Within-Individual Effects of Dropping out of School on Violent Victimization Among Serious Adolescent Offenders

Despite a recent decrease in both school dropout and victimization rates, many harsh and exclusionary school policies continue to push school-aged adolescents out of school. This study combines two research areas—school dropout and violent victimization—by investigating if dropping out of school increases the chance of violent victimization. It is hypothesized that a change in the opportunity structure associated with risky lifestyles and routine activities accounts for the link between school dropout and violent victimization. Drawing on longitudinal panel data collected from a relatively homogenous sample of 1354 serious adolescent offenders who are predominantly minorities (75%) and males (86%) and fixed-effects models which enhance the causal validity of the findings by using the same individuals as their own counterfactuals over time, this study shows that dropping out of school leads to the perpetuation of violent victimization, primarily due to a change in the opportunity structure associated with risky lifestyles and routine activities. By uncovering the pathway between school dropout and victimization, this study contributes to the knowledge base on the impact of school dropouts, the source of violent victimization, and the causal mechanism underlying the link between dropping out of school and violent victimization—all of which are relatively understudied despite their significant implications for theory and policy.

Self-Control, Risky Lifestyles, and Victimization among Chinese Adolescents

Violent and property victimization among Chinese adolescents remains a social problem, yet studies that incorporate individual characteristics and situational/contextual factors to explain such victimization remain scarce. Drawing upon survey data collected from a large, representative sample of middle school students from two areas in Guizhou Province, China, we test Schreck’s integrated model of victimization, finding that self-control has both direct and indirect influences on violent and property victimization among Chinese adolescents. Delinquent peers play the most significant intermediate role in connecting self-control and adolescent victimization. Results reconfirm the importance of both self-control and risky lifestyles/situations in shaping victimization, and identify a victimization pathway that accentuates the key linking mechanism of delinquent peers in the self-control—victimization nexus.

Convict Code, Risky Lifestyles, and Violent Victimization Among Inmates in South Korea

The adherence of the convict code and involvement in risky lifestyles lead to increased rates of victimization; however, empirical scrutiny regarding the interaction between the convict code and risky lifestyles remains unexplored. The current study bridges this gap in the victimization literature by examining the interaction effect between the convict code and risky lifestyles on victimization experience incarcerated offenders within South Korean prisons. Results indicate there both the convict code and risky lifestyles are positively and significantly associated with the risk of victimization. When combined, an interaction effect is present, suggesting that the relationship between the convict code and violent victimization is stronger as inmates engage in risky lifestyles more frequently. A discussion of theoretical implications is offered, highlighting the similarities of the convict code with western prison settings.

Leukocytospermia in late adolescents: possible clinical interpretations

Background No data are currently available on the implication of amicrobial leukocytospermia in male adolescents. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of amicrobial leukocytospermia among non-smoker late adolescents who were exposed to other risky lifestyles for the andrological health. The main andrological clinical features of adolescents with leukocytospermia were also reported. Methods This is a cross-sectional study carried out in 80 boys. Each adolescent underwent a physical examination, and to the assessment of sperm conventional parameters, seminal leukocytes concentration and immature germ cell evaluation. A possible correlation between seminal leukocytes and immature germ cells and testicular volume (TV) was tested. Results The adolescents enrolled in this study had 18.0 ± 0.4 (range 18.1–18.9) years. Unprotected sexual intercourse was referred by 38% of them. Sexual dysfunctions were found in 25% and isolated hypoactive sexual desire in 12.5% of boys. Low TV and penile length in flaccidity were found in 44% and 30% of them, respectively. Only 41% had normozoospermia at the sperm analysis, whereas 19% had isolated oligozoospermia, 15% oligo-asthenozoospermia, and 25% oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia. Leukocytospermia occurred in 25% (20 out of 80) of adolescents. No seminal infection was detected in 19% (15 out of 80) of them. Adolescents with leukocytospermia had lower progressive sperm motility, percentage of normal forms, TV, and a higher percentage of immature germ cells compared to those without leukocytospermia. Semen leukocyte concentration correlated negatively with TV and positively with the percentage of immature germ cells in the ejaculate. Conclusion Leukocytospermia, increased immature germ cell number, and low TV identify a distinct phenotype suggestive of testicular tubulopathy. Primary prevention of male infertility and the counselling for andrological risky lifestyles is mandatory and should be started as early as possible.

