Abstract: This research has tested a social disintegration model in conjunction with risk and protection factors that have the power to differentiate relative, weighted interactions among variables in different socially disintegrated groups. The model was tested in a cross-sectional sample of 1082 at-risk youth in Switzerland. Structural equation analyses show significant differences between the social disintegration (low, moderate, high) groups and gender, indicating that the model works differently for groups and for gender. For the highly disintegrated adolescents results clearly show that the risk factors (negative mood, peer network, delinquency) are more important than the protective factors (family relations, secure sense of self). Family relations lose all protective value against negative peer influence, but personal variables, such as secure self, gain protective power.

Abstract: The effect of providing youth school-based mentoring (SBM), in addition to other school-based support services, was examined with a sample of 516 predominately Latino students across 19 schools. Participants in a multi-component, school-based intervention program run by a youth development agency were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) supportive services alone or (2) supportive services plus SBM. Compared to community-based mentoring, the duration of the SBM was brief (averaging eight meetings), partly because the agency experienced barriers to retaining mentors. Intent-to-treat (ITT) main effects of SBM were tested using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and revealed small, positive main effects of mentoring on self-reported connectedness to peers, self-esteem (global and present-oriented), and social support from friends, but not on several other measures, including grades and social skills. Three-way cross-level interactions of sex and school level (elementary, middle, and high school) revealed that elementary school boys and high school girls benefited the most from mentoring. Among elementary school boys, those in the mentoring condition reported higher social skills (empathy and cooperation), hopefulness, and connectedness both to school and to culturally different peers. Among high school girls, those mentored reported greater connectedness to culturally different peers, self-esteem, and support from friends. Findings suggest no or iatrogenic effects of mentoring for older boys and younger girls. Therefore, practitioners coordinating multi-component programs that include SBM would be wise to provide mentors to the youth most likely to benefit from SBM and bolster program practices that help to support and retain mentors.

Abstract: Currently, the most important risk factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Europe is intravenous drug use. To establish a better insight into the epidemiology of hepatitis C among intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in western European countries a systematic review on the prevalence of hepatitis C markers and their determinants was performed. Reports were identified by searches on Medline and on the internet and by screening reference lists of selected papers. The prevalence rates of anti-HCV in western European IVDUs reported in the 66 studies selected for analysis, ranged between 37 and 98%. No relation was found between prevalence rates and mean age, mean duration of intravenous drug use, geographical area, setting of the study, method of recruitment or the year(s) of collection of samples. Eleven studies concerning the prevalence of HCV-RNA in hepatitis C-infected IVDUs were selected for analysis. Prevalence rates ranged from 26 to 86%. Based on five studies, a statistically significant positive linear relation was found between the mean age of study population and the prevalence of HCV-RNA. Our analysis revealed considerable variation in prevalence rates of hepatitis C markers among IVDUs in western Europe. We found no conclusive explanation for this variability. Further research investigating the dynamics of the hepatitis C epidemic in IVDUs is necessary.