Examining Associations Between Neighborhood-level Child Opportunities and Health Outcomes with Parenting and Familism as Moderators

Description
Adverse neighborhood environments have been found to negatively influence children’s sleep and physical activity outcomes (Pabayo et al., 2014; Aguilar-Farias et al., 2020). Previous literature suggests that positive parenting and familism values may play protective roles in high-risk neighborhood contexts

Adverse neighborhood environments have been found to negatively influence children’s sleep and physical activity outcomes (Pabayo et al., 2014; Aguilar-Farias et al., 2020). Previous literature suggests that positive parenting and familism values may play protective roles in high-risk neighborhood contexts (Romero et al., 2020). This study utilized a strengths-based approach to examine relations between neighborhood opportunities and sleep and physical activity in children, and whether positive parenting and familism values buffered these associations. This study utilized a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 710 twin children (Mage=8.44 years, SD=.69; 51.4% female; 58.5% non-Hispanic White, 23.7% Hispanic). Children wore actigraphy watches for 7 nights (M=6.79, SD=.71) to capture sleep (duration, efficiency, midpoint, midpoint variability) and physical activity (MVPA and sedentary behaviors) parameters. Objective neighborhood opportunity was evaluated using the Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI; Noelke et al., 2020). Positive parenting behaviors were observed and coded in the context of a parent-child interaction task. Primary caregivers reported on their children’s sleep problems and their familism values. Results revealed that higher COI predicted earlier sleep midpoint and less midpoint variability. Interactions between COI and positive parenting were nonsignificant. Though marginal, associations between the COI and midpoint variability were most negatively related in children whose primary caregiver reported high familism values. Future research should look at children’s engagement in family activities to better understand whether children who reside in low opportunity neighborhoods and experience high familism values have to face additional competing family demands, leading to greater individual variation in sleep timing.
Date Created
2022-12
Agent

Miscommunication and Use of Sexual Body Terms in Criminal Investigations of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse

Description
When allegations of sexual abuse are tried in criminal court, children are questioned about the abuse that occurred, including questions about the sexual body parts involved in the abuse. Miscommunication is likely to occur between the child and the attorney

When allegations of sexual abuse are tried in criminal court, children are questioned about the abuse that occurred, including questions about the sexual body parts involved in the abuse. Miscommunication is likely to occur between the child and the attorney due to unsupportive questioning techniques and child’s developing understanding of sexual body terms. Given this, we examined how body term type, body term consistency, and attorney-type contributed to miscommunications. We found that children most often used Colloquially Understood-Vague terms (e.g., privates), less often used Colloquially Understood-Specific (e.g., pee-pee) and Anatomically Correct terms (e.g., penis), and least often used Unique terms (e.g., cookie). We had so few miscommunications (N = 19) and defense attorneys asked so few questions about body terms (N = 12) that we were unable to accomplish our original research aims. Instead, we conducted exploratory analyses on age and gender. Younger children (5-8) used Colloquially Understood-Vague terms significantly more often, while older children (9-12) used Colloquially Understood-Specific terms significantly more often. Boys were significantly more likely to use Colloquially Understood-Specific terms than girls but less likely to use Anatomically Correct and Unique terms. The findings of this study can be used to support a shift in educational practices for child sexual body terms towards specific anatomical terms and lead prosecutors to use body mechanic questions rather than open-ended ones.
Date Created
2022-12
Agent

Does Race Have An Impact On Missing Children’s Cases?

Description

Missing children are very sensitive cases where any kind of help is needed from the community and authorities. The definition is a child under 17 years of age where guardians or family are not aware of their whereabouts requires much

Missing children are very sensitive cases where any kind of help is needed from the community and authorities. The definition is a child under 17 years of age where guardians or family are not aware of their whereabouts requires much effort and resources to bring them home. However, what happens when those efforts are not to the same extent as other missing children? This has been seen among missing children of different races that have similar cases and circumstances. The different tools and resources needed such as AMBER Alerts, social media, journalism, and police reaction have resulted in vastly different endings for these children. Different states and communities have been faced with the same issue and have only grown. Statistics show that Black children have been at a disadvantage of these resources and have stayed missing all too often. This issue has been brought to attention by many outlets and members of the community questioning why this is happening to their children. To counteract this issue, organizations and platforms have emerged to raise awareness for these disadvantaged children and hope to bring them home to put an end to this.

Date Created
2022-12
Agent