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New Analyses of National Data Reveal Risk, Protective Factors for Youth Violence and Other Risks, Leading Researchers Report at Capitol Hill Briefing WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 1999) - New analyses of the largest study of adolescent behavior ever conducted continue to reveal that family involvement, "connection" to adults, parental expectations, and certain parental behaviors can outweigh negative factors that otherwise put youth at risk for violence and other unhealthy behaviors. This is the message delivered by leading researchers at a briefing held today on Capitol Hill and sponsored by the Institute for Youth Development (IYD) and the National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Research Center. Researchers from the University of Minnesota and University of North Carolina, two of the university sites working with the National Institutes of Health in analyzing the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (known as Add Health) shared their latest findings. The Add Health project surveyed more than 90,000 students - 20,000 were interviewed personally. "We brought this expert panel together because good information will lead to good decisions as Washington ponders what's in the best interest of kids," said Shepherd Smith, IYD president. Youth and Violence Michael D. Resnick, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine, University of Minnesota reported that youth who are less likely to perpetrate violence are those who: 1) feel connected to their family and to other adults (e.g., teacher, coach); 2) experience academic success; 3) express a strong sense of religiosity; and 4) have parents who express high expectations for behavior. On the other hand, Resnick noted that those youth who have witnessed or experienced violence, have a history of substance abuse and/or suicide attempts, have repeated a grade, and who have access to weapons at home, are more likely to become involved in violence. (page 1 of 2) "Protective factors offset risk factors," Resnick said, offering hope that adolescents who appear at risk can avoid unhealthy behaviors. "The best strategy is to reduce risks and increase protective factors." Teen Sexuality Robert Wm. Blum, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, explored how these same factors impact the likelihood that adolescents will participate in early sexual activity. Teens who feel connected to their family and perceive that their parents disapprove of adolescent sexual activity are more likely to remain virgins. Surprisingly, Blum said, "the more mothers talk [to their daughters] the more likely they are to transition to becoming sexually active. Sexual discussion between daughters and moms is associated with first sexual intercourse." Blum's colleague at the University of Minnesota, Clea Sucoff, Dr.P.H., explained this surprising finding: "First of all, mothers correctly figure out when their daughters are on the cusp of becoming sexually active and so they increase the level of conversation." "Second, when teenage girls report that their mothers strongly disapprove [of sexual activity], they are less likely to have sex." Unfortunately, Sucoff revealed that while "69% of mothers say they strongly disapprove, only 55% of their daughters think their mothers disapprove." It is this disconnect between what mothers think they are communicating to their daughters, and what their daughters are actually hearing that is the key, Sucoff said. "When daughters report that their mothers strongly disapprove, they are less likely to have sex." Sucoff then identified factors that make it more likely that teenage girls will accurately comprehend their mothers' disapproval. "When teenagers feel highly connected to their mothers they are three times more likely to accurately perceive mother's disapproval." Fathers' Involvement and Parenting Behavior Kathleen Mullan Harris, Ph.D., Sociology Department, University of North Carolina, reported that both the degree of father involvement and certain parenting behaviors are associated with decreases in violence, substance abuse, delinquency, and sexual intercourse. Harris found that the more involved fathers are in their children's lives the less likely their children are to be involved in any of these risk behaviors. A direct correlation exists between decrease in risk behavior and increase in father involvement, regardless of family structure, she reported. Harris then explored the impact of three distinct areas of parenting behaviors: 1) monitoring, control and supervision; 2) responsiveness and involvement; and 3) democratic parenting (i.e., joint decision making regarding decisions affecting the adolescent child). Sharing family dinner the majority of days every week and democratic parenting are two of the most protective actions parents can take, she reported. For example, Harris said, "when families share all or most dinners together, substance abuse is lowest" and while "increased parental monitoring lessens the probability of sexual activity, shared dinner meals have a larger impact." Furthermore, "across all family structures, parents who practice democratic parenting (i.e., joint decision making regarding decisions affecting the adolescent child) are less likely to have children involved in delinquency."
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