The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form: Is There Evidence of a Global At-Risk Factor in a Sample of Predominantly African American Youth?

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-463
Author(s):  
Shereen Naser ◽  
Aline Hitti ◽  
Stacy Overstreet
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Bifactor Model ◽  
Screening System ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
School Based ◽  
Service Delivery Systems ◽  
Bifactor Modeling

School-based universal screening for behavioral and emotional risk can serve as a foundation for effective multi-tiered service delivery systems. The current study examines the measurement and structure of one such universal screener, the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Student Form (BESS SF). Four models were investigated including a unidimensional model, a multidimensional model, a second-order model, and a bifactor model. This study is the first to use a bifactor model in examining the structure of the BESS SF, and further adds to the literature by using bifactor modeling with a predominantly low-income, urban, African American sample. Results indicate that the bifactor model provided the best fit. Practically, results support interpretation of the global risk score as well as the domain-specific factors.

“Broken windows”: Relationship between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among low-income African American adolescents

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dexter R Voisin ◽  
Dong Ha Kim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
African American ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Broken Windows ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions

This study explored the association between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among African American youth. Cross-sectional data were collected from 683 African American youth from low-income communities. Measures for demographics, neighborhood conditions (i.e. broken windows index), mental health, delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors were assessed. Major findings indicated that participants who reported poorer neighborhood conditions compared to those who lived in better living conditions were more likely to report higher rates of mental health problems, delinquency, substance use, and unsafe sexual behaviors. Environmental factors need to be considered when addressing the behavioral health of low-income African American youth.

scholarly journals Household, psychosocial, and individual-level factors associated with fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake among low-income urban African American youth

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Cristina Bizzotto Trude ◽  
Anna Yevgenyevna Kharmats ◽  
Kristen Marie Hurley ◽  
Elizabeth Anderson Steeves ◽  
Sameera A. Talegawkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Fiber Intake ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Factors Associated

“Why Wait Years to Become Something?” Low-income African American Youth and the Costly Career Search in For-profit Trade Schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan M. Holland ◽  
Stefanie DeLuca
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Technical Schools ◽  
Program Of Study ◽  
Trade School ◽  
Postsecondary Transitions ◽  
Using Data

Increasing numbers of low-income and minority youth are now pursuing shorter-duration sub-baccalaureate credentials at for-profit trade and technical schools. However, many students drop out of these schools, leaving with large debts and few job prospects. Despite these dismal outcomes, we know very little about students’ experiences in for-profit programs and how these institutions shape postsecondary attainment. Using data from fieldwork with 150 inner-city African American youth, we examine why disadvantaged youth are attracted to these schools and why they struggle to complete certifications. In contrast to previous research, we find that the youth in our study have quite modest ambitions and look to for-profit trade schools as the quickest and most direct route to work. However, youth receive little information or guidance to support such postsecondary transitions. Therefore, the very element that makes for-profit trade school programs seem the most appealing—a curriculum focused on one particular career—becomes an obstacle when it requires youth to commit to a program of study before they have explored their interests. When youth realize they do not like or are not prepared for their chosen career, they adopt coping strategies that keep them in school but swirling between programs, rather than accumulating any credentials.

Feeling Safe in a Dangerous Place: Exploring the Neighborhood Safety Perceptions of Low-Income African American Youth

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Zuberi
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Neighborhood Safety ◽  
Safety Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Safety ◽  
Perceived Danger

Research shows that neighborhood safety is strongly associated with the health and well-being of adolescents. However, few studies examine what shapes these perceptions of safety, especially for adolescents who grow up in more dangerous neighborhoods. The present study explores what factors shape the neighborhood safety perceptions of a sample of low-income, African American adolescents aged 15 to 19 years ( n = 46) from Baltimore who lived in public housing as children. The study reveals the complexity in how adolescents perceive safety, especially among those living in dangerous neighborhoods. The results highlight the importance of the type of danger (e.g., drug activity vs. gun-related violence) and social connections in shaping neighborhood safety perceptions. Sample youth are more likely to report feeling safe when there is little perceived danger. In more dangerous neighborhoods, youth feel safe where there is low violence, they have protective social ties, and they can avoid perceived danger. However, social connections can also tie youth to violence and victimization, which threatens their perception of safety. This more nuanced understanding of youth perceptions of safety has implications for the ways in which neighborhoods affect adolescents and the role of housing policy in improving the well-being of low-income youth.

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