The Effects of School Police Officers on Victimization, Delinquency, and Fear of Crime: Focusing on Korean Youth.

As a response to rising concerns about school violence, the Korean National Police Agency began recruiting specialized police officers, called Korean School Police Officers (KSPOs), in hopes that they would reduce in school behavioral and delinquency problems. The current study provides insight into the effects of crime prevention activities in Korean schools, using the 2014 Korean Youth Victimization Survey to advance the knowledge about the role of the KSPOs and their potential impact on delinquency reduction. Results indicate that the presence of KSPOs did not have any significant association with criminal victimization or fear of victimization. In some cases, the presence of KSPOs is associated with higher property crime by students. Implications of these findings for understanding KSPOs and their roles in preventing school crime and improving school environments are discussed. In addition, we discuss how lessons learned from the U.S. may influence future advancements in KSPO approaches and vice versa.

The long-term effects of school dropout and GED attainment on substance use disorders.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic research suggests that 14% of the population do not complete high school, and dropout has been linked to mental health conditions, substance use, chronic health problems, and criminal behavior. Few studies have assessed whether attainment of the general education development (GED) credential is protective from substance use. PURPOSE: To assess the long-term outcomes of school dropout and GED attainment on past year substance use disorders, age of onset, and current smoking status. METHODS: Longitudinal data were included for lifetime substance users who participated in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (Waves I and II). Eligible participants (N=30,608) were classified as having completed high school, dropped out of high school and did not complete a GED, or completed GED at Wave I. Survey logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether high school graduation status was associated with substance use disorders and smoking at Wave II. RESULTS: Multivariate results suggest that participants who dropped out of high school (OR=1.53; p<.01) or attained a GED were more likely to have a past year marijuana use disorder (OR=1.62 p<.01) compared to high school graduates. High school dropouts were also more likely to be current smokers (OR=1.88; p<.05) than graduates. CONCLUSIONS: High school dropouts have higher long-term rates of marijuana use disorder and smoking in adulthood than graduates. Attainment of a GED does not appear to be protective from marijuana use disorders in adulthood.

Predicting Bullying: Exploring the Contributions of Childhood Negative Life Experiences in Predicting Adolescent Bullying Behavior.

Although there has been much interest in research on aggression and in particular bullying, a relatively less charted area of research has centered on articulating a better understanding of the mechanisms and processes by which persons are at increased risk for bullying. Furthermore, those studies that have investigated the linkages between childhood experiences and bullying perpetration have been limited with respect to definitional and operational issues, reliance on cross-sectional data, and the lack of assessing competing explanations of bullying perpetration. Using five waves of data from a community-based longitudinal sample of children followed through age 18 (N = 763), the current study examines the extent to which childhood negative life events in a variety of domains predict adolescent bullying. Results show that early childhood experiences, particularly those within the family and school domains, may alter life trajectories and can act as predictors for later adolescent bullying, thereby underscoring the potential importance that relatively minor experiences can have over the long term. Implications for future research based on these analyses are examined.

Mental health of prisoners: identifying barriers to mental health treatment and medication continuity.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed mental health screening and medication continuity in a nationally representative sample of US prisoners. METHODS: We obtained data from 18 185 prisoners interviewed in the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities. We conducted survey logistic regressions with Stata version 13. RESULTS: About 26% of the inmates were diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point during their lifetime, and a very small proportion (18%) were taking medication for their condition(s) on admission to prison. In prison, more than 50% of those who were medicated for mental health conditions at admission did not receive pharmacotherapy in prison. Inmates with schizophrenia were most likely to receive pharmacotherapy compared with those presenting with less overt conditions (e.g., depression). This lack of treatment continuity is partially attributable to screening procedures that do not result in treatment by a medical professional in prison. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial portion of the prison population is not receiving treatment for mental health conditions. This treatment discontinuity has the potential to affect both recidivism and health care costs on release from prison.

Characteristics of adults involved in alcohol-related intimate partner violence: results from a nationally representative sample.

