If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -Although Generation Y has been extensively examined in the popular and academic literature, there have not been any studies to date that have identified the psychographic profile of this market segment using the VALS scale. The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to provide a segment characterization of Generation Y using the VALS typology and provide insights into the media habits of this population. Design/methodology/approach -The research sample consisted of subjects from Generation Y that were drawn from a population of college students. To determine the VALS types, participants completed the VALS survey in addition to responding to questions related to demographics and media habits. Originality/value -The results contribute to the literature by providing for the first time a segmented characterization of Generation Y consumers. The research provides a detailed perspective of this important market segment and provides marketers with insights on their values, attitudes, and media habits.

Urban, minority, adolescent mothers are particularly vulnerable to violence exposure, which may increase their children’s developmental risk through maternal depression and negative parenting. The current study tests a conceptual model of the effects of community and contextual violence exposure on the mental health and parenting of young, African American mothers living in Washington DC. A path analysis revealed significant direct effects of witnessed and experienced violence on mothers’ depressive symptoms and general aggression. Experiences of discrimination were also associated with increased depressive symptoms. Moreover, there were significant indirect effects of mothers’ violence exposure on disciplinary practices through depression and aggression. These findings highlight the range of violence young African American mothers are exposed to and how these experiences affect their mental health, particularly depressive symptoms, and thus disciplinary practices.

Background Protests ignited by the George Floyd incident were examined for any significant impact on COVID-19 infection rates in select US cities. Methods Eight US cities were studied in which protestors in the tens of thousands were reported. Only cities that reside in states whose stay-at-home orders had been rescinded or expired for a minimum of 30 days were included in the sample to account for impact of growth rates solely due to economies reopening. Event study methodology was used with a 30-day estimation period to examine whether growth in COVID-19 infection rates was significant. Results In the eight cities analyzed, all had positive abnormal growth in infection rate. In six of the eight cities, infection rate growth was positive and significant. Conclusions In this study, it was apparent that violations of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended social distancing guidelines caused a significant increase in infection rates. The data suggest that to slow the spread of COVID-19, CDC guidelines must be followed in protest situations.

Objective Children of adolescent mothers are at increased risk of violence exposure and behavior problems, which have been linked to mothers’ disciplinary practices. This study examines how the effect of young African American mothers’ discipline on their preschool-age children’s externalizing and internalizing behavior varies by mother and child violence exposure. Participants and Methods A sample of 230 African American mothers who gave birth as adolescents and their 3- to 6-year-old children were recruited from community-based day care and primary health care sites in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. In-person interviews were conducted by trained research assistants using standard survey instruments. Results Hierarchical regression models revealed an interaction effect such that adolescent mothers’ harsh disciplinary practices, specifically physical discipline strategies, were positively associated with young children’s internalizing and externalizing behavior in the context of high or moderate but not low maternal violence exposure. Conclusions As compared to less violence-exposed mothers, the harsh disciplinary practices of young African American mothers who have been exposed to high levels of violence are more strongly associated with their children’s problem behavior. Practitioners should screen mothers for violence exposure in order to address potential issues of discipline and behavior problems.