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Hong JS, Valido A, Hahm HC, VanHook CR, Espelage DL, Voisin DR. Would Caring Teachers Buffer the Link Between Violence Victimization and Early Sexual Initiation? Comparing Heterosexual and Non-Heterosexual African American Youth. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2789-2798. [PMID: 36810635 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02557-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between youth violence exposures (i.e., peer and neighborhood) and early sexual initiation. It also explored whether caring relationships with teachers might moderate this relationship and whether results differed for heterosexual versus non-heterosexual African American youth. The study sample (N = 580) comprised 475 heterosexual and 105 non-heterosexual youths, 319 female and 261 male, ages 13 to 24 years (M age = 15.8). Students were assessed for peer and neighborhood violence, relationship with teachers, early sexual initiation, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Major results indicated a positive relationship between exposure to peer and neighborhood violence and early sexual initiation for heterosexual youth but not those who identified as non-heterosexual. Further, identifying as female (vs. male) was significantly associated with later sexual initiation for both heterosexual and non-heterosexual youth. In addition, caring teachers moderated the relationship between exposure to peer violence and age of sexual initiation among non-heterosexual youth. Programs and interventions to curtail violence sequelae would need to consider the unique effects of various types of youth violence exposures and the significance of sexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Sung Hong
- School of Social Work, Wayne State University, 5447 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
- Department of Social Welfare, Ewha Womans University, 52 Ewha Yeodae-Gil, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Alberto Valido
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Cortney R VanHook
- School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dorothy L Espelage
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dexter R Voisin
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Sexual Identity and its Association with Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms and Emotion Regulation Difficulties from Early to Middle Adolescence. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022; 53:1062-1074. [PMID: 34021440 PMCID: PMC8822586 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01188-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined how changes in sexual identity impact trajectories of depressive symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by examining these associations over a three-year period in a community sample of adolescents (N = 177; Mage = 12.56; SD = 0.60; nmale = 95). Multilevel modeling revealed that youth who consistently held sexual minority identities from early to middle adolescence-but not youth with inconsistent sexual identity-demonstrated increases in depressive symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties relative to their heterosexual peers. Findings suggest that treatments that bolster emotion regulation abilities and address depressive symptoms may be of particular benefit to youth with consistent sexual minority identities from early to middle adolescence.
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Xu Y, Norton S, Rahman Q. A longitudinal birth cohort study of early life conditions, psychosocial factors, and emerging adolescent sexual orientation. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:5-20. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Sam Norton
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
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Smirnov I, Thurner S. Formation of homophily in academic performance: Students change their friends rather than performance. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183473. [PMID: 28854202 PMCID: PMC5576666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Homophily, the tendency of individuals to associate with others who share similar traits, has been identified as a major driving force in the formation and evolution of social ties. In many cases, it is not clear if homophily is the result of a socialization process, where individuals change their traits according to the dominance of that trait in their local social networks, or if it results from a selection process, in which individuals reshape their social networks so that their traits match those in the new environment. Here we demonstrate the detailed temporal formation of strong homophily in academic achievements of high school and university students. We analyze a unique dataset that contains information about the detailed time evolution of a friendship network of 6,000 students across 42 months. Combining the evolving social network data with the time series of the academic performance (GPA) of individual students, we show that academic homophily is a result of selection: students prefer to gradually reorganize their social networks according to their performance levels, rather than adapting their performance to the level of their local group. We find no signs for a pull effect, where a social environment of good performers motivates bad students to improve their performance. We are able to understand the underlying dynamics of grades and networks with a simple model. The lack of a social pull effect in classical educational settings could have important implications for the understanding of the observed persistence of segregation, inequality and social immobility in societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Smirnov
- Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Stefan Thurner
- Section for Science of Complex Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, United States of America
- IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Josefstädterstr. 39, A-1080, Vienna, Austria
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Filip-Crawford G, Neuberg SL. Homosexuality and Pro-Gay Ideology as Pathogens? Implications of a Disease-Spread Lay Model for Understanding Anti-Gay Behaviors. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2016; 20:332-364. [DOI: 10.1177/1088868315601613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Negative behaviors targeting gay men and lesbians range from violent physical assault to casting a vote against gay marriage, with very different implications for those targeted. Existing accounts of such actions, however, are unable to differentially predict specific anti-gay behaviors, leaving a large theoretical hole in the literature and hindering the design of effective interventions. We propose (a) that many sexually prejudiced laypersons conceptualize homosexuality and pro-gay ideology as “contaminants” analogous to infectious pathogens and (b) that anti-gay behaviors can thus be viewed as strategic attempts to prevent, contain, treat, or eradicate the “pathogens” of homosexuality and pro-gay ideology. By considering analogues to disease-spread processes (e.g., susceptibility of specific subpopulations, inoculation procedures, prevalence in the local environment, interconnections among community members), we derive novel predictions regarding the incidence and nature of anti-gay behaviors and provide leverage for creating more tailored interventions to reduce such discrimination.
