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…

This chapter highlights the voices and experiences of young people in a rural part of the United States as they examine youth engagement in academic and community life and generate recommendations for policies and practices to prevent youth from becoming disconnected.

Incarcerated youth commonly experience significant academic difficulty. In particular, these youth struggle in the areas of reading and mathematics. There are unfortunate limitations to the scope and quality of research on reading and mathematics instruction in juvenile corrections (JC). However, it is essential that teachers effectively and…

Cigarette smoking has widely received the attention of international and local health bodies. Efforts are being made towards curbing smoking prevalence globally with a view to reduce the health, economic and social effects of smoking in the society. While some developed countries are recording success in this effort mainly through stringent…

Background: Cigarette and alcohol use are common among youth. We examined sources of cigarettes and alcohol among youth who were current cigarette and alcohol users. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2009 and 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys--biennial, school-based surveys of high school students in the United…

Decreasing gang activity in inner city neighborhoods is an essential component to reducing violence and improving our society as a whole. This study was conducted to help generate awareness and a better understanding as to how schools can be best utilized as a protective factor against youth gang activity. The participants consisted of 6 educators…

This report examines the group of young people aged 15-24 that are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET). In particular, it examines those who are NEET for six or more months consecutively, known here as persistently NEET. Using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY), the report investigates the incidence…

This national study reports the prevalence of cyberbullying among youths in Canada according to demographic characteristics, its impact, and its relationship to six forms of victimization and perpetration. Cross-sectional data were obtained from a national household panel of families living in all Canadian provinces. The sample included 1,001…

At this moment, the role of community-based organizations (CBOs) has never been more important. The country is facing a dual crisis in youth unemployment and low postsecondary completion rates. Both are especially prevalent among low-income and minority young people. Across the nation, nearly 7 million young people are neither in school nor part…

Few Americans know the importance of community-based organizations, or CBOs, in helping tens of thousands of undereducated, underemployed young people find a job or go back to school. But the role of CBOs is growing more critical as the business, education, and philanthropic sectors increasingly recognize the need to enable the nation's millions…

This article discusses educational challenges for homeless children and explains how districts can and must meet their needs. According to the U.S. Department of Education Federal Data Collection, 1,065,794 homeless children and youth were enrolled in public schools for the school year 2010-2011, the highest number on record. After listing…

Children must be empowered to find their unique path to personal pride and respect. The concept of empowering youth is widely touted but often misunderstood and underutilized. Young people cannot fully develop their strengths and independence without being empowered to take charge of their lives. The polar opposite of coercion, empowerment is…

Background: This paper builds on a Cochrane-Campbell systematic review of interventions that reduce harms and promote reintegration in street-connected children and young people focusing on intervention outcomes. The aim of the present analysis is to explore questions raised in the systematic review over the potential role of service engagement in…

Professionals working with adolescents who have been sexually abused are under ever increasing pressure to engage in evidence-based practice (EBP), or treatments that have demonstrated proof of their efficacy. While the quest for EBP is certainly praiseworthy, it has been an elusive concept for many professionals. Further, development of…

Background: Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are strongly overrepresented in young offender populations, and there is growing commitment internationally to ensuring access to speech-language therapy services for such young people. However there is currently no framework in which such interventions might be conceptualized, delivered…