News Archive
Zero tolerance alcohol policy good choice for parents
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (June 10, 2009) — Restaurants in Germany legally sell alcohol to teenagers after their sixteenth birthdays and French children drink wine with dinner at an early age, but U.S. parents who follow this relaxed European example, believing it fosters a healthier attitude toward alcohol, should be careful — it may increase the likelihood that their children binge drink in college.
Research conducted by Caitlin Abar, graduate student, human development and family studies and member of Penn State's Prevention Research and Methodology Centers, suggested that parents practice a zero-tolerance policy in the home and said that there is no scientific basis to the common belief that prohibiting alcohol turns it into a "forbidden fruit" and encourages abuse. She presented her results at the 2009 meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Washington, D.C. and they appear in the current issue of Addictive Behaviors.
In 31 states, parents can legally serve alcohol to their underage children. Though U.S. teenagers drink less often than adults, they tend to drink more at a time — on average, five drinks in a sitting — according to Ralph Hingson of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. About 87 percent of college students try alcohol, and 40 percent say that they regularly engage in some type of high-risk drinking.
To see if parents permitting underage alcohol use might be an underlying cause of binge drinking, Abar surveyed almost 300 college freshmen and related their drinking habits to their parents' modeling and permissibility of alcohol use. Those students whose parents did not permit them to drink underage — about half of the group — were significantly less likely to drink heavily in college, regardless of gender. In addition, "the greater number of drinks that a parent had set as a limit for the teens, the more often they drank and got drunk in college," said Abar. Whether the parents themselves drank, on the other hand, appeared to have little effect on predicting their children's behaviors when accounting for the permissibility they exhibited toward teen alcohol use.
Further research is needed to confirm the preliminary study, said Abar. For one thing, she did not separate students who specifically drank with their parents at meals from those whose parents allowed their children to drink both inside and outside of the house.
A previous study in 2004 by Kristie Foley, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, North Carolina, showed that teenagers who received alcohol from their parents for parties were up to three times more likely to binge drink within a month, while those who drank only with the family were less likely to binge. So the context in which a parent provides alcohol may be key.
The difference also could be due to some other factor, for example, parents who prohibit their children from drinking may simply provide more structure in general.
However, this sample of college students is not necessarily representative of the entire U.S. population, said Alexander Wagenaar, a social epidemiologist, University of Florida, Gainesville, who has charted the effects of raising the drinking age for nearly three decades. The survey group in Abar's sample was composed almost entirely of white students who lived on campus.
Wagenaar finds the data convincing, though, because previous research uncovered a similar effect in low-income African-American and Hispanic students. A 2007 study of 1,388 children by Kelli Komro, University of Florida, showed that schoolchildren who were permitted alcohol in the home by their parents in sixth grade were up to three times more likely to get drunk and almost twice as likely to drink heavily (five or more drinks) at ages 12-14.
Abar's coauthors were Beau Abar, graduate student, human development and family studies, and Rob Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse supported this work.
Adapted from Inside Science News Service
Professor to conduct first large-scale steroid study
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (May 14, 2009). Robert Turrisi, professor of biobehavioral health in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development, will play a major role in conducting the first large-scale survey of both legal and illegal steroid usage in teenagers. The study, a collaboration between Skidmore College and Penn State, is targeting up to 6,000 first-year college students.
“In the past, steroids were mainly used with athletics, to give athletes an edge. Now we’re seeing a shift and people are using steroids more commonly for cosmetic purposes and for body-building,” Turrisi said.
Turrisi and his colleagues are concerned that many teenagers do not understand the negative side effects of steroids, both short term, damage to the central nervous system, and long term, damage to the endocrine system in some cases; in other cases, tumors. Teenagers are also likely to perceive the most famous steroid users such as Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco and Jason Giambi, as successful, which can be appealing.
“Right now, most researchers estimate that five to ten percent of teenage males use over-the-counter or illegal steroids,” Turrisi said. “That’s a significant number when you know that this is behavior happens in high schools across the country. The reality is that high school students are using these substances.”
Turrisi will be gathering and analyzing information, which will be used to inform future research aimed at preventing steroid use. Through surveys, he will be assessing steroid usage, motivation behind steroid usage and knowledge about steroids, including their negative side effects.
“Part of the difficulty with this project is keeping up-to-date with all of the new legal performance enhancers that are put on the market, which anyone can buy in drug stores,” Turrisi said.
Turrisi will also be determining if there are correlations between over-the-counter performance enhancer usage and illegal steroid usage, and possibly assessing whether over-the-counter drug usage can lead to illegal steroids.
Other key persons on the project include Tanya Dodge, assistant professor of psychology at Skidmore University (principal investigator), Miesha Marzell, doctoral student in biobehavioral health, and Chuck Yesalis, professor emeritus of health policy and administration and exercise and sport science in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development, who now works as a consultant. Yesalis was a major player in bringing to light some of the steroid activity in baseball today.
The project, which received funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse in September 2008, will last for two years.
Teaching teachers mindfulness to foster education, improve well-being
UNIVERSITY PARK , Pa. (April 10, 2009) -- Teachers who encounter stressful classroom situations can become upset and their teaching may suffer. However, by analyzing teachers' emotional reactions in the classroom and how those emotions affect teaching, Patricia Jennings developed innovative teaching methods to help teachers from preschool through college.
Jennings, research associate, Penn State Prevention Research Center, looks at 'mindfulness' -- maintaining awareness of one's thoughts and emotions -- as a way to reduce stress and improve performance.
"Many new teachers have problems managing their behavior when they get upset by challenging student behaviors," says Jennings. "Oftentimes, they end up resorting to punitive and harsh responses, which can lead to power struggles with children and derail learning."
Starting in May 2009, Jennings will spend two years finalizing and testing a professional development program, Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE), funded by a $932,361 grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute for Educational Sciences. CARE was developed at the Garrison Institute, where Jennings is director of the Initiative on Contemplation and Education.
CARE stresses the importance of emotional awareness and self-regulation when interacting with students. This empowers teachers to make calm, effective responses to children's behavior rather than unconscious reactions that are often ineffective. During the first year, researchers will measure the results of the CARE program through surveys and focus groups of elementary school teachers participating in the program. They want to establish which aspects of CARE are most effective in improving teacher-student interