Also in this Issue:
Effects
of Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence
Mitchell, K.J., & Finkelhor,
D. (2001). Risk of crime victimization among youth exposed to domestic
violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16:9, 944-964.
 There
is considerable evidence that outlines the impact of domestic violence
on child functioning. Children living in families where they are exposed
to domestic violence have been shown to be at risk for behavioural, emotional,
physical and cognitive functioning, attitudes, and long-term developmental
problems. Further, they have an increased risk of becoming victims of
violence themselves (youth crime victimization). The primary objective
of this study was to look at the degree to which youth are at risk of
crime victimization when they live with an adult who has either been the
victim of domestic violence or a violent crime other than domestic violence.
The following three groups were examined:
- Youth living in households
in which an adult has reported violence by a domestic partner.
- Youth living in households
in which an adult has reported violence by a non-domestic person.
- Youth living in households
in which there has been no victimization reported by any household adult.
The results of the study indicate
that:
- Youth are at higher risk
for crime victimization when they live with a victimized adult.
- Risk is increased for youth
whether they live with an adult who is victimized by domestic violence
or by violence from a non-domestic offender.
- Girls compared with boys
living in households with an adult victim of domestic violence are at
a higher risk for crime victimization.
The
results of this study support past research, which has shown that exposure
to domestic violence has a negative impact on child functioning. The results
extend further and suggest that when an adult experiences violence outside
of the home, the impact on the child is similar to that of adult domestic
violence exposure. The authors point out the importance of these findings
with regard to prevention strategies. It is suggested that children in
households where an adult has been victimized in any manner should be
seen as a high priority group for the implementation of prevention training
and other services that may reduce the risk of future crime victimization.
Early
Intervention Reduces Behaviour Problems in Adolescence
Ialongo, N., Poduska, J.,
Werthamer, L., & Kellam, S. (2001). The distal impact of two first-grade
preventive interventions on conduct problems and disorder in early adolescence.
Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 9:3, 146-160.
Studies
in the past have shown that antecedents for adolescent conduct problems,
depressive disorders and substance abuse, are evident as early as grade
one. Investigators have found that early learning problems are linked
with later depressive disorders; and early aggressive behaviour is linked
with later antisocial behaviour, criminality and heavy substance use.
Risk for delinquency and substance abuse has been shown to increase when
aggressive behaviour interacts with shy behaviour and attention/concentration
problems.
This
study sought to reduce the risk for substance abuse, depression and antisocial
behaviour by targeting both early aggression and achievement. All grade-one
children in a U.S. city were randomly assigned to either one of two preventive
interventions, or to a control group. The first intervention was classroom-centered
(CC), and designed to enhance the behaviour management skills of grade
one teachers. The second intervention was centered on a family-school
partnership (FSP) program, and designed to improve parent-teacher interaction
and parental skills in managing child behaviour. A non-intervention control
group provided comparison data, and the results were assessed when the
children were in grade six.
Classroom-Centered Intervention
(CC)
Three
strategies were used:
- curriculum enhancements
in language arts and mathematics;
- a weekly classroom meeting
to enhance child social problem solving in a group context;
- the Good Behavior Game,
a team-based behaviour modification effort which awarded points for
precisely defined good behaviour by members and deducted them for off-task,
shy or aggressive behaviour.
First grade teachers completed
60 hours of training prior to implementation and attended monthly support
meetings thereafter.
Family-School Partnership
(FSP)
This
consisted of
- training for school staff
in communication and partnership building;
- weekly home-school learning
and communication activities; and
- nine 90-minute workshops
for parents on child behaviour management led by the first grade teacher
and school psychologist or social worker.
Sessions ran for seven consecutive
weeks in the fall and were augmented by two booster sessions - one in
the winter and one in the spring.
Outcomes
At
grade 6 (or age 12), both CC and FSP children were significantly less
likely to show conduct problems, to meet the diagnostic criteria for Conduct
Disorder, or to have been suspended from school during the last year.
In addition, CC children showed significantly lower rates of child mental
health service need and utilization. FSP intervention parents evidenced
less rejection of their children and greater involvement in reinforcing
activities over non-intervention parents. While overall, the CC intervention
appeared to be the most effective of the two, the authors speculate that
future studies may show that the combination of both interventions produces
even superior results.
Comment
This
study shows that success in meeting the early demands of authority acceptance,
attention to task and social participation, presages good social adaptation
at a later stage in development. The authors suggest that in particular,
social survival skills, which include the ability to monitor and manage
one's own behaviour, may be critically important during the adolescent
years. While the CC intervention required a significant initial investment
to enhance the skills and resource base of grade one teachers, this investment
obviously yielded benefits in terms of reduced problems and their attendant
costs well into the future.
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Institute
for the study of Antisocial behaviour in Youth (lAY) 