Using Structural Equations to Model the Relationships between Procedural Justice, Risky Lifestyles, and Violent Inmate Misconduct

Prior research has consistently shown that perceptions of procedural justice promote individuals’ compliance with the law. Several studies have also identified mechanisms that explain the association between perceptions of procedural justice and compliance (e.g., social identity). However, the potential role of risky behaviors as a mediator of the association between procedural justice and compliance remains unexplored. This study examined whether risky behaviors can mediate the relationship between procedural justice and violent inmate misconduct. Data for this study were derived from a sample of 986 incarcerated felons in South Korea. The present study employed structural equation modeling to test how risky lifestyles mediate the association between procedural justice and violent misconduct. The results showed that procedural justice reduced violent inmate misconduct. Additionally, the mediation hypothesis received partial support: the direct effect of procedural justice on violent misconduct was partially mediated by involvement in risky activities. Taken together, the results highlight the importance of the interrelationship between procedural justice, risky lifestyles, and violent misconduct in a prison setting.

School-Age Bullying Victimization and Perpetration: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies and Research

Twenty-three samples from 22 longitudinal studies assessing both bullying perpetration and bullying victimization were selected from a sample of 1,408 candidate studies using several prespecified criteria (i.e., participants ≤ 18 years of age; self-reported bullying victimization and perpetration assessed with a lag of at least 1 month but no more than 24 months; not a treatment or program study). A random effects meta-analysis was then performed on the concurrent and cross-lagged longitudinal associations between bullying victimization and perpetration in the 23 samples. A large pooled effect size ( r = .40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [.34, .45]) was obtained for the concurrent association between bullying victimization and perpetration, whereas modest to moderate effect sizes (victimization to perpetration: r = .20, 95% CI [.17, .24]; perpetration to victimization: r = .21, 95% CI [.17, .24]) were obtained for the two cross-lagged longitudinal correlations. The results did not change when analyses were conducted separately for traditional bullying and cyberbullying outcomes. These findings indicate that bullying victimization and perpetration correlate strongly and that their cross-lagged longitudinal relationship runs in both directions, such that perpetration is just as likely to lead to future victimization as victimization is to lead to future perpetration. Different theoretical models are proposed in an effort to explain these results: cycle of violence, general strain, and social cognitive theories for victimization leading to perpetration and risky lifestyles, routine activities, and peer selection theories for perpetration leading to victimization.

Violent Victimization: The Role of Social Support and Risky Lifestyle

Although engagement in risky lifestyle and routine activities play a major role in increasing the risk of violent victimization, less is known about the factors that precede engagement in risky lifestyles. The quality of interpersonal relationships is shown to be an important factor that influences one's life. Therefore, the lack of social support may be a potential factor that shapes why individuals get involved in risky lifestyles and routine activities. There is evidence that a lack of social support is linked to victimization and a lack of social support is also linked to engagement in risky lifestyle. What is not understood, however, is how these variables are linked with one another. To address this gap, risky lifestyle factors are explored for their potential mediating role in the link between social support and violent victimization. A path analysis is conducted with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The final sample size is 14,322 and the average age of respondents is 16 years old. Results suggest that social support from different sources do not have the same effects on violent victimization, and only certain lifestyle factors mediate the link to violent victimization. The findings imply that a lack of social support not only has direct effects on violent victimization, but also leads individuals to engage in risky lifestyles that also increase the risk of victimization. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Status constraint and lifestyle transition: a latent class analysis of health-related lifestyles among different social strata in China

The present study uses data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) to develop a multidimensional measure for the healthiness of Chinese citizens’ lifestyles. A latent class analysis reveals variety in Chinese people’s lifestyles. Three categories are identified: the healthy, the mixed, and the risky. People with higher socio-economic status (SES) are polarized between the healthy and the risky lifestyles, while those with lower SES tend to have a more mixed lifestyle. Generally speaking, Chinese people’s lifestyles are in constant change. Located in an advantageous social-structural position, members of the upper strata manage to choose the lifestyle beneficial to their health. At the same time, however, they are influenced by western lifestyles. Members of the lower strata are more constrained by social-structural status.