Siblings play an important role in shaping the developmental trajectories of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Having siblings has been associated with better social communication, non-verbal communication, and theory of mind abilities in autism spectrum disorder. However, little is known about the impact of siblings on adaptive skill…

In its 2019 report, "Beyond the Border: Family Separation in the Trump Era," UnidosUS demonstrates how the current trajectory of the nation's immigration policies is threatening the future of an entire generation of American children. This issue brief on Illinois is part of a series that builds on this analysis by exploring the stakes at…

Community violence exposure (CVE) is associated with numerous psychosocial outcomes among youth. Although linear, cumulative effects models have typically been used to describe these relations, emerging evidence suggests the presence of curvilinear associations that may represent a pattern of emotional desensitization among youth exposed to…

School nurses provide an important role in the continuity of health care especially for adolescents who are at high risk for significant health concerns. The purpose of this study was to assess adolescents' health information needs and identify their preferences for accessing health information. Using an inductive qualitative research design, 11…

Guided by Anderson's theory of the code of the street, this study explored social mechanisms linking individual-level disadvantage factors with the adoption of beliefs grounded in the code of the street and with drug trafficking and gun carrying--the co-occurring behavior shaping violence among young men in urban areas. Secondary data were…

This study examines the relationship between dating violence, forced sexual intercourse (FSI), and four measures of sexual risk taking (i.e., age at first sex, number of recent (within the last three months) sex partners, alcohol/drug use at last sex, and condom use at last sex) among a sample of 1124 ethnically diverse sexually active adolescents…

This study evaluated the influence of tobacco possession-use-purchase (PUP) law enforcement and illicit drug use and offers. Twenty-four towns were randomly assigned into two conditions. Both conditions focused on reducing minors' access to commercial sources of tobacco. The communities assigned to the experimental condition also increased their…

Although individuals low in self-control are more likely to engage in antisocial and criminal behavior, few studies have investigated its sources. Gottfredson and Hirschi argue that primary caregivers are largely responsible, whereas Wikstrom and Sampson contend that self-control is partially a function of neighborhood context. Using data from the…

A sample of 356 matched cases of overfat, overweight, and obese students were tracked for three years during high school to test the hypothesis that obese ninth grade students were more likely to be obese as twelfth-grade students than non-obese ninth graders were. Results are presented. (Author/MT)

Examines the joint effects of race, gender, social class, and family organization on a number of indicators of family interaction, anti-social behavior patterns, educational aspirations, and gender role concepts, using data collected from a random sample of the 14 to 18 year old population of Illinois. (Author/JM)

This report presents findings from the Adolescent Parent Outreach Survey (APOS), a longitudinal survey of mothers under 18 years old in Cook County, Illinois, who were receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in October 1981. The report provides a profile of adolescent mothers on AFDC, and identifies personal and family background…

This booklet presents statistics concerning the well-being of Illinois' 3.3 million children between 1980 and 1990. Statistics are compared county by county for each of the state's 102 counties, and statewide statistics are compared with those of the entire nation. A statewide analysis focuses on spending per pupil on education, the percentage of…