Research and Publications - Department of Human Development and Family Studies

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Browsing Research and Publications - Department of Human Development and Family Studies by Subject "ABUSE"

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    Gender, violence and resilience among Ugandan adolescents
    (Pergamon, 2017) Namy, Sophie; Carlson, Catherine; Norcini, Andrea; Faris, Devin; Knight, Louise; Allen, Elizabeth; Devries, Karen; Naker, Dipak; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Columbia University; University of London; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
    Resilience, commonly understood as the ability to maintain adaptive functioning in the face of adversity, has emerged as a salient entry point in the field of positive youth development. This study makes a unique contribution by exploring dimensions of resilience among adolescents in Uganda, examining associations between violence from different perpetrators and resilience, and testing whether sex moderates these relationships. Analyses are based on data from 3706 primary school students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified five factors underlying the construct of resilience: Emotional Support; Family Connectedness; School Connectedness; Social Assets; and Psychological Assets. We used regression analysis to investigate associations between these dependent variables, background characteristics, and experiences of violence (including exposure to intimate partner violence against female caregivers). Results reflect a complex relationship between violence and resilience, with patterns varying by perpetrator (e.g., teacher, peers, caregivers) and some evidence that the sex of the student moderates these dynamics. Overall, there is a consistently negative relationship between all violence measures and Psychological Assets. In addition, teacher violence is associated with lower resilience across factors and both caregiver violence and exposure to IPV are consistently associated with decreased Family Connectedness. These findings suggest that adolescents experiencing (and exposed to) violence from adults may be particularly vulnerable to internalizing and/or externalizing behaviors and withdrawal from the family. Findings point to preventing violence from teachers complemented with enhancing family relationships as promising avenues for resilience-strengthening interventions, and also emphasize the need to consider gendered strategies to ensure girls and boys benefit equally.
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    Pathways to Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents: Examination of Child Maltreatment and Post-Traumatic Symptoms
    (Springer, 2022) McRae, Elizabeth; Stoppelbein, Laura; O'Kelley, Sarah; Smith, Shana; Fite, Paula; University of Alabama Birmingham; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Jacksonville State University; University of Kansas
    Suicide in youth exacts significant personal and community costs. Thus, it is important to understand predisposing risk factors. Experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACES), such as child maltreatment (CM-ACE), and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder has been identified as a risk factor of suicidal behaviors among adults. Theoretical models of suicide suggest that the presence of painful experiences such as CM-ACES increase the risk of suicidal behaviors. The relation between child maltreatment, post-traumatic stress symptom clusters (PTSS) and suicidal behaviors has not been explicitly examined among youth. The present study examined the relations between CM-ACES, PTSS clusters, and suicidal behaviors in a clinical population of children. Children, male, ages 6 to 14, enrolled in a residential treatment program completed self-report measures to evaluate variables of interest. Path analyses revealed statistically significant direct effects of CM-ACES and PTSS clusters on suicidal behaviors. Significant total indirect effects and marginally significant individual indirect effects of intrusion and avoidance symptoms were observed for the relation between CM-ACES and suicidal behavior. Findings suggest that symptoms associated with specific PTSS clusters might help explain the relation between CM-ACES and suicidal behavior, and therefore, present important implications for clinical practice and future research.
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    The Role of Resilience in Ethnic Minority Adolescent Navigation of Ecological Adversity
    (Springer, 2021) Wilcox, Lisa; Larson, Kim; Bartlett, Robin; University of North Carolina; East Carolina University; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Adverse childhood experiences and health disparities profoundly affect the health of ethnic minority adolescents and influence their overall well-being. In light of current health disparities and civil unrest, this secondary analysis sought to better understand resilience among ethnic minority adolescents living in rural eastern North Carolina (NC). Using Ungar's (2013) Theory of Resilience and Seven Tensions, the two tensions that depicted the most adversity for these adolescents were social justice and power and control. Racism and discrimination were identified as prevalent risk factors. Four tensions in the model, cultural adherence, identity, cohesion, and access to material resources, were linked to protective factors and represented ethnocultural pride. Findings suggest that rural-dwelling African American and Latinx adolescents share concerns related to racial adversity but navigate their ecological experiences in unique ways.