents of a women's hostel (N=83) completed questionnaires assessing the theory of planned behaviour constructs of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC), and intentions related to rule following while residing at the hostel. Perceived resident group norms for rule following were assessed also. Follow‐up staff evaluations of the target behaviour were completed after participants ceased their hostel residence. As expected, attitude, subjective norm, PBC, and group norm significantly predicted intention to follow hostel rules, and intention and PBC predicted rule‐follow... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534240 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:05 +0100 4534240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4534239&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20429 This article represents a South African contribution to the growing international body of knowledge on histories of community psychology. We trace the early antecedents of social‐community psychology interventions and describe the social forces and academic influences that provided the impetus for the emergence and development of community psychology in South Africa. We then draw on various sources, including undocumented small histories of organized groups and individuals, to present on account of the emergence, development, and focus of community psychology in South Africa. We also very briefly describe community‐focused work in other selected African countries. In the penultimate section, we take a critical look at the notions of “community” embedded in community psychology prac... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4534239 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 04:01:04 +0100 4534239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426296&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20422 Conclusions: Given the high levels of infection of HIV and HCV and high levels of transmission risk factors efforts to improve screening and provide risk reduction counseling are warranted. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426296 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:30 +0100 4426296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426295&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20428 This study assesses the prevalence of depressive symptoms (DS) and their associated factors among migrant factory workers in Shenzhen, China. A questionnaire survey was sent to 4,280 migrant workers in 2009 with a response rate of 95.5%. Clinically relevant DS were identified using the Chinese version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depressive Scale. There is a high prevalence (21.4%) of clinically relevant DS among internal migrant factory workers. Higher scores were associated with being a minority, shorter intension of stay, working long hours, being a casual smoker or a frequent Internet user, and having better education. Stakeholders should be aware of the needs of these subgroups, particularly in the light of recent publicity about factory worker suicides in Shenzhen. © 2011... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426295 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:29 +0100 4426295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426294&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20427 AbstractThe present study combined the literature analysis with the empirical study and proposed a Chinese local conception of psychological empowerment, which was defined as a process of personality‐oriented, self‐motivated, and proactive control with the aim of community members' citizen participation. Its basic dimension comprised an inclination to criticize based on change, the self‐evaluation for participatory competence, and the proactive control of participatory motivation. A Chinese Urban Citizens' Psychological Empowerment (CUCPE) Scale was developed and two pretest studies were conducted to refine the scale. The final investigation showed that the CUCPE Scale had good reliabilities and validities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426294 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:29 +0100 4426294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426293&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20426 This study examines prevention system transformation as part of a community‐randomized controlled trial of Communities That Care (CTC). Using data from surveys of community leaders, we examine differences between CTC and control communities 4.5 years after CTC implementation. Significantly higher levels of adopting a science‐based approach to prevention observed in CTC communities compared with controls in 2004 were maintained in 2007. Leaders in CTC communities expressed a willingness to contribute significantly more funds to prevention than did leaders in control communities in 2007. Significant differences in levels of community collaboration observed in 2004 were not maintained in 2007. Leaders in CTC communities with high poverty rates and large minority student populations report... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426293 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:28 +0100 4426293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426292&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20425 This study examined whether social class moderated the relationship between empowering and disempowering processes and psychological empowerment (PE) in a sample of individuals from five community organizing initiatives (N=490). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the relationship between community participation (CP) and alienation on the intrapersonal and interactional components of PE. For the intrapersonal component of PE, CP and alienation were, respectively, positive and negatively predictive. Social class was positively related to the intrapersonal component of PE, and no interaction effects were detected. For the interactional component of PE, CP was not a significant predictor, and alienation was a significant positive predictor. Social class was a negative predictor... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426292 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:28 +0100 4426292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426291&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20424 This article presents an analysis of the psychosocial challenges associated with the mass HIV infection episode in Kazakhstan. The analysis is based on Hofstede's (2001) theory of cultural values, theories on cross‐cultural interaction (Cushner & Brislin, 1995), and principles of multicultural social work (Potocky‐Tripodi, 2002). The training program is described, and its results are discussed. General principles and practical recommendations for planning and implementing cross‐cultural international humanitarian programs in the field of HIV are suggested. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426291 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:27 +0100 4426291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426290&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20423 AbstractThe research explored the rates and characteristics of exposure to community violence (CV) and its relevance to several sociodemographic factors among a sample of 833 Arab youth aged 14–18 years residing in diverse residential areas in Israel. Data were collected using a self‐report questionnaire. The frequency of exposure to CV during the past 12 months correlated significantly with the children's gender. The frequency of witnessing CV during that period was higher than the frequency of personally experiencing CV, and exposure to mild CV incidents during that period was higher than the frequency of exposure to severe CV incidents during the same period, with no significant relationship to sociodemographic factors. Participants reported higher rates of exposure to most CV incid... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426290 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:27 +0100 4426290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4426289&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20420 This study examined topic and method trends within the Journal of Community Psychology during a 5‐year period (January 2003–December 2007). Content analyses were conducted on published abstracts during this period (N=242). Most articles were empirical studies (61.2%) and most used a positivist methodology (53.7%). Samples mainly comprised adults and were mixed in terms of gender and ethnic/religious affiliation. The most frequent topics were mental health and mental illness (33.5%), sense of community and social support (24.4%), and dynamics of social exclusion (22.7%). A large proportion of special issues was also noted. These results illustrate contemporary trends in community psychology and suggest that critical and participatory methods as well as socially transformative epistemolo... