The impact of a family empowerment intervention on juvenile offender heavy drinking: a latent growth model analysis.

We report the results of a growth model analysis of the impact of a Family Empowerment Intervention (FEI) on the heavy drinking over a 36-month follow-up period among youths processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center. Families involved in the project were randomly assigned to either receive an Extended Services Intervention (ESI) or the FEI. Families in the ESI group received monthly phone contacts and, if indicated, referral information; FEI families received three one-hour, home-based meetings per week for approximately 10 weeks from a clinician-trained paraprofessional.

The relationships among family problems, friends' troubled behavior, and high risk youths' alcohol/other drug use and delinquent behavior: a longitudinal study.

Data from an ongoing longitudinal study of juvenile detainees are used to test a structural model of the relationships among their alcohol/other drug use and other delinquent behavior, their family problems, and friends' troubled behavior. The hypothesized model fitted the data well. Implications of the results are drawn in regard to theory and program policy.

A longitudinal model of maternal self-efficacy, depression, and difficult temperament during toddlerhood.

The purpose of this study was to test a model of maternal self-efficacy during toddlerhood using a longitudinal sequential design. Participants were 126 mothers of 1-year olds (Cohort 1) and 126 mothers of 2-year olds (Cohort 2) who completed questionnaires measuring maternal self-efficacy, depression, and perceived difficult toddler temperament three times over 1 year. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and maximum likelihood estimation.

A longitudinal study of the predictors of the adverse effects of alcohol and marijuana/hashish use among a cohort of high risk youths.

Data gathered from a longitudinal study of juvenile detainees in a Southeastern state are used to examine the demographic and life experience factors relating to their reported adverse effects of the use of alcohol and other drugs. The results indicate: 1) marijuana/hashish use, (2) their use of these substances tends to be a vehicle for the expression of personal difficulties in the areas of self-esteem and emotional/psychological functioning, and 3) their use of these two substances needs to be seen in holistic terms. Research and policy implications of the results are drawn.

A structural model examining the relationship between physical child abuse, sexual victimization, and marijuana/hashish use in delinquent youth: a longitudinal study.

A structural model of the relationships among physical abuse and sexual victimization experiences, marijuana/hashish use (measured by self-report and urine test data) and self-reported delinquent behavior (theft crimes, index offenses, crimes against persons, drug sales and total delinquency) over time was tested in a longitudinal study of juvenile detainees. The hypothesized model was supported by the data. Theoretical, research and policy implications of the results are drawn.

The role of family factors, physical abuse, and sexual victimization experiences in high-risk youths' alcohol and other drug use and delinquency: a longitudinal model.

Our understanding of the adverse effects of early child physical and sexual abuse has developed to a point where there is need to elucidate the processes by which various developmental outcomes occur. Limited variability on key measures of family stress and in youths' drug use, other delinquent behavior and abuse histories in the general population has limited theory development. Using data from an ongoing, longitudinal study of juvenile detainees, we test a developmental damage model of the relationships among the youths' family background and problem factors, their sexual victimization and physical abuse experiences, and their substance use and delinquent behavior over time.