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Kenyon CR, Tsoumanis A, Schwartz IS. A population's higher-risk sexual behaviour is associated with its average sexual behaviour-An ecological analysis of subpopulations in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and the United States. Epidemics 2016; 15:56-65. [PMID: 27266849 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the large variation in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections between populations it is important to characterize how sexual vary between populations. In this paper we assess how the distribution of lifetime sexual partners varies between populations. We ask: do populations with higher mean lifetime sexual partners merely differ by virtue of the presence of a core-group with increased number of partners or do the population distributions move as more coherent wholes? METHODS We defined those in the top decile of lifetime sex partners in each country as constituting the higher-risk behaviour group (HRB). Spearman's correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between mean lifetime partners and prevalence of those in the HRB by ethnic group within Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and the United States. In each case, data from nationally representative surveys were used. Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum were applied to test if there was a difference in the number of lifetime partners between the highest and lowest-risk subpopulations, separately for men and women. To account for autocorrelation, all analyses were conducted using means/medians excluding those in the HRB. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS In each country, a positive correlation existed between subpopulations' mean lifetime partners and the prevalence of the HRB. Spearman's correlation varied from 0.20 to 0.99 for men and 0.74 to 1.0 for women. This association was statistically significant in 6 out of 10 comparisons. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of lifetime partners between the highest and lowest-risk ethnic groups in all countries except South Africa, where the difference was only significant for women. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that sexual behaviours vary coherently between different populations. As such, sexually transmitted infection control efforts would benefit from including both targeted campaigns focusing on the HRB and population-strategies that seek to address factors responsible for high mean risk behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris R Kenyon
- HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | | | - Ilan Steven Schwartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Bower AR, Nishina A, Witkow MR, Bellmore A. Nice Guys and Gals Finish Last? Not in Early Adolescence When Empathic, Accepted, and Popular Peers are Desirable. J Youth Adolesc 2015; 44:2275-88. [PMID: 26316305 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-015-0346-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about attributes that elicit romantic desirability in early adolescence. The current study, with a sample of 531 sixth-grade students (45% boys) attending ethnically diverse middle schools, used a resource control framework to explore which self-reported behaviors (e.g., empathy and aggression) and peer-reported status (e.g., acceptance and perceived popularity) predict the likelihood of being considered romantically desirable (i.e., receiving at least one "crush" nomination from an opposite sex grademate). Self-reported empathy was positively associated with students' romantic desirability (primarily for those with high peer acceptance), whereas self-reported aggression on its own did not. Both peer-acceptance and popularity also were positively associated with students' romantic desirability, and aggressive behavior reduced popularity's effect. Although aggression may be integral for obtaining high peer status across cultures, prosocial behaviors were romantically valued. Our findings suggest that peer-vetted social status elicits romantic interest and during early adolescence, nice guys and gals really do not finish last.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Bower
- Human Development Graduate Group, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Adrienne Nishina
- Human Development Graduate Group, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Melissa R Witkow
- Department of Psychology, Willamette University, Willamette, OR, 97301, USA
| | - Amy Bellmore
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Christakis NA, Fowler JH. Social contagion theory: examining dynamic social networks and human behavior. Stat Med 2013; 32:556-77. [PMID: 22711416 PMCID: PMC3830455 DOI: 10.1002/sim.5408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 504] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Here, we review the research we have conducted on social contagion. We describe the methods we have employed (and the assumptions they have entailed) to examine several datasets with complementary strengths and weaknesses, including the Framingham Heart Study, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, and other observational and experimental datasets that we and others have collected. We describe the regularities that led us to propose that human social networks may exhibit a 'three degrees of influence' property, and we review statistical approaches we have used to characterize interpersonal influence with respect to phenomena as diverse as obesity, smoking, cooperation, and happiness. We do not claim that this work is the final word, but we do believe that it provides some novel, informative, and stimulating evidence regarding social contagion in longitudinally followed networks. Along with other scholars, we are working to develop new methods for identifying causal effects using social network data, and we believe that this area is ripe for statistical development as current methods have known and often unavoidable limitations.
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