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4426289 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:49:26 +0100 4426289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222898&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20421 AbstractCommunity violence exposure (CVE) has been identified as a significant public health concern given its association with numerous mental health problems. Perceptions of neighborhood violence (PNV) also may adversely affect youth adjustment. In recognition that PNV may differ from individuals own experience of CVE, the current study utilized latent class analysis to examine the degree and consequences of consistency and discrepancy in adolescents community violence exposure and PNV. Participants included an epidemiologically‐defined community sample of 456 African American adolescents (52% male; mean age=11.77). Results revealed three groups of youth: high CVE/high PNV, low CVE/low PNV, and low CVE/high PNV. Longitudinal analyses suggest that a discrepancy between CVE and PNV is im... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222898 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:54 +0100 4222898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222897&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20419 AbstractIn China, rapid development has prompted massive migration from rural to urban areas. Migrants' participation in Urban Residents Committees (URCs) and other community organizations offers opportunities for the development of social capital and democracy in contemporary China. We use 2006 survey data from a stratified convenience sample of 3,024 migrant workers in 7 Chinese cities to examine individual and community social capital and their relation to 3 types of community participation: (a) amount of contact with community organizations, (b) frequency of help sought from community organizations, and (c) the rate of participation in URC meetings. Multiple regressions yield, among 12 measures of individual and community‐focused social capital, only neighborhood interaction and orga... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222897 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:52 +0100 4222897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222896&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20418 AbstractThere has been no recent national description of where and with whom people with chronic mental illness reside. Using data from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness, the living arrangements of 1,446 clients with schizophrenia from 57 sites throughout the United States were characterized over 1 year. At baseline, 46% of participants were living with family members and loved ones, 5% were living with other nonrelatives, 18% were living alone independently, 17% were in an institution, and 14% were not stably housed. Participants who were living alone independently showed higher clinical and psychosocial functioning than participants in other living arrangements. Over 1 year, the majority of participants remained in the same living arrangements, and those who... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222896 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:52 +0100 4222896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222895&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20417 AbstractRelatively little research has examined the relations between growing up in a community with a history of protracted violent political conflict and subsequent generations' well‐being. The current article examines relations between mothers' self‐report of the impact that the historical political violence in Northern Ireland (known as the Troubles) has on her and her child's current mental health. These relations are framed within the social identity model of stress, which provides a framework for understanding coping responses within societies that have experienced intergroup conflict. Mother‐child dyads (N=695) living in Belfast completed interviews. Results suggest that the mother‐reported impact of the Troubles continue to be associated with mothers' mental health, which,... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222895 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:51 +0100 4222895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222894&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20416 AbstractTheoretical and empirical work on youth mentoring relationships has been largely focused on the mentor‐youth dyad, with little attention to the larger context within which such relationships form and develop. The perspectives of parents have been absent for the most part from the mentoring literature to date. In‐depth, semistructured, qualitative interviews were conducted with parents (n=13) of youth who were participating in a community‐based mentoring program. Four major themes were identified: parents' (a) hopes and expectations for the mentoring relationship, (b) trust in the mentor and satisfaction with the relationship, (c) roles in the mentoring relationship, and (d) reflections on and experiences with cultural differences between their child and the mentor. © 2010 Wi... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222894 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:50 +0100 4222894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222893&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20415 AbstractThe present research examines whether the perception of neighborhood disorder differs between ethnic majority and minority group members and whether perceived disorder has the same impact on fear of crime among ethnic minorities as among the majority group. To answer the research questions, data are used from a survey among persons of Moroccan, Turkish, and Flemish descent (n=960), gathered in three Flemish Belgian cities (Antwerp, Genk, and Ghent). Multiple regression analyses show differences between majority and minority group members with regard to the perception of loitering youths, dog mess, and littering. Also, results provide support for the broken windows hypothesis in all ethnic groups, but the impact of perceived disorder on fear of crime is highest among the Flemish maj... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222893 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:50 +0100 4222893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222892&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20413 AbstractEducational tracking based on academic ability accounts for different school dynamics between vocational versus academically‐oriented high schools in Taiwan. Many educational practitioners predict that the settings of vocational schools and academic schools mediate school violence in different ways. Alternatively, some researchers argue the actual mediating mechanism may not vary significantly between the different school types in different cultures. The purpose of this study was to examine how within‐school variables (school engagement, risky peers, and student–teacher interaction) mediate external‐school variables (personal traits, parental monitoring, and victimization) and school violence in Taiwanese vocational and academically‐oriented schools. Structural equation m... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222892 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:49 +0100 4222892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4222891&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20412 AbstractLimited research has examined how ethnic identity and sense of community may be associated with psychological well‐being in American Indian adolescents. Via survey data, we examined the relationships among ethnic identity, sense of community, psychosomatic symptoms, positive affect, and feelings of depression with students from a tribal high school (N=95; n=37 males; n=58 females; aged 14.4–20.95 years; mean=17.3, SD=1.47 years). A majority of the sample self‐identified as American Indian/Native American (85.3%), with small percentages reporting additional ethnic backgrounds. Analyses revealed a significant difference in sense of community and positive affect by ethnic identity group. Post hoc analyses demonstrated adolescents in the “achieved” identity group were signifi... