This study sought to contribute to the limited research on the prevalence of suicidal behaviors and exposure to school-based violence among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adolescents. It also examined the relationship between engagement in suicidal behaviors and exposure to school-based violence among AAPI adolescents. Results from a…

Problem: Risky sexual behaviors are common among college undergraduate students, and previous experience of interpersonal potentially traumatic events further increase the risk to engage in these behaviors. Little is known about how physical activity level and organized sports participation moderate the relationship between interpersonal…

The aim of this study was to identify independent risk and protective factors associated with self-reported suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) among young adolescents by examining self-report data on mental health, substance abuse, violence involvement, social and economic challenges and supports, physical health and demographics in relation to…

Background: African American women are at a disproportionate HIV risk compared with other U.S. women. Studies show that complex structural and social determinants, rather than individual behaviors, place African American women at greater risk of HIV infection; however, little is known about women's views of what puts them at risk. Aims: This study…

Background: Cigarette use is a public health issue and juvenile offenders are at risk for engagement in substance use. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to elevated risk for cigarette use and juvenile offenders are at elevated risk for mental health issues. Objectives: To elucidate general patterns of development of…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with health-risk behaviors in general samples of adults and adolescents. The current study examined the association between ACEs and these behaviors among a high-risk sample of early adolescents. Five hundred fifteen 9- to 11-year-old children placed in foster care due to maltreatment were…

Unhealthy relationships have a devastating impact on adolescents' academic performance, including poor attendance, difficulty concentrating, and feeling unsafe at school. Schools provide an ideal setting to positively influence adolescents' attitudes, knowledge, and relationship skills by integrating healthy relationship lessons into sexuality…

Dating is a highly desirable experience during adolescence and serves as an important developmental milestone. This study explored healthy and unhealthy dating as a step toward improving adolescent well-being. Six focus group interviews were conducted with high school-aged girls and boys (N = 35). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed…

Evidence shows that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a root cause of risk behaviors. Safe, stable, and nurturing relationships (SSNRs) can potentially moderate the health risks associated with ACEs. This study examines the relationships among SSNRs in childhood, ACEs, and two risk behaviors in adulthood (smoking tobacco and binge…

Background: The dynamics between risk and promotive factors within ecological contexts of development in emerging adulthood may influence the self-concepts and involvement in problem behaviors of young individuals. Objective: To investigate associations of risk (exposure to domestic and community violence; prejudice) and promotive factors (family,…

Purpose: Peer crowds are macro-level subcultures that share similarities across geographic areas. Over the past decade, dozens of studies have explored the association between adolescent peer crowds and risk behaviors, and how they can inform public health efforts. However, despite the interest, researchers have not yet reported on crowd size and…

Girls who receive higher quality fathering engage in less risky sexual behavior (RSB) than their peers. Previous research identifies higher levels of parental monitoring/knowledge and reduced affiliation with deviant peers as potential mediators of this observed fathering effect. Although paternal investment theory posits a causal effect of…

Dating violence is an important public health concern and is considered to be a form of school violence. While digital technologies have enabled perpetrators of dating violence to target their victims online (cyber dating abuse), little is known about how this form of perpetration relates to specific adolescent risk behaviors. This brief research…

This article examines the relationship between exposure to violence, fear of exposure to violence, and sexual risk among a sample of urban middle school youth. The sample included 911 seventh-grade students who completed self-report surveys. Approximately 20% of the sample reported at least one direct threat or injury with a weapon in the past 3…

This study examined the lifetime prevalence of physical dating violence, including victimization, perpetration, and the overlap between the two (mutual violence), among a population sample of 551 reservation/reserve residing Indigenous (i.e., American Indian and Canadian First Nations) adolescents in the upper-Midwest of the United States and…