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Adolescent peer crowds such as Punks and Goths are mainly identified by their strikingly unusual or even shocking appearances. Although many studies find these crowds, few have tried to explain why some youths take on these startling or shocking appearances. We hypothesized that an off‐putting appearance is a way to cope with behavioral inhibition by limiting social contacts. Using data from 1,200 7th–11th graders, we compared peer crowds characterized by their startling appearance ("Radical" crowds) with three theoretically relevant comparison groups. Results showed that youths affiliating with Radical crowds were more inhibited than other youths, including those in crowds previously shown to be shy or socially anxious. Inhibited Radicals, however, had poorer emotional adjustment than inhibited youths in other crowds. If Radical styles are a way for inhibited youths to cope by limiting social contacts, the strategy does not seem to be beneficial for emotional adjustment.

Studies have shown that parents reduce control and support in response to youths' drinking. Why they react this way, however, is still unknown. From cognitive dissonance theory, we derived hypotheses about parents' reactions. We used a longitudinal, school‐based sample of 494 youths (13 and 14 years, 56% boys) and their parents. General Linear Model (GLM) analyses were used to test the main hypotheses. In accord with our hypotheses, parents who encountered their youths intoxicated became less opposed to underage drinking over time. In addition, parents who remained strongly opposed to youth drinking experienced more worries than parents who became less opposed. Alternative explanations for the results were tested, but were not supported. The findings suggest that to eliminate the dissonance between their strict attitudes against youth drinking and their knowledge of their own youths' drinking, parents changed their attitudes and became more lenient.

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between pubertal timing and boys' Internet use, particularly their viewing of pornography. We used a sample comprising of 97 boys in grade 8 (M age, 14.22 years) from two schools in a medium‐sized Swedish town. This age should be optimal for differentiating early, on‐time, and later‐maturing boys. Boys responded to self‐report questionnaires on their Internet use and pubertal timing. Early, on‐time, and late‐maturing boys did not differ in terms of most Internet activities. However, early maturers reported downloading and viewing pornography more often than the other boys did (p<.001). The findings build on previous research on the link between pubertal timing and sexual behavior in adolescence. Moreover, they help further understanding of the behavioral implications of boys' pubertal timing.

Cette étude examine les processus de sélection et d'influence liés à l'engagement scolaire et au comportement délinquant dans les relations d'amitié chez les adolescents. Nous appliquons des modèles d'analyse de réseaux dynamiques (Snijders, Steglich et Schweinberger, 2007) examinant la coévolution des comportements et des réseaux à un échantillon longitudinal de jeunes suédois (n = 445) observé pendant cinq ans. Les résultats indiquent que les choix des jeunes sont caractérisés par un fort niveau de réciprocité, de transitivité, d'homophilie de genre et d'homophilie fondée sur des niveaux semblables d'engagement scolaire et de comportement déviant. Des effets d'influence indiquent que les jeunes adoptent les comportements déviants de leurs amis. Le niveau d'engagement scolaire permet de prédire des changements dans le comportement déviant et ce dernier permet en retour de prédire une évolution dans l'engagement scolaire.

AbstractRates of parental incarceration and family homelessness continue to rise in the United States, and many families experience both of these risks concurrently. Both parental incarceration and homelessness independently relate to negative outcomes for children and families, with numerous studies documenting families' experiences of each risk independently. Despite families' increased risk for experiencing co‐occurring parental incarceration and housing instability, little is known about families' experiences within this complex context of risk. This qualitative study explores currently incarcerated parents' and their children's at‐home caregivers' perceptions of their experiences of homelessness and housing instability during the year prior to the parent's current incarceration. Through semi‐structured interviews with 16 jailed parents and caregivers, families describe their perception of their experience for themselves and for their children and identify challenges and support they encountered. Using multiperspectival interpretative phenomenological analysis, emerging group experiential themes clustered within four overarching constructs: jailed parent/caregiver‐focused, child‐focused, family‐level, and exosystem‐level experiences. Overall, families' descriptions capture the complexity of their cascading risk experiences, with impacts permeating through the family system. Implications for programming and policies addressing parental incarceration and homelessness are addressed.

Theories on political socialization are being reexamined as researchers are becoming skeptical of their explanatory power. Previous studies often characterized adolescence and young adults as passive objects for socialization, failing to grasp that the political views of adolescence and young adults are constantly changing, and often take a non-institutional form. Some researchers are trying a different approach where mechanisms and processes are put in a central role in determining how adolescents and young adults develop their civic engagement. The objective is to understand how civic engagement changes over time and what role the media and peers play in this socialization process. The studies will last for seven years and consists of longitudinal, experimental and follow-up studies. The results will be checked against individual, biological, sociological and cognitive factors, and gender. L. Pitkaniemi

In recent years research on parenting has changed stance from one where parents shape child outcomes to an interactive perspective. However this shift is only now transferring to adolescents, with research exploring how the roles that adolescents and parents play in their interactions can lead to problem behaviour. Part of the "Hot Topics in Developmental Research" series, this book presents the new perspective

Democratic family functioning has traditionally been interpreted as effects of parenting, leaving little room for the adolescent in shaping the democratic climate. Here we argued that an understanding of the democratic family functioning has to involve both adolescent and parental behaviors. We hypothesized that parental openness and fair treatment, and adolescent openness, each uniquely predict changes in democratic family functioning. Also, we argued that family functioning constellations characterized by parental openness and fair treatment, and adolescent openness, should be the constellations adolescents experience as democratic, and where parents know much about their adolescents' whereabouts outside home. We used a longitudinal study following a group of 13–15-year-old adolescents (N = 527) over 2 years. Results using variable-oriented methods confirmed that both adolescent and parental behaviors were prospectively linked to adolescents' perceptions of the democratic family climate. Person-oriented methods showed that adolescents perceived a highly democratic family climate, and that parents' knowledge was highest, in families characterized by both parental and adolescent openness and parental fair treatment. Over-time changes in family functioning corresponded to changes in parental knowledge and adolescents' perceptions of democratic family functioning. We conclude that conceptions of the democratic functioning of the family have to include the behaviors of both parents and adolescents, and that mutual responsivity is a marker of the democratic family functioning.

Sarah Jensen, Kaitlyn Pritzl, Pajarita Charles, Margaret Kerr, and Julie Poehlmann on maintaining kids' carceral connections.

ObjectiveThis study describes parenting experiences at the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic and examines differences across parent gender and family income level.BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic had unprecedented impacts on families. Many parents faced employment changes, including job loss, reduced pay, and working remotely, while simultaneously experiencing increased childcare responsibilities due to school and childcare closures. Research is needed to document the ongoing impact of these changes on parents and families.MethodAn online convenience sample of parents (N = 1,009) reported on their parenting experiences during the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic (April 2020) in an online survey.ResultsParents reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and parental burnout. Further, many parents reported increased negative emotions, such as anger and worry, while simultaneously feeling closer to their children and offering more comfort and soothing. Differences across gender and income levels are presented.ConclusionThese results align with other emerging findings of increased impacts to mental health and well‐being for parents and children and document the disproportionate effects on women and low‐income families.ImplicationsImplications include needing additional support (e.g., financial, caregiving) for parents and families as we continue to face the impacts and consequences of COVID‐19.