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4222891 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:00:48 +0100 4222891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038811&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20414 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038811 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:18 +0100 4038811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038810&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20411 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038810 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:18 +0100 4038810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038809&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20410 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038809 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:17 +0100 4038809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038808&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20409 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038808 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:17 +0100 4038808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038807&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20408 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038807 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:16 +0100 4038807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038806&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20407 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038806 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:16 +0100 4038806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4038805&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20406 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4038805 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:15:16 +0100 4038805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3863929&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20405 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3863929 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 07:20:46 +0100 3863929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814942&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20397 An experimental study evaluated the efficacy of a sexual assault risk-reduction program on 279 college women that focused on learning characteristics of male perpetrators and teaching bystander intervention techniques. After seeing The Women's Program, participants reported significantly greater bystander efficacy and significantly greater willingness to help than before seeing the program. Participants outperformed a control group. Rape myth acceptance also declined among program participants. Implications for rape awareness programming are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814942 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:46:47 +0100 3814942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814949&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20405 The present study compared Muslim-Arab women in Israel who initiated divorce (n=45) with those who stayed in stressful marital relationships (n=46). Based on an ecological approach and using a cross-sectional design, we explored the differences between the two groups with regard to the following variables: personal resources (education, paid employment, hardiness, styles of coping with stressful situations, and egalitarian gender role ideology), spousal variables (evaluation of marital difficulties), and environmental resources (formal and informal support from the environment). The findings revealed that levels of education and rates of participation in the labor force were higher among the divorced women than among those who stayed in stressful marriages. In addition, the divorced women ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814949 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814948&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20404 This study examined the role of social support in promoting quality of life in the aftermath of critical incidents involvement. Participants were a sample of 586 Italian rescue workers. Structural equation modelling was used to test the social support deterioration deterrence model. Results showed that the impact of critical incident involvement on quality of life indicators, such as compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue, was both direct and indirect through the mediation of social support. Critical incidents involvement was related to less received social support. Received social support predicted perceived social support, which, in turn, predicted quality of life. Results supported the application of the social support deterioration deterrence model to rescue workers. ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814948 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814947&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20403 This article positions the development of a specific type of relationships - public relationships - as a transactional intervention aimed at both individual and systems change. Interpersonal relationship development through semistructured, one-to-one conversations is highlighted as a key to effecting change at both the individual and the systems level, through broadening individuals' networks of relationships, developing new understandings of the social world, and strengthening commitments to civic involvement. This model for transactional, relational intervention provides insights into the development of grassroots infrastructure for increasing sense of community and capacity to engage in civic life. Strengths and limitations of relationship building as an approach to community interventi... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814947 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814946&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20402 Youth living in urban environments of pervasive violence are exposed to a variety of violence-related stressors. This qualitative descriptive study sought to ascertain how community-dwelling youth perceived exposure to violence and how these youth identified and used available resources. The intent of this community-based participatory research study was to help inform the design of a youth violence prevention center intervention. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 18 youth, aged 10-16 years. Youth reported high levels of exposure to neighborhood violence. A theme of identifying and navigating safe and unsafe places emerged. Other stressors were more proximal and included interpersonal issues and conflicts. Youth used neighborhood and individual resources t... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814946 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814945&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20400 Structural equation modeling was used to examine the role of ecological risk factors, maternal psychological distress, and social network support on the parenting behaviors of 535 economically disadvantaged Latina mothers, who were surveyed for the Welfare Children, & Families: A Three City Study. We predicted that ecological risk would influence mothers' parenting through their psychological distress but that social support would buffer the effects of ecological risk on mothers' depressive symptoms. As predicted, ecological risk was associated with higher contemporaneous psychological distress, which, in turn, predicted lower positive parenting behaviors approximately 18 months later. Social network support buffered the impact of the ecological risk on mothers' symptoms of psychological d... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814945 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814944&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20399 This study examined the concurrent relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and externalizing and internalizing problems and social school behavior in a Spanish community sample, separately for boys (n=439) and girls (n=428), enrolled in 2nd, 4th, or 6th grades. Weekly participation in extracurricular activities was related to better emotional and behavioral adjustment and social competence. Overall, the relations were low and different according to gender, type of activity, and informant. Better adjustment was more related to participation in sports activities in boys and to participation in nonsports activities in girls. Size effect was higher for girls and decreased for both boys and girls when parental education and parenting practices were considered. Findings ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814944 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3814943&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20398 This article seeks to contribute to the conceptual development of PSOC by clarifying the second-order assumptions of PSOC as it is represented in prevailing conception and measurement. We introduce human needs theory as a macro framework for representing the definition and study of PSOC to date. Second, we illuminate the limitations of a purely needs theory perspective of PSOC and propose the value of exploring alternative theoretically grounded perspectives. Third, we offer an alternative theoretical base for PSOC - a sense of community as responsibility - and highlight how this alternative theoretical lens can suggest new models for understanding the dynamic between PSOC, psychological well-being, and community engagement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psy... