Family Systems Supporting Adolescents' Growing Needs

Concurrent Session 11

Eric Goodcase, Michelle Toews, Norma Perez-Brena, Nathanial Faflick, Kristin Anders, Eric Goodcase, Barrett Scroggs, Michelle Toews, Amber Vennum, Sarah Colburn, Angela Keyzers, Lindsey Weiler, Jennifer Doty, Angela Keyzers, Sun-Kyung Lee, Jodi Dworkin, Mellissa Gordon, Michelle Washburn-Busk, Amber Vennum, Kristin Anders, Michelle Toews

Facilitator: Karen Myers-Bowman

11:00 AM
12:15 PM
Location
Royal Palm 1
Session #
406
Session Type
Lightning Paper Session
Session Focus
  • Research
Organized By
  • Education & Enrichment

About the Session

  • 406-01 - Dating Violence: ​A Cross-Lag Panel Model With Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents
    By Eric Goodcase, Michelle Toews, Norma Perez-Brena, Nathanial Faflick
  • 406-02 - Social Norms in Adolescence: Perceptions of Peers’ Sexual and Romantic Behaviors and Sexual Values
    By Kristin Anders, Eric Goodcase, Barrett Scroggs, Michelle Toews, Amber Vennum, Sarah Colburn
  • 406-03 - Family Problem-Solving and Attachment Quality: Associations With Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior
    By Angela Keyzers, Lindsey Weiler, Jennifer Doty
  • 406-04 - Parent-Emerging Adult Communication and Emerging Adult Alcohol and Marijuana Use
    By Angela Keyzers, Sun-Kyung Lee, Jodi Dworkin
  • 406-05 - The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adult Romantic Relationships
    By Mellissa Gordon
  • 406-06 - Predictive Factors of Certainty About Sexual Values in Adolescence
    By Michelle Washburn-Busk, Amber Vennum, Kristin Anders, Michelle Toews

Abstract(s)

Dating Violence: ​A Cross-Lag Panel Model With Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents

By Eric Goodcase, Michelle Toews, Norma Perez-Brena, Nathanial Faflick

Approximently 69% of adolesecents who were in a relationship reported experiencing dating violence in the past year. Though healthy conflict resolution skills can be a protective factor, little is known about how different types of violence change over time. A sample of 232 pregnant and parenting adolescents enrolled in a relationship education program self reported their healthy conflict, verbal/emotional abuse, physical abuse, and threatening behaviors at three time points. A auto-regressive cross lag path analysis was used to analyze how stable these behaviors were over time and how they influenced the other conflict behaviors. Preliminary results indicated that healthy conflict resolution and verbal/emotional abuse was stable over all three time points and healthy conflict resolution was negatively associated with verbal/emotional abuse

Objectives

1. To analyze the relationship between healthy conflict resolution, threatening behaviors, verbal/emotional abuse, and physical abuse over time. 2. To analyze the stability of adolescent dating violence over time for a vulnerable population. 3. To inform future relationship education on best practices for preventing teen dating violence. 

Social Norms in Adolescence: Perceptions of Peers’ Sexual and Romantic Behaviors and Sexual Values

By Kristin Anders, Eric Goodcase, Barrett Scroggs, Michelle Toews, Amber Vennum, Sarah Colburn

Perceptions of others’ sexual and romantic relationship behaviors and attitudes may influence one’s own acceptance and behavioral engagement (i.e., social norms), particularly in adolescence as teens look to peers for sexual values development. We examined the relationship between perceptions of peers’ and close friends’ sexual and romantic behaviors and willingness to engage in sexual behaviors among a sample of adolescents (N = 200). Overestimations of peers’ and friends’ behaviors were found, and was significantly related to the adolescents’ willingness to engage in sexual intercourse, despite confidence in their sexual values. Implications for sexual education programs and research are discussed.

