Research Digests
December 3, 2003
Topics:
Protecting Young Children
from Injury
Home Visitation: An Effective Child Abuse Prevention Approach
The Task Force on Community Preventive Services of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recently conducted a systematic review of empirical
research and found strong evidence that
early childhood home visitation programs are effective in reducing child
abuse and neglect. Home visitation is defined as "a program that
includes visitation of parents and children in their home by trained personnel
who convey information, offer support, provide training, or perform a
combination of these activities."
Read
the technical report.
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect in California
A brief by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids reviews
strategies with documented success in preventing child abuse and neglect,
including: 1) home visits with parental skills coaching for at-risk parents;
2) quality pre-kindergarten with parent-training for at-risk children;
3) drug and alcohol programs for addicted pregnant women; and 4) mental
health services for depressed or mentally ill parents. The brief also
addresses the likelihood of child abuse victims becoming violent criminals
and emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of prevention strategies. For example,
it cites RAND Corporation findings that home visitation programs with
nurses "saved taxpayers four dollars for each dollar invested."
The Status of Young Children in California
A report by UCLA and the Public Health Institute describes the
health and well-being of children under age 6 in California. The report
is based on data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey and
describes such issues as oral health, asthma, nutrition, special needs,
and access to quality health and child care services.
Promoting
Emotional & Behavioral Health in Preteens
Review of Research in Out-of-School Time Programs
The Harvard Family Research Project has released two reports summarizing
national
trends in out-of-school time (OST) programs. The reports synthesize
the range of current OST program activities being implemented and describe
what is known about how these programs affect the lives of youth. One
report suggests that youth participation in OST programs is associated
with improved social/communication skills, decreased behavioral problems,
increased community involvement, and improved self-confidence.
Read about the effects
of OST programs on positive outcomes for youth.
Most Preteens Don't Participate in Organized Physical Activities
Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of children ages 9 to 13 do not participate
in organized physical activities outside of school, according to a nationwide
survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those
least likely to be involved in physical activities included African American
children, Latino children, and those whose parents had lower incomes
and education levels.
Nearly One Million California Kids Fail Fitness Test
Only one-quarter of the 1.3 million 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students tested
met six basic fitness categories. Students were tested using the "Fitnessgram,"
an assessment that measures students' aerobic capacity, body composition,
abdominal strength, upper body strength, trunk strength, and flexibility.
Differences by grade level were slight; just 23 percent of 5th graders,
27 percent of 7th graders, and 24
percent of 9th graders passed all six categories.
Number of Child Delinquents on the Rise
The number
of delinquents between the ages of 7 and 12 has increased by 33 percent
in the last 10 years, and the types of offenses committed by these children
have become more serious, according to a national report from the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Even more troubling, offenders
under age 13 are two or three times more likely to become violent, chronic
offenders than those whose criminal behavior begins at a later age. The
report promotes a prevention approach and outlines promising interventions,
such as after-school and mentoring programs.
Important
Readings Relevant to All Children
More Evidence Connecting Kids' Well-Being and Academic Success
Recent research by WestEd shows a link between school test scores and
non-academic factors, such as substance use, exposure to violence, exercise,
nutrition, safety, and school atmosphere. In this California study of
1,700 schools, greater improvements on test scores were found in schools
with larger percentages of students who reported high expectations at
school, caring relationships at school, eating nutritiously and exercising,
and less engagement in risky behaviors. The report suggests that efforts
to strengthen academic performance also must address students' health
and developmental needs.
Youth 'Assets' Linked to Academic Achievement, Positive Behavior
According to the Search Institute, "developmental assets," (i.e.,
building blocks of healthy development such as positive relationships
and internal strengths) contribute to academic achievement of youth. This
national report recommends building
developmental assets as a strategy for promoting academic success.
Another Search Institute report states that youth in grades 6 to 12 with
few assets are at least three times as likely to engage in high-risk behavior,
including violence, alcohol use, and drug use, when compared to youth
with many assets. These findings held constant across African American,
American Indian, Asian American, Latino/Latina, White, and multiracial
youth, regardless of family income level.
New State-and County-Level Data on the Status of Children
Children Now has released three companion data reports: 1) California
Report Card 2003, which shows that while conditions for children have
improved, large discrepancies remain in the areas of children's health
care, economic status, and education; 2) County
Data Book 2003 with individual county profiles; and 3) California
Profile 2003, which provides an overview of children's health, education,
welfare and family economics. Only county profiles can be viewed online
at no cost.
National Summary on Violence and Children
A recent Child Trends research brief, "Violence
in the Lives of Children," describes the many types of violence
children face and its effects on them. The summary reviews different experiences
of violence according to age, gender, and ethnicity.
The Well-Being of America's Children: Smoking Decreased; Child
Poverty Unchanged
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released
its annual report showing trends on more than 25 indicators of child and
youth well-being. Among the key findings, child poverty has remained stable
at 16 percent since 2000, and cigarette use reached a record low in 2002,
with 5 percent of 8th graders reporting that they smoke daily. However,
12
percent of 8th graders reported episodic heavy drinking in 2002, which
is unchanged since 1990, and the percentage of overweight children, ages
6 to 18, rose from 6 percent in 1976-1980 to 15 percent in 1999-2000.
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/
One-Quarter of Young Toddlers in the U.S. Have a TV in Their
Rooms
A new Kaiser Family Foundation survey of more than 1,000 parents of children
ages 6 months through 6 years found that 59
percent of children, ages 6 months to 2 years, watch a median of 2 hours
of television on a typical day, and that 43 percent of parents said
they thought TV "mostly helps" children's learning. More research
is needed on how electronic media affects young children.
Web Resources
Building Partnerships for Youth
Site of the National 4-H Council focused
on youth development program resources for children ages 9-13.
Promising Practices in Afterschool
Provides a range of resources
related to after-school program evaluation, research, funding, best
practices, and communicating with others in the field.
National Mentoring Partnership: Research on Effectiveness of
Mentoring Programs
Provides links to research
reports, evaluation tools, effective practices, program resources, and
other information.
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