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3814943 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3814943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3852370&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20395 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3852370 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3852370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3852369&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20394 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3852369 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3852369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3852368&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20391 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3852368 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3852368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3852367&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20389 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3852367 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3852367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3852366&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20388 Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3852366 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3852366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748686&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20396 The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate a promising program model, the Joven Nobel curriculum, for Latino male adolescents that promotes positive youth development and addresses prevention of a number of risk-related sexual behaviors within a cultural context. A quasi-experimental design was used that included a pre- and posttest assessment of 683 adolescent males. Results revealed that youth exposed to the 10-week curriculum had significant increases in knowledge and decrease in behavior related to high risk sexual behaviors. Out of eight scale measures (ATSS, Perceived Risk, HIV Knowledge, CAPS: Talk, CAPS: Comfort Talk, CAPS: Cool Sex, ATA, Cultural Esteem, and Hombres Con Palabra) seven yielded a significant and positive outcome results. The curriculum appears effective ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748686 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748685&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20395 Currently, little is known about adolescents' self-stigma experiences as mental health (MH) treatment recipients. Hence, this study addresses the following two questions: (a) what are adolescents' and parents' perceptions of stigma and perceptions of the cause, controllability, and anticipated outcome (illness perceptions) of adolescents' MH problems? (b) to what extent do illness perceptions (adolescents and parents) and parents' own stigma experiences relate to adolescents' self-stigmatization? The results, based on data from separate interviews with a voluntary sample of 60 adolescent-parent dyads, clients of MH wraparound services, suggest that approximately 20% of adolescents and parents reported significant concerns related to self-stigmatization. Using multivariate analyses, we foun... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748685 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748684&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20394 Sixty-eight agency representatives in the United States completed a survey to identify issues of male victims in partner abuse: half referenced responses from male clients and the other half responses from male victims who were their family members, friends, colleagues, or themselves. Almost 25% revealed that male victims did not utilize social services. For those men who used services, individual counseling and legal advice were most popular; group counseling and sharing through the Internet were least used. Qualitative data found five themes that triggered men's hard times: service target perception, shame and embarrassment, denial, stigmatization, and fear. The study resulted in three recommendations: (a) increase public awareness and education; (b) provide gender-inclusive practice and... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748684 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748683&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20393 The current study examined associations between perceived neighborhood safety and proactive and reactive subtypes of aggression while also considering peer delinquency and poor parental monitoring in a community recruited sample of 89 children (56% male) ranging from 9 to 12 years of age (M=10.44, SD=1.14). In addition, neighborhood safety was examined as a moderator of the associations between peer delinquency and poor parental monitoring and proactive and reactive aggression. Findings suggested that while peer delinquency was positively associated with both proactive and reactive aggression, perceived neighborhood safety was only associated with proactive aggression. Moreover, neighborhood safety moderated the association between peer delinquency and proactive aggression, such that the a... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748683 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748682&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20392 The purpose of this study was to examine the role of discrimination and familismo on internalizing mental health symptoms among two generations of Latinos, youth and their parents, residing in the Southwest region of the United States. Data from the Latino Acculturation and Health Project was used to determine the direct and moderation effects of discrimination and familismo on internalizing mental health symptoms. The sample included 150 Latino youth-parent dyads who were immigrants or U.S. born. Descriptive results indicate that youth had significantly higher scores on the familismo scale whereas parents reported higher levels of perceived discrimination. Regression analyses results revealed direct effects of familismo and perceived discrimination on internalizing mental health symptoms.... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748682 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748681&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20391 Recent research has suggested that perceived control and a person's perceptions of their neighborhood environment may mediate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. This cross-sectional study assessed whether perceptions of informal social control mediated the association between SES and self-reported health, and if these two constructs represented distinct mechanisms linking SES with self-reported health. The sample consisted of 869 adults residing in 300 census tracts in Montreal, Canada. Multilevel methods were used to assess the associations among self-reported health, SES, perceived control, and perceived informal social control adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Perceived control (mediation estimate=-0.16, p (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748681 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748680&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20390 A white house topped by a red roof, set in a garden, surrounded by a lawn dotted with trees and shrubs - this is not just a child's naive drawing. It is the aspiration of many in the modern world, Israelis among them. This case study deals with the inner migration of families, mainly from the urban center of Israel, to rural communities in its northern periphery. It is also an opportunity to examine counter-urbanization characteristics and motivations, which contribute to our understanding of the role of community in this process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748680 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748679&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20389 This study reanalyzes focus group and survey data from high school and college students to investigate whether uses of SNS demonstrate key components of PSC (i.e., membership, influence, immersion, shared emotional connection, and an integration and fulfillment of needs). This mixed-method analysis synthesizes data through a top-down (confirming PSC categories) and bottom-up (identifying emergent patterns/themes) analytic procedure. Results suggest that typical adolescent uses of SNS represent networked individualism, rather than online communities. