The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of social control theory's “attachment” and “involvement” bonds as protective factors to examine gender differences in reports of delinquency and academic achievement in a sample of 7th to 12th graders. Attachment bonds were operationalized as attachment to parents, to nonparent adults, and to peers; involvement bonds were operationalized as time spent in various school- and non-school-based activities. It was expected that, with respect to delinquency and academic achievement, attachment bond variables would be more protective for females than the involvement bond variables, whereas the involvement bond variables would be more protective for males than the attachment bond variables. The findings suggest that although several of the involvement bond variables of social control theory are predictive of both delinquency and academic achievement for both genders, only the attachment bond variables provide such an overall protective function for females. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
This exploratory study seeks to better understand the link between peer-related violence (perpetration and victimization) and suicide risk among youth. The study uses data gathered from Arizona, Nevada, and Wyoming, where the highest rates of adolescent suicide in the United States are found. The data derive from in-school surveys of eighth-grade students conducted during 1998 and 1999. Higher levels of reported suicide risk were prominent among the multiethnic, urban, and female respondents. Male and female respondents who perpetrated violence by initiating fights, threatening to use weapons, and using weapons to assault others were more likely to be classified in the high-risk suicide group than those who did not. General results were similar for victims and those witnessing violence. Implications for prevention programming and future research are discussed.
This article presents a case study of how the evaluation design for a dating violence prevention and/or youth development program for American Indian youth in Arizona evolved throughout the project. Particular attention is given to how the evaluation design was guided by the tribal participatory research model. A brief rationale for the project is presented along with literature on culturally competent evaluation and research with American Indians. A description of the project and the unique communities in which it was implemented is provided. The focus of the article is the process of how the evaluation plan changed and how various factors influenced this process (e.g., feedback from community stakeholders, conversations with funder, results of process evaluation, suggestions from literature, the authors' experience working in American Indian communities). The authors conclude with lessons learned for others to consider as they develop working relationships and evaluation plans in similar communities.
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