Response of African-American adolescents in North Carolina to gun carrying by school mates.

This study examined adolescents' perceptions concerning the presence of guns in their school and the adolescents' emotional and behavioral responses associated with these perceptions. Survey data from 376 African-American sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students of a low-income area of a North Carolina city were studied. Twenty-eight percent of adolescents reported that other students brought guns to school, 36% felt afraid that someone would hurt or attack them while at school, 15% avoided school (or places in school) because of fear that a student would hurt or attack them, and 20% carried weapons to school for self-protection. Logistic regression analyses found that, compared to their peers, adolescents who perceived that their school mates brought guns to school were almost twice as likely to experience fear while at school, were more than three times more likely to exhibit school avoidance behavior, and were more than twice as likely to bring a weapon to school themselves for self-protection. Educators and school health professionals are urged to work together to address these problems concerning school safety.

Opportunities for older children and adolescents with disabilities through the Supplemental Security Income Program.

The revitalization of the Supplemental Security Income Program for low-income children with disabilities has important implications for state Title V programs for children with special health care needs. Historically, this program has focused primarily on recipients under the age of 7. The files of children between the ages of 7 and 16 referred to Children's Special Health Services, North Carolina's Title V children with special health care needs program from July to August 1991 were analyzed to determine whether there was documentation that children in this age group were receiving recommended services. Reports in the files indicated that most (n = 214, 77%) of the children's needs for specific services were being met. The utility of information that currently exists on older children and adolescents eligible for SSI for assisting Title V children with special health care needs programs in coordinating care is discussed.

Aggression and fighting behavior among African-American adolescents: individual and family factors.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the extent to which individual and family factors are associated with aggression and fighting behavior among African-American middle school adolescents. METHODS: Four hundred thirty-six African-American boys and girls from two middle schools in a predominantly low-income North Carolina school system were surveyed and their school records examined. Information was collected concerning students' aggression levels, school fighting behavior, school suspensions for fighting, attitudes toward violence, perceptions of their families' attitudes toward violence, weapon-carrying behavior, and sociodemographics. Multivariate analyses were employed to predict the students' aggression levels, fighting behavior, and school suspensions. RESULTS: Factors related to the individual adolescents, such as gender, age, weapon-carrying behavior, and attitudes toward violence, were associated with students' reports of aggression and fighting behavior. Factors related to family and school were associated with school suspension for fighting. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that violence prevention programs set in our elementary and middle schools may reduce aggression and fighting among our youth. School teachers and public health practitioners are encouraged to work together in understanding and preventing adolescent violence.