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748679 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3748678&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20388 In this article, the authors present a German Sense of Community (SOC) Scale for use in military settings. The scale is based on the translation and field-testing of an existing U.S.-based measure of neighborhood SOC (Peterson, Speer, & McMillan, ). The methodological intricacies underlying cross-cultural scale development are highlighted, as are the strategies used to overcome them. Administered in a navy context (n=270), the newly developed German measure improves the psychometric credentials of the existing scale by confirming the principal theory of SOC and its applicability across borders and contexts. Future research is encouraged to build on the strength and flexibility of the existing U.S. instrument for further cross-cultural scale development, thus enabling SOC theory to attain i... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3748678 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3748678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623747&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20380 This study related attachment security of home visitors (n=48) and mothers (n=328) to family engagement in an HV program to prevent child maltreatment. Attachment security was assessed by using the Attachment Style Questionnaire to measure attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Family engagement was defined as receipt of a high dose of visits and home visitor response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and poor maternal mental health as measured via record review and by maternal report of trust in the home visitor.Home visitors had lower attachment anxiety and avoidance than mothers. Families were likely to receive a high dose of services if either the mother or home visitor was high on attachment anxiety. Home visitors high on attachment anxiety were less likely to respond to IPV an... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623747 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:09:14 +0100 3623747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623755&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20401 No Abstract (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623755 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623754&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20386 The Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network (TBCCN) is one of 25 Community Network Programs funded by the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities with the objectives to create a collaborative infrastructure of academic and community based organizations and to develop effective and sustainable interventions to reduce cancer health disparities. In order to describe the network characteristics of the TBCCN as part of our ongoing evaluation efforts, we conducted social network analysis surveys with our community partners in 2007 and 2008. One key finding showed that the mean trust value for the 20 community partners in the study increased from 1.8 to 2.1 (p (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623754 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623753&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20385 The present study examines the personal accounts of nine young adults who have parents living with mental illness. Adults' experience of personal loss due to their parents' mental illness and perceptions of their religious faith journey and spiritual struggles are described. Overall, young adults who reported experiencing more personal loss due to their parents' mental illness also reported feeling more confused on their faith journey, and reported experiencing more spiritual struggle relative to participants who reported experiencing less personal loss. Regardless of level of personal loss, all participants identified positive personal attributes that resulted from coping with their parents' illness, including a greater sense of independence, personal strength, and compassion. © 2010 Wil... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623753 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623752&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20387 This paper links the micro and macro levels of analysis by examining how different aspects of community sentiment are affected by one's personal ties to the community compared with the organizational network structure of the community. Using data collected from residents of six communities in Washington State, network analysis combined with negative binomial regression is used to determine the effect of personal networks and community networks on community attachment and satisfaction. Findings suggest that while individual-level variables, such as length of residence and individual ties, affect one's attachment to community, a community's network structure does not significantly affect community attachment. However, a community's network structure significantly affects one's evaluation of ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623752 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623751&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20384 This study investigated exposure to neighborhood violence, relationship violence, and forced sex among 677 urban African Americans aged 16-23 enrolled at an employment and training center. We assessed prevalence of each violence exposure type, the relation of each exposure type to depressive symptoms, and the extent to which exposure to multiple violence types is additively associated with depressive symptoms. Potential gender differences were also explored. Nearly 60% of our sample reported violence exposure, with males reporting more neighborhood violence and females reporting more forced sex. For both genders, each violence exposure domain was independently associated with depressive symptoms, and exposures in multiple domains had an additive effect on depressive symptom levels. These f... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623751 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623750&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20383 The authors used a mixed methods approach to examine if the reputation of a housing area has bearing on residential wellbeing and social trust in three pairs of socioeconomically contrasting neighborhoods in a Swedish urban municipality. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between area reputation and residential wellbeing and social trust, controlling for the random effect of neighborhood and individual level sociodemographic factors. Qualitative data were analyzed to identify mechanisms of how neighborhood reputations were established. The housing area reputation was found to be strongly associated with wellbeing and social trust. The area reputation also seemed to be a determinant of position in the local social structure; residents were found t... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623750 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623749&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20382 Research has highlighted the role of intrapersonal and family characteristics on stress, but less attention has been paid to the potential influence of the community context and racial-ethnic differences in early parental experiences. Using an ecological model, this study examines the impact of neighborhood-level social disorder and social cohesion on parenting stress and whether this is universal across mothers of different race-ethnicities in a sample of mothers of young children in large U.S. cities. Study findings show that neighborhood context is significantly associated with parenting stress and minority parents experience less stress than White parents in higher-disordered neighborhoods. Findings highlight the need to improve community conditions, social support, and resources to re... