Suchergebnisse

Mothers of 317 first‐time juvenile offenders (M = 15.35 years old) were interviewed over 2.5 years about their expectations and aspirations for their sons' futures. Mothers' expectations were lower than their aspirations, reflecting a discrepancy between what mothers felt was important for their child's future and what they considered likely to happen. As their children continued to engage in delinquent acts, mothers' expectations for their sons' future success diminished. Youth age moderated the association between delinquency and maternal expectations, such that when perceived delinquency was high, expectations were lower for mothers of young sons compared to mothers of older sons. These findings carry implications for practice and intervention, as parent expectations and aspirations are both directly and indirectly associated with youth achievement.

Youth in the United States continue to be tried, sentenced, and incarcerated as adults, despite their age and developmental immaturity. To better understand the lived experience of sentencing youth as adults, a content analysis was completed to synthesize 267 letters written by incarcerated persons sentenced as youth from across the United States to inductively identify common themes that encapsulate youths' experiences. Six themes emerged from these efforts: (1) youth who commit crimes are fundamentally less culpable than adults; (2) youth who are prosecuted in adult court are often ignorant of their legal rights, have inappropriate legal representation, and/or are pressured into plea deals; (3) serious juvenile crime is often a product of dysfunctional environments; (4) violent, overcrowded, and isolating prison conditions are antithetical to rehabilitation; (5) youth who are detained in adult jails and prisons are acutely vulnerable to violence and abuse while incarcerated; and (6) people who have been incarcerated for crimes they committed as juveniles are capable of transformation and aspire to contribute to society in a positive way. We situate these themes within both literature and policy to provide a more holistic understanding of the impacts of youthful incarceration, and how to mitigate its harms.

This study aimed to examine changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before to during the first 6 months of the COVID‐19 pandemic in a sample of 1,339 adolescents (9–18 years old, 59% female) from three countries. We also examined if age, race/ethnicity, disease burden, or strictness of government restrictions moderated change in symptoms. Data from 12 longitudinal studies (10 U.S., 1 Netherlands, 1 Peru) were combined. Linear mixed effect models showed that depression, but not anxiety, symptoms increased significantly (median increase = 28%). The most negative mental health impacts were reported by multiracial adolescents and those under 'lockdown' restrictions. Policy makers need to consider these impacts by investing in ways to support adolescents' mental health during the pandemic.