Objectives

To understand the development of sexual values and beliefs in adolescence To investigate the influence peers have on adolescents’ sexual values and behaviorsTo utilize social norm research to inform relationship and sexual education programming for adolescents

Family Problem-Solving and Attachment Quality: Associations With Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior

By Angela Keyzers, Lindsey Weiler, Jennifer Doty

Close parent-child relationships are protective against the development of risk-taking behavior. However, further research is needed to better understand which aspects of family relationships relate to adolescent risk-taking behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine associations among family problem-solving, attachment quality, and adolescent risk-taking behavior, and to examine whether perceptions of problem-solving within the family mediate the relationship between attachment quality and adolescent risk-taking behavior. Findings indicate that attachment quality, but not family problem-solving is associated with adolescent risk-taking behavior. Family problem-solving did not mediate the effect of attachment quality on adolescent risk-taking behavior.

Objectives

1) To examine associations among family problem-solving, attachment quality, and adolescent risk-taking behavior.
2) To examine whether perceptions of problem-solving within the family mediate the relationship between attachment quality and adolescent risk-taking behavior.
3) To provide empirical support for the recommendation that prevention efforts for adolescent risk-taking behavior should include family-level approaches.

Parent-Emerging Adult Communication and Emerging Adult Alcohol and Marijuana Use

By Angela Keyzers, Sun-Kyung Lee, Jodi Dworkin

Parent-child communication is associated with substance use during adolescence (Luk, Farhat, Iannotti, & Simons-Martin, 2010) however, less is known about these associations during emerging adulthood. The current study fills this gap by using latent class analysis to identify patterns (i.e., classes) of parent-emerging adult child communication considering a range of communication methods and exploring differences in emerging adult alcohol and marijuana use by communication class membership. Findings suggest that emerging adults who report frequent communication with their parents report less lifetime alcohol use than emerging adults who report less frequent communication with their parents.

Objectives

(1) To identify classes of parent-emerging adult child communication considering a range of communication methods.(2) To explore differences in emerging adult alcohol and marijuana use by communication class membership.(3) To demonstrate the need for future research that explores the unique relationships between parent-emerging adult child communication and other common risk behaviors during emerging adulthood.

The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Adult Romantic Relationships

By Mellissa Gordon

Quality parent-child relationships serve as a quintessential model for the kind of adult romantic relationship one might expect to enter into, if the relationship they experienced with their parent was characteristically warm, loving, and generally supportive. However, adverse childhood experiences are likely to hinder such relationships. The current study proposes to investigate the extent of the impact of childhood abuse and depressive symptomology as mediating mechanisms on the association between quality parent-child relationships and quality romantic relationships in adulthood. Findings regarding their impact may lead to effective best practices on how to serve individuals affected by adverse childhood experiences.

Objectives

To provide support to the existing body of literature suggesting that quality parent-child relationships influences the perception of quality romantic relationships in adulthood.To extend the literature on the impact of adverse childhood experiences on adult outcomes.To quantify the indirect effects of the underlying processes of adverse childhood experiences on adult outcomes.

Predictive Factors of Certainty About Sexual Values in Adolescence

By Michelle Washburn-Busk, Amber Vennum, Kristin Anders, Michelle Toews

Given associations between peer and parental support on adolescent self-perception, sexual beliefs, and behavior and the scant literature on the process of adolescent sexual value clarification, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of peer and parental support on adolescents’ certainty in their sexual values mediated by self-worth and relationship efficacy. Given our findings regarding the role of parental support in enhancing adolescents’ self-worth and influencing adolescents’ certainty about sexual values, it is important for sexual education programs to involve parents. It is also important to help adolescents enhance relationship efficacy while clarifying sexual values. The link between religiosity and certainty about sexual values supports previous findings and underscores the importance of developing programs that allow adolescents to integrate their religious values.

Objectives

1) To examine the impact of peer and parental support on adolescents’ certainty in their sexual values2) To examine if self-worth and relational efficacy impact the development of certainty for adolescents with regards to their sexual values3) Inform best practices for relationship and sex education with adolescent populations

Bundle name
Conference Session