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623749 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3623748&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20381 Although researchers recognize that social contexts shape parenting behaviors, the relationship between neighborhood environment and parenting remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we investigated the associations between compositional and contextual (structural, social, and safety) characteristics of neighborhoods and parental warmth. Data came from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Study and the 1990 Census. Results of multilevel linear regression analyses suggested that most of the unexplained variation in warmth resulted from compositional differences between caregivers within neighborhoods. We also found significant unexplained neighborhood variation in warmth after adjusting for numerous compositional variables, though our neighborhood variab... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3623748 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3623748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442415&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20372 This study explores how mothers facing similar neighborhood conditions evaluate their neighborhoods as places to raise children. The authors relied upon a triangulation of methods, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, with a sample of 91 low-income mothers. Content analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that mothers often hold divergent views about the quality of the same or similar neighborhoods. Mothers' overall neighborhood perceptions were influenced by several specific indicators, including social interaction, collective efficacy, fear of crime, personal victimization, and neighborhood incivilities. Moreover, mothers' subjective neighborhood perceptions were related to their parenting strategies. This study thus underscores the importance of not solely relying o... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442415 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:33:49 +0100 3442415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442422&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20377 The current study evaluated the significance of two theoretical positions, differential involvement and differential selection, that may lead to disproportionate minority contact among female juvenile offenders. Using a longitudinal, multimethod research design, reoffending was assessed prospectively using self-report data and official records of offending; neighborhood disadvantage was assessed using census level data. Results supported the differential selection hypothesis and found that Black girls were significantly more likely to get rearrested, particularly for nonviolent crimes, but both Black and White girls self-reported similar levels of antisocial behavior. After accounting for neighborhood disadvantage, race was not significantly associated with nonviolent rearrest. The results... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442422 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442421&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20379 This study explores community-level risk and protective factors for youth violence in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince's most violent slum. The youth of Cité Soleil have often been mobilized to violence by powerful actors as tools for achieving political or financial gain. Drawing on a formal survey (N=1,575) and ethnographic data collected between March 2008 and April 2009, we analyze the factors that contributed - and continue to contribute - to making these youth available for such mobilization. Youth frame their experiences in terms of a broader social conflict between the "included" and the "excluded," and view violence as an effective means of obtaining what is denied to them by society: opportunity, respect, and material benefits. The experiences from Haiti offer important lessons in u... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442421 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442420&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20378 This study examined associations between participation in community gardening/beautification projects and neighborhood meetings with perceptions of social capital at both the individual and neighborhood levels. Data were analyzed from a cross-sectional stratified random telephone survey conducted in Flint, Michigan (N=1916). Hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses were used to study associations, controlling for individual and Census block group-level confounders. At the individual level, household involvement in community gardening/beautification activities and in neighborhood meetings were associated with residents' perceptions of bonding social capital, linking social capital, and neighborhood norms and values. Household involvement in gardening/beautification and meetings ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442420 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442419&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20376 This study examines the density of lottery outlets within ethnically concentrated neighborhoods in Middlesex County, New Jersey, using geospatial statistical analyses. No prior studies have empirically examined the relationship between lottery outlet density and population demographics. Results indicate that lottery outlets were not randomly dispersed across the county but rather were significantly clustered in some census tracts. Using geospatial statistical analysis, percent poverty was found to be negatively related to the density of lottery outlets, while percent commercial use was highly positively related. Percent Hispanic was strongly significant in all the models predicting lottery outlet density and had the highest explanatory power other than percent commercial. Other independent... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442419 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442418&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20375 Parental deviance, parental monitoring, and deviant peers were examined as predictors of overt and covert antisocial behaviors. Homeless (N=231) and housed (N=143) adolescents were assessed in adolescence and again in early adulthood. Homelessness predicted both types of antisocial behaviors, and effects persisted in young adulthood. Parental deviance predicted only overt antisocial behaviors in adolescence, and was fully mediated by parental monitoring. Parental monitoring predicted both types of antisocial behaviors in adolescence, and was partially mediated by peer deviance. Parenting and peer influences did not consistently predict antisocial behaviors in adulthood. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442418 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442417&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20374 This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) relationship dissolution and neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, collective efficacy, and legal cynicism. Data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Longitudinal survey were used to identify 658 cases of IPV in Wave 1. A generalized boosting model (GBM) was used to determine the best proximal predictors of relationship dissolution from the longitudinal data. Controlling for these predictors, logistic regression of neighborhood characteristics from the PHDCN community survey was used to predict IPV relationship dissolution in Wave 2. Counterintuitively, the authors find that neighborhoods high in legal cynicism have a greater likeli... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442417 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3442416&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20373 Using holistic-interactionistic theory, the simultaneous nature of risk and protection factors for both males and females (age 6-11 in Wave 1) is examined using latent profile analysis (LPA). Risk/protection classes are estimated using multiple risk factor variables (e.g., physical child abuse) and multiple protective factors (e.g., extracurricular activities). These risk/protection classes were used to predict low academic performance. For both males and females, high risk, low protection individuals were significantly more likely to experience low academic performance than low risk, high protection cases. Gender differences emerged in a class for females that included the importance of parental/peer disapproval of antisocial behavior as a protective factor that was not present for males.... