No abstract

No abstract

Although parental monitoring often reduces youth risk behaviors, some research on bullying perpetration has found that parental monitoring deters bullying while other research has found a null effect or a positive effect. We investigated the bidirectional relationships of bullying perpetration and parental monitoring from age 11 to 18 years, leveraging data from four middle and six high schools in the Midwest ( N = 3,549 students). We observed within-student stability in bullying perpetration and parental monitoring across time. Bullying perpetration had a prospective, negative association with parental monitoring from ages 11 to 12. However, parental monitoring predicted lower levels of bullying perpetration from ages 13 to 14. In early adolescence, youth who bully may be emboldened by a lack of perceived parental monitoring. Parental monitoring through establishment of house rules and awareness of risk during early to middle adolescence may deter bullying perpetration.

Parenting skills are important protective factors in the prevention of bullying and cyberbullying, yet few parent-based interventions have been developed and evaluated in this area. This pilot study examined participant responsiveness to and acceptability of an evidence-based parenting curriculum enhanced to address bullying and cyberbullying. Enhancements included intensive role playing, social emotional coaching, and media parenting. The pilot was delivered online via video conferencing during the unique circumstances of the coronavirus disease pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) shelter-at-home orders. Parents ( N = 32; 88% female) participated in weekly online sessions; 30 completed all eight sessions. Using a sequential exploratory mixed method approach, we first conducted quantitative analyses to examine participant responsiveness and qualitative analyses to further explain outcomes and explore participant acceptability. Satisfaction with individual sessions was high. In a few sessions, satisfaction and home practice completion was lower among those with free- and reduced-price lunch eligibility. Qualitative data reinforced and explained quantitative findings. Participants were appreciative of the program and delivery, particularly during the shelter-at-home conditions. They voiced satisfaction with the online format and with home practice assignments. They also made suggestions to strengthen the emphasis on bullying and cyberbullying in the program. Results suggest that the program and enhancements to the program were acceptable to participants, and high rates of satisfaction suggest that video conferencing is a feasible delivery format. Further, parental programming during the stressful context of the COVID-19 pandemic was well received. Although few differences in satisfaction by free- and reduced-priced lunch were observed, technology support for low-income families may be warranted.

BACKGROUND Generation Z (Gen Z; individuals born between 1995-2012) experience high rates of anxiety and depression. Most Gen Z identify with being religious and/or spiritual, and aspects from religions and spirituality can be integrated into mental health treatment and care as both are related to lower levels of depression [1]. However, research on Gen Z spiritual and mental health is sparse. To date, no systematic or scoping reviews on digital approaches to Gen Z spiritual and mental health exist. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the scoping review was to describe the current state of digital approaches to address spiritual and mental health among Gen Z, identify the knowledge gaps, and make suggestions for how to leverage digital spiritual and mental health interventions for Gen Z. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Education Full Text, Google Scholar, SocIndex, and Sociological Abstracts. Inclusion criteria for articles included: 1) study population born between 1995-2012 (i.e., Gen Z); 2) reported on spiritual health/well-being, spirituality or religion, and mental health/well-being; 3) reported on using digital approaches; 4) published in 1996 and beyond; 5) human subjects research; and 6) full-text article was available in English. Two authors screened articles and subsequently extracted data from the included articles to describe the available evidence. RESULTS A total of 243 articles were screened at the title and abstract level, of which 18 were further assessed at full text for eligibility. Three articles were identified for inclusion and data was extracted to summarize study characteristics and findings. The studies occurred across three different countries and each had a different design: one mixed-methods (South Africa), one cross-sectional study (China), and one randomized controlled trial (U.S.). CONCLUSIONS Few studies have focused on assessing Gen Z spiritual and mental health in the digital context, and no research to date has examined a digital spiritual and mental health application among Gen Z. Research is needed to inform the development and evaluation of approaches to address Gen Z spiritual and mental health via digital means (e.g., mobile applications).

BACKGROUND:Youth with obesity are likely to experience weight-based bullying victimization, and adolescents have the highest obesity rates among children. Factors that protect youth from traditional bullying victimization may protect youth from weight-based bullying victimization: internal assets such as positive identity and social competence, and external assets such as perceived support from parents and friends. METHODS:To examine this proposition, data from 8th, 9th, and 11th graders were obtained from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 126,495). Logistic regressions were conducted to identify the relationship between assets and weight-based bullying and to determine possible moderation by weight status. RESULTS:Results demonstrate that positive identity, parent support, and friend support were associated with lower odds of experiencing weight-based bullying victimization. Moderation analyses revealed that perceived parent support was most protective against experiencing weight-based bullying victimization among youth with obesity compared to youth with overweight, normal weight, or underweight.CONCLUSION: School administrators, counselors, and teachers should be aware of the increased risk of weight-based bullying for youth with obesity and underweight. Results underscore the need to foster youth's internal assets like positive identity to promote a strength-based approach for prevention. Parent involvement is warranted in weight-based bullying prevention efforts.

Objective The current study identifies levels of physical activity (PA) engagement among adolescents with neither asthma nor overweight/obesity (OW/OB), one, or both conditions. Risk and protective factors are examined across groups. Methods Data from 8th, 9th, and 11th graders were obtained from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 125,164). One-way analysis of variance was used to assess PA levels across risk groups. Linear regressions were used to examine patterns of risk and protective factors for adolescent PA engagement across four groups (neither asthma nor OW/OB, asthma only, OW/OB only, and comorbid asthma + OW/OB). Results were stratified by race/ethnicity. Results Adolescents with OW/OB only or asthma + OW/OB had significantly lower PA levels than youth with asthma only or neither condition (M = 3.65–3.67 days/week, SD = 2.20 vs M = 4.15–4.19 days/week, SD = 2.16–2.17, p < .001). The following variables were associated with adolescent PA (p < .001): Adult community care across all risk groups (β ranges = .13–.16), depressive symptoms among those with neither and both asthma + OW/OB (β’s = –.10), and extracurriculars among those with asthma + OW/OB (β = .10). Extracurriculars and parent connectedness were protective for Hispanic adolescents. Conclusions Adolescents with OW/OB had significantly lower levels of PA compared to those without, regardless of asthma status. Individual and relational factors influenced adolescent PA. Future research investigating factors influencing adolescent PA should consider depressive symptoms, connectedness to adults in the community, non-sport-related extracurricular activity involvement, and address disparities among minoritized youth.

Youth violence continues to be a major developmental and health concern. Preventative resources at individual, family, and community levels may reduce risk, yet the extent to which youth violence perpetration differs by patterns of risk and protective factors remains unknown. Using data from the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (N = 4630; 49% female; M age = 14.69), we conducted person-centered, latent profile analyses to identify four patterns for risk of violence perpetration among middle and high school youth. Youth in the Low Risk-High Protection profile (37%) had low likelihood of violence perpetration. Youth in the Low Risk-Low Protection profile (4%) were characterized by poor family functioning, low school belonging, and low community protection. These youth had similar odds of violence perpetration as youth in the Moderate Risk-Moderate Protection profile (44%), which were elevated compared to the Low Risk-High Protection profile. Youth in the High Risk-Low Protection profile (15%), which had the highest levels of risk factors and lowest levels of protective factors, had the highest likelihood of violence perpetration. The High Risk-Low Protection profile was expected based on past research, but the emergence of the Low Risk-Low Protection profile is a unique contribution to the research. Findings contribute to the literature by going beyond a cumulative risk model, identifying subgroups with various patterns of risk and protection in the population, and highlighting the importance of selected prevention for subgroups of youth with high risk or challenging family and community environments.