Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of the Adoption Preservation, Assessment, and Linkage (APAL) postpermanency program. Method: A quasi-experimental, posttest-only design was used to estimate the program's effects on youth discharged from foster care to adoption or legal guardianship. A random sample was surveyed (female = 44.7%; African…

Neighborhood research has increasingly emphasized the potential for contextual characteristics to moderate the effects of youths' experiences on their outcomes. Drawing on collective efficacy theory, we examine the variable consequences of youths' exposures to life-threatening violence across neighborhoods. We argue that strong community normative…

Gambling has become increasingly popular among minors and is easily accessible to them. This is alarming since research has indicated that minors are more susceptible to gambling pathology than adults. Additionally, gambling has devastating effects on minors that gamble as well as their families and communities. The Illinois Institute for…

This paper shows how the legacy of Jane Addams' socialized education can live on in today's progressive education, especially in the digital age. Discussion is drawn from a case study of an anti-underage drinking campaign conducted by urban youth of color in an afterschool program. The media ecology environment in the campaign--the integrated…

In this issue brief, the authors explore how former foster youth in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa are faring in the labor market and what explains the variability in employment outcomes for these youth. First, they describe trends in former foster youths' employment from age 17 to 24. Then, they consider how former foster youths' characteristics…

A spate of deaths among young people around the country in the past year has brought further media attention to an asphyxial activity known as "the choking game." But the subject is a sensitive one for schools. Some administrators have actively enlisted in efforts to inform students and parents about the risks of practices like the…

Juvenile crime threatens the immediate safety and well-being of its victims. The cost of processing and punishing the offender takes money from more productive purposes. If the juvenile offender either continues a life of crime or otherwise drops out of the lawful economy, the cost to the community is a long-term burden. In the early 1970s, many…

THE "SOCIALIZATION COMMUNITY" WAS DEFINED AS THE PROGRAM FOR REARING, EDUCATING, AND ASSIMILATING THE YOUNG INTO A COMMUNITY. PROFESSIONAL LEADERS AND PROGRAM DIRECTORS FROM A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY AGENT CITIES, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE "SOCIALIZATION COMMUNITY," WERE INTERVIEWED. A LACK OF COMMUNICATION OR COORDINATION WAS FOUND…

In 1992, the Annie E. Casey Foundation launched the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), which sought to demonstrate that communities could improve their detention systems without sacrificing public safety. It awarded grants to five urban jurisdictions in order to: reach consensus among all juvenile justice agencies about the purpose…

Noting that the after-school hours are peak hours for Illinois juveniles to be either victims of crime or involved in criminal activity, this report provides evidence that making quality after-school programs available to all youth who need them will reduce crime and provide constructive activities for youth. The report details statistics on…

Now in its seventh year, the Illinois Youth Summit focuses on issues of violence affecting youth. On December 5, 2000, representatives from 21 high school classrooms across Illinois met to determine youth safety issues of greatest relevance to students across the state. These students identified three sources of violence to address at the 2001…

For many decades communities have been troubled by the criminal activities of youth gangs. This report looks at almost 30 years of information collected on gang problems in nearly 4,000 communities. The number of localities reporting gang problems increased between the 1970s and the 1990s, representing a tenfold increase in the number of cities…

This paper outlines educators' responsibilities when a student speaks of suicide. It focuses on suicide in Illinois and reports on a survey that asked principals about suicide behavior in their schools. The results were divided into three categories: districts with fewer than 1,000 students, districts with 1,000 to 2,500 students, and districts…

This document consists of the three issues of the "Voices for Illinois Children" newsletter published during 1998. Voices for Illinois Children is a child advocacy group that works to make kids "count" in Illinois and to ensure that the basic needs of all children, families, and communities are met. These three newsletter…

This document is comprised of the three "Voices for Illinois Children" newsletter issues published during 1999. Voices for Illinois Children is a child advocacy group that works to make kids "count" in Illinois and to ensure that the basic needs of all children, families, and communities are met. These newsletter issues explore…