A new study by researchers from the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and American University’s School of Public Affairs analyzed and categorized crimes against animals as either neglect or intentional cruelty. The research is based on newly available police data from across the country.
Tag: Youth
COVID-19 vaccine incentives get mixed reception from young people
Offering teens and young adults a chance at a college scholarship, cash, discounts or just some free food might help move the needle on COVID-19 vaccination rates, a new study suggests. In all, 82% of people between the ages of 14 and 24 have a positive attitude toward prizes, raffles, giveaways, and other incentives designed to increase vaccination. But a sizable minority of young people have their doubts about whether such vaccine incentives will work or are ethical.
Both Mothers and Friends Shape Adolescent Self-esteem
A new longitudinal study takes a deep dive into adolescent self-esteem and the role that parents – specifically mothers – and friends play in shaping how youth feel about themselves.
TikTok, Snap & YouTube Face Congress Today: American University Experts Available
WHAT: Today, popular social media networks among teens, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, are testifying in front of Congress, with Snapchat and TikTok testifying for the first time. The popular networks are on Capitol Hill as Congress continues to investigate how…
Make the Olympics Dreams Come True – The Chula Sports Development for the Nation Project Supports Thai Youths to Compete in the World Arena
The alumni of the Chula Sports Development for the Nation Project have made Thailand proud at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and at many other competitions over the past three decades – proof of Chula’s commitment to promoting sports excellence and academic mastery among youth. The project is open yearly to young adults with athletic skills in more than 30 sports.
FDA Meets a Court Deadline, But Fails to Protect America’s Kids from E-cigarettes
Today, the Food and Drug Administration issued decisions on new tobacco product applications, addressing the over 6 million unique products and flavor variations submitted for agency review. Missing from the FDA’s announcement was a decision on a company that has the largest e-cigarette market share – Juul.
Self-inflicted Firearm Injuries Three Times More Common in Rural Youth
A national study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that Emergency Department (ED) visits by youth for self-harm were nearly 40 percent higher in rural areas compared to urban settings. Strikingly, ED visits by youth for self-inflicted firearm injuries were three times more common in rural areas. Youth from rural areas presenting to the ED for suicidal ideation or self-harm also were more likely to need to be transferred to another hospital for care, which underscores the insufficient mental health resources in rural hospitals.

Distance from hospital impacts cancer diagnosis, survival in young adults
Adolescents and young adults living in rural versus metropolitan U.S. counties and those living farther from the hospital where they were diagnosed are more likely to be detected at a later cancer stage, when it is generally less treatable and have lower survival rates compared with those living in metropolitan counties and closer to the reporting hospital, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
Study: Impulsiveness tied to faster eating in children, can lead to obesity
The research sought to uncover the relationship between temperament and eating behaviors in early childhood. The findings are critical because faster eating and greater responsiveness to food cues have been linked to obesity risk in children.
Preventive interventions can improve mental health outcomes in children, teens and young adults
Offering interventions to young people in the general community can prevent the emergence of certain mental health disorders, according to the first comprehensive systematic review to address this question. The results appear in the May/June issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry, which is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

New IU study finds most high-school age youth are willing to wear masks
A new study from Indiana University researchers finds that most high-school age youth are willing to wear masks to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but that more education is needed on how to wear masks properly and on the importance of consistent commitment to public health guidelines.

Helping children and youth cope with the crisis at the U.S. Capitol
When children and youth see violence, riots, unrest and confusing images on social media or television news, they can feel confused, afraid, anxious and angry. A social work researcher on child welfare and trauma at Indiana University, Barbara Pierce provides…
How a police contact by middle school leads to different outcomes for Black, white youth
A new University of Washington study finds that Black youth are more likely than white youth to be treated as “usual suspects” after a first encounter with police, leading to subsequent arrests over time. Even as white young adults report engaging in significantly more illegal behavior, Black young adults face more criminal penalties.
For Black Girls, Attitudes About Being Black Affect Risk of Depression
A new study suggests that the messages Black girls hear at home about being Black, and about being Black women in particular, can increase or decrease their risk of exhibiting the symptoms of depression.
Study Highlights Ties Between Racism and Activism in Black Youth
A new study finds that experiences with racism are associated with increased social consciousness and social justice activism in Black youth.

Community-service partnership improves youths’ perception of police, ASU research shows
In his latest research, Adam Fine, an assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, explores how those attitudes diverge by race at a young age, and how a specific community-service partnership program called Team Kids can change youths’ views toward police officers. His paper, “Police Legitimacy: Identifying Developmental Trends and Whether Youths’ Perceptions Can be Changed,” was published recently in the Journal of Experimental Criminology.

It’s 2020: Time to Teach Teens ‘Safe’ Sexting
Telling youth not to “sext” doesn’t seem to be reducing the prevalence of them sharing nude photos or videos. A national sample of about 5,000 youth ages 12 to 17 showed 14 percent had sent and 23 percent had received sexually explicit images. Researchers say it’s time to teach teens ‘safe’ sexting and provide important tips to avoid significant and long-term consequences, such as humiliation, extortion, victimization, school sanction, reputational damage, and even criminal charges.

Suicide attempts among black adolescents on the rise
While suicide attempts decreased overall among U.S. adolescents between 1991 and 2017, they increased by 73% among black adolescents, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.“The rise in suicide rates among black youth can most likely be traced back to an internalization of issues around structural racism in America, along with a lack of coping mechanisms and lack of investment in mental health services in black communities,” said Sean Joe, the Benjamin E.