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3442416 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3442416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337212&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20363 This study compares coming out to other approaches of controlling self-stigma. Eighty-five people with serious mental illness completed measures of coming out (called the Coming Out with Mental Illness Scale, COMIS), self-stigma, quality of life, and strategies for managing self-stigma. An exploratory factor analysis of the COMIS uncovered two constructs: benefits of being out (BBO) and reasons for staying in. A mediational analysis showed BBO diminished self-stigma effects on quality of life. A factor analysis of measures of managing self-stigma yielded three factors. Benefits of being out was associated with two of these: affirming strategies and becoming aloof, not with strategies of shame. Implications for how coming out enhances the person's quality of life are discussed. © 2010 Wile... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337212 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:10:40 +0100 3337212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337220&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20371 There are plenty of theories that may support the protective role of social support in the aftermath of potentially traumatic events. This meta-analytic review examined the role of received and perceived social support in promoting mental health among first responders (e.g., firefighters, police officers, and paramedics or emergency medical services personnel). Results showed that the effect sizes derived from 37 empirical studies ranged from 0 to 0.46. The overall weighted mean effect size was of medium magnitude (r=0.27). Moreover, moderator analysis showed that the effect size of perceived social support (r=0.31) was significantly higher than the effect size of received social support (r=0.22). Participants' age and gender or research design did not exert an influence on the relationshi... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337220 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337219&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20370 Many African American adolescents who enter high school with low achievement are at-risk for being perceived as defiant and uncooperative by their classroom teachers. This generalized view of risk, however, offers little understanding of the differentiated behavior these students have with their teachers. The study followed 35 African American students, who have a history of low achievement, across multiple classrooms in their school day. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that there was greater variability in teacher-perceived defiance, cooperation, and office discipline referrals "within-student" compared with "between-students." This shows that individual students tended to be perceived differently across their teachers. Similarly, the study found that students also tended to different... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337219 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337218&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20369 This article presents the results of semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 54 youth attending six elementary school-based and middle school-based Boys and Girls Clubs in two low-income communities. The first goal of this study was to examine why youth choose to participate in these clubs. The most commonly reported motives include fun activities, opportunities to be with friends, parent has to work, and getting help with homework. The second goal was to examine youths' perceptions of staff, peers, activities, and the extent to which clubs are organized in a way to support the need for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Variations in youths' perceptions of the quality of relationships with staff and peers, level of interest and challenge, and opportunities for decision maki... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337218 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337217&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20368 This study examined the relationship between internalized and public stigma on treatment-related attitudes and behaviors in a community sample of 449 African American and white adults aged 18 years and older. Telephone surveys were administered to assess level of depressive symptoms, demographic characteristics, stigma, and treatment-related attitudes and behaviors. Multiple regression analysis indicated that internalized stigma mediated the relationship between public stigma and attitudes toward mental health treatment. Within group analyses indicated that the mediating effect of internalized stigma was significant for whites only. Among African Americans, internalized stigma did not mediate public stigma; it was directly related to attitudes toward mental health treatment. The internaliz... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337217 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337216&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20367 We examine the roles of neighborhood characteristics in the development of the aggressive behavior of 1,409 urban boys and girls between the first and seventh grades. The multilevel, longitudinal growth analyses find strong neighborhood effects in all models, while controlling for individual-level variables. Results indicated that the effects of neighborhood violence, employment, income, and percentages of single males and female-headed households do not manifest in first grade, but affect the trajectory of child aggression between first and seventh grades. The influence of family income and frequent physical discipline on boys' and girls' aggression occurs at first grade, and family income has a modest effect on the trajectory. The findings strongly suggest that the neighborhood sources o... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337216 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337215&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20366 This study explores the relations between neighborhood social capital (neighbor support and social climate), safety concerns (fear of crime and concern for one's child), parenting (solicitation and support), and adolescent antisocial behavior in a sample of 952 parents (742 mothers) and 588 boys and 559 girls from five middle schools (sixth through eighth grades) in a midsize Italian city. In structural equation models, social capital is strongly and inversely related to safety concerns and positively related to parental support and solicitation. In turn, safety concerns are also positively related to parental support and solicitation. Social capital and safety concerns have indirect effects on children's antisocial behavior through their effects on parenting. Implications are discussed fo... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337215 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337214&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20365 The authors took a population-based approach to testing how commonly studied neighborhood socioeconomic conditions are associated with the language and cognitive outcomes of residentially stable rural and urban children tracked from kindergarten (ages 5-6) to Grade 4 (ages 9-10). Child-level kindergarten Early Development Instrument (EDI) data were probabilistically linked to scores on Grade 4's Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA), 4 years later, and to socioeconomic data describing the children's residential neighborhoods. Multilevel analyses were performed for a study population of 5,022 children residing in 105 neighborhoods across British Columbia, Canada: 635 children in 20 rural neighborhoods and 4,825 children in 85 urban neighborhoods. Concentrated immigration consistently predicted... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337214 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3337213&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20364 This study validated a SoC scale for adolescents (SoC-A) in Italy. The scale comprises 20 items and five components: satisfaction of needs and opportunities for involvement; support and emotional connection with peers; support and emotional connection in the community; sense of belonging; and opportunities for influence. The sample included 661 Italian high school students (47% male and 53% female) between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. Factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed five components corresponding to the original work of Cicognani, Albanesi, and Zani (). The boys scored higher on SoC than girls. There were no differences between age groups. Results showed differences in SoC between types of schools (lycee, vocational and technical institutes). These findings pr... