Effect of the Lights4Violence intervention on the sexism of adolescents in European countries.

BACKGROUND: Sexism results in a number of attitudes and behaviors that contribute to gender inequalities in social structure and interpersonal relationships. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Lights4Violence, an intervention program based on promoting health assets to reduce sexist attitudes in young European people. METHODS: We carried out a quasi-experimental study in a non-probabilistic population of 1146 students, aged 12-17 years. The dependent variables were the difference in the wave 1 and wave 2 values in the subscales of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory: benevolent sexism (BS) and hostile sexism (HS). The effect of the intervention was evaluated through linear regression analyses stratified by sex. The models were adjusted by baseline subscales scores, socio-demographic and psychological variables. RESULTS: In girls, we observed a decrease in BS in the intervention group compared to the control group (ß = - 0.101; p = 0.006). In the wave2,, BS decreased more in the intervention group compared to the control group in girls with mothers with a low level of education (ß = - 0.338; p = 0.001), with a high level of social support (ß = - 0.251; p < 0.001), with greater capacity for conflict resolution (ß = - 0.201; p < 0.001) and lower levels of aggressiveness (ß = - 0.232, p < 0.001). In boys, the mean levels of HS and BH decreased in wave 2 in both the control and intervention groups. The changes observed after the wave 2 were the same in the control group and in the intervention group. No significant differences were identified between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the Lights4Violence was associated with a significant reduction in BS in girls, which highlights the potential of interventions aimed at supporting the personal competencies and social support. It is necessary to reinforce the inclusion of educational contents that promote reflection among boys about the role of gender and the meaning of the attributes of masculinity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT03411564 . Unique Protocol ID: 776905. Date registered: 26-01-2018.

Factors Predictive of Behavioural and Emotional Dysfunction in Adolescents in a Secure Children's Home.

The aim of the present study was to investigate what factors are predictive of behavioural and emotional dysfunction in adolescence. A sample of 60 young people accommodated under a welfare or youth custody service order in a UK secure children's home between 2016 and 2018 was used. Data regarding young people's Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) history, scores on standard assessments and factors thought to indicate behavioural and emotional dysfunction were collected from file information. Correlations and regression models were used to analyse the data. Analyses found that young people in this setting had been exposed to more ACEs than the general population. Furthermore, signs of behavioural and emotional dysfunction as a result of exposure to ACE's appeared to be present from early adolescence. It was found that exposure to verbal and sexual abuse were the greatest predictors of involvement in risk incidents. The young person's substance misuse habits were the best predictor of the length of stay in the secure children's home. These findings may have policy implications and highlight the need for early interventions with young people exposed to ACE's.

The Role of School Social Support and School Social Climate in Dating Violence Victimization Prevention among Adolescents in Europe.

The aim of the article is to show the role of school social support and school social climate in dating violence victimization prevention among adolescents in Europe. Study participants were students from secondary schools (age 13-16) in Spain, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Poland and UK. The analysis in this text concern student with dating experience (n = 993) (57.2% of girls and 66.5% of boys). School social support was measured by School Social Climate, Factor 1 Scale (CECSCE) and by Student Social Support Scale (CASSS), subscales teachers and classmates. The association between school social support and different types of dating victimization (physical and/or sexual dating violence, control dating violence and fear) was measured by calculating the prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals, estimated by Poisson regression models with robust variance. All the models were adjusted by country and by sociodemographic variables. The results show that the average values of all types of social support are significantly lower in young people who have suffered any type of dating violence or were scared of their partner. The likelihood of suffering physical and/or sexual dating violence decreased when school social support increased [PR (CI 95%): 0.96 (0.92; 0.99)]. In the same way, the likelihood of fear decreased when school social climate increased [PR (CI 95%): 0.98 (0.96; 0.99)].There is an association between school social support and school social climate and experiences of being victim of dating violence among adolescents in Europe. Our results suggest that in the prevention of dating violence building a supportive climate at schools and building/using the support of peers and teachers is important.

The Effects of Prison Visits From Family Members on Prisoners' Well-Being, Prison Rule Breaking, and Recidivism: A Review of Research Since 1991.

The effect of family visits on prisoner well-being and future behavior is an important consideration in the development of prison policy. This review systematically examines current research findings that explore the impact of prison visits from family members on three specific offender outcomes: prisoners' well-being, rule breaking within the prison, and recidivism. The review focuses on visits by family and does not duplicate earlier reviews but rather extends them into current literature, through identification of empirical studies conducted post 1989, published since 1991. Ten studies met the stipulated inclusion criteria. All are case-control and cohort studies. The review of studies used a standardized quality assessment tool. Results show considerable variation in study quality, methods, and findings. However, studies consistently reported positive effects of prisoners receiving visits. Prison visits reduced depressive symptoms in women and adolescent prisoners. There was some evidence of reduction in rule-breaking behavior. One high-quality study suggested that visits reduced recidivism and increased survival in the community. Although there were positive outcomes associated with prison visits, it was not possible to draw strong conclusions for the outcomes of interest due to a lack of research, methodological discrepancies, and variability in outcome measures and results. The discussion considers the implications of the findings for policy, practice, and research.