BACKGROUND: More than 12 million women and men are victims of partner violence each year. Although the health outcomes of partner violence have been well documented, we know very little about specific event-level characteristics that may provide implications for prevention and intervention of partner violence situations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate substance abuse and dependence as risk factors for event-level alcohol-related intimate partner violence (IPV). METHODS: Data were derived from Wave II of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2004-2005). Eligible participants (N = 2,255) reported IPV the year before the survey. Negative binomial and ordinal regression methods were used to assess risk factors for alcohol use during IPV. RESULTS: Respondent PTSD was the only mental health diagnosis related to alcohol use during IPV (OR = 1.45). Marijuana use was related to respondents' use of alcohol during IPV (OR = 2.68). Respondents' meeting the criteria for alcohol abuse/dependence was strongly associated with respondent drinking (OR = 10.74) and partner drinking (OR = 2.89) during IPV. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that PTSD, marijuana use disorders, alcohol abuse and dependence are associated with more frequent alcohol use during IPV. In addition, it is important to consider that the patient who presents in emergency settings (e.g., hospitals or urgent care facilities) may not be immediately identifiable as the victim or the perpetrator of partner violence. Therefore, screening and intervention programs should probe to further assess the event-level characteristics of partner violence situations to ensure the correct service referrals are made to prevent partner violence.

On the pervasiveness of event-specific alcohol use, general substance use, and mental health problems as risk factors for intimate partner violence.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of demographic, mental health, and substance use as risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Data were derived from Wave II of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2004-2005). Eligible participants (N = 25,778) reported having an intimate partner 1 year before the survey. Clustered survey multivariate multinomial regression methods were used to assess risk factors for episodes of IPV. IPV victimization, perpetration, and both victims/perpetrators were assessed. Bivariate analyses indicated that African Americans, Hispanics, and women were more likely to be victims, perpetrators, or victim/perpetrators as compared with men and Whites. Multivariate analyses suggested that having a marijuana use disorder was strongly associated with IPV victimization (odds ratio [OR] = 2.61) and victim/perpetration (OR = 2.65). Post-traumatic stress disorder was consistently associated with all IPV typologies. Depression was associated with victimization (OR = 2.00) and IPV victim/perpetration (OR = 1.74). Antisocial Personality Disorder and Mania were both related to IPV perpetration (ORs = 2.53 and 2.32) and victim/perpetration (ORs = 3.15 and 2.31). Results also indicated that alcohol use during episodes of IPV is common (i.e., 35% of those who reported IPV also reported that alcohol was involved). Results indicate several substance- and mental health-related correlates of IPV. In addition, findings indicate that alcohol use by the victim and/or perpetrator is common during IPV events. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Does adolescent bullying distinguish between male offending trajectories in late middle age?

The perpetration of bullying is a significant issue among researchers, policymakers, and the general public. Although researchers have examined the link between bullying and subsequent antisocial behavior, data and methodological limitations have hampered firm conclusions. This study uses longitudinal data from 411 males in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development from ages 8 to 56 in order to examine the relationship between adolescent bullying and distinct late middle adulthood trajectories of offending, in which different groups of males follow different offending pathways. Results show that self-reported bullying predicts only certain adult offending trajectories but that the effect becomes insignificant once controls are introduced for childhood risk factors, although this may be due to the small number of the most chronic offenders. Study implications and directions for future research are noted.

Structure and deviancy training in after-school programs.

Evidence regarding the effectiveness of after-school programs (ASPs) for reducing problem behaviors is mixed. Unstructured ASPs may increase antisocial behavior by increasing "deviancy training" opportunities, when peers reinforce deviant attitudes and behaviors. This research analyses approximately 3000 five-minute intervals from 398 observations of activities delivered as part of an ASP in five public middle schools. Analyses of peer and group leader responses to deviant behavior in the context of ASP activities indicated that while peer responses are generally reinforcing, group leaders typically do not respond to deviance. Multi-level analyses of the association between activity structure and deviant behavior indicate that higher levels of structure in the activity as a whole decrease levels of violence and counternormative behavior. As the level of structure in five-minute intervals within the activity increases, the level of violent behavior declines, but violent talk (e.g., threats to commit violence) increases. Implications for after-school programming are discussed.