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3337213 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3337213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253024&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20356 This study examined whether students (N=209) in two small secondary schools would nominate the advisor as part of their attachment hierarchy. Our results indicated that 40% of the sample considered their advisor to be a secondary attachment figure; further, those that did nominate their advisor reported greater engagement in school and demonstrated greater gains in achievement and adjustment compared to those who did not. A relationship assessment instrument from the attachment literature (RSQ) was found to be more efficacious at predicting student outcomes when compared to instruments used in previous mentoring and relationship research. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253024 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:22:11 +0100 3253024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253030&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20362 This study compares 12 community prevention coalitions implementing the CTC system in 12 intervention communities as part of the CYDS to prevention coalitions located in the 12 control communities. As hypothesized, the CYDS coalitions implemented significantly more of the CTC core intervention elements, and also implemented significantly greater numbers of tested, effective prevention programs than the prevention coalitions in the control communities. Implications of the findings for efforts to achieve widespread dissemination of effective prevention programs, policies, and practices are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Source: Journal of Community Psychology) Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253030 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253029&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20361 The authors examine predictors of family participation in the G.R.E.A.T. Families Program of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project (MVPP), a four-site collaboration examining student, teacher, and family interventions for middle school students. Teachers recruited two cohorts of sixth grade students, recognized as being aggressive and influential with their peers, and their families into a voluntary, 15-session weekly program. Among the 643 families that consented (66%), the mean number of sessions attended was 8.13, with almost half (48.3%) attending 11 or more sessions. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were developed to predict the number of sessions attended based on a cluster of demographic variables and scales designed to measure aggression, problem behaviors, family factors, and other ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253029 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253028&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20360 Despite increased recent attention to improving the quality of encounters between police officers and people with serious mental illness, there are no measures available for assessing how consumers perceive their interactions with police officers. Drawing upon conceptual frameworks developed within social psychology, this study reports the development and testing of a new measure, the Police Contact Experience Scale (PCES), which yields indicators of procedural justice and coercion as evaluated by persons with mental illness in relation to specific encounters with the police. The PCES was administered to 154 individuals with mental illness that had police contact within the prior 12 months. Rasch rating scale analysis supported construct validity of a 10-item procedural justice and a 5-ite... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253028 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253027&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20359 After a rape, survivors may seek help from multiple community organizations including the criminal justice system (CJS). Research has found that few survivors report their assaults to the police and of those who do report, many withdraw their participation during the investigation. However, relatively little is known about the factors that lead survivors to participate in the CJS, and how other community services provided by forensic nurses or victim advocates may also help encourage survivor engagement. In the current study, 20 survivors who reported their victimizations to police within a large Midwest county were interviewed about the factors that influenced their involvement in the CJS. Further, we examined the role that the police, forensic nurses, and victim advocates played in their... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253027 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253026&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20358 The involvement of 124 young mothers in a doula support program was measured in two dimensions - quantity of program contact and quality of mother-doula helping relationship. The study examined each dimension's differential associations with maternal outcomes, as well as the moderating effects of mother characteristics on these associations. Quantity of program contact was related to the quality of helping relationship, especially when rated by doulas. Both quantity and quality of involvement predicted the maternal outcomes, although not always in the expected direction. For mothers with limited vocabulary skills and better connections with the baby's father, program contact was more likely to promote positive birth experiences. A negative association between program contact and parenting ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253026 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253025&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20357 Efforts to simultaneously address adolescent self-regulation, activity space (routine locations), and mental health represent a promising social ecological approach aimed at understanding the lives and development of urban youth. This type of examination of contextual influences on self-regulation is considered an important area of developmental research, yet one that is understudied (McCabe, Cunnington, & Brooks-Gunn, ). Little is known about the self-regulatory experiences that might link specific types of locations with mental health problems, particularly with urban youth who live in areas characterized by chronic and severe stressors such as personal violence, criminal activity, and poverty. Recent research has demonstrated the "power of context" (Tolan, Gorman-Smith, Henry, Chung, & ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253025 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3098795&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20347 This study evaluated the influence of tobacco possession-use-purchase (PUP) law enforcement and illicit drug use and offers. Twenty-four towns were randomly assigned into two conditions. Both conditions focused on reducing minors' access to commercial sources of tobacco. The communities assigned to the experimental condition also increased their PUP law enforcement, whereas among communities in the control condition, PUP law enforcement remained at low levels. A hierarchical linear modeling analytical approach was selected due to the multilevel data and nested design. The likelihood of a child currently using drugs, ever having used drugs, or illicit drug offers was lower in the experimental versus control conditions. These outcomes suggest that police efforts to reduce specific substance ... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3098795 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:04:33 +0100 3098795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3094891&cid=s_33733_36_f&fid=33733&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%252Fjcop.20349 This study empirically examines the link between homelessness and discharges from other institutions. An administrative record match was undertaken to determine rates of discharge from institutional care for 9,247 unaccompanied adult shelter users in New York City. Cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis was then used to assess associations between different types of institutional discharges and the likelihood of persons subsequently experiencing extended shelter stays. Results show that 28% of the cohort was discharged from institutional care within the 90-day period preceding their initial shelter entry, with different types of institutional discharge associated with differences in subsequent patterns of shelter use. Based on these findings, transitions from institu... Journal of Community Psychology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3094891 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:06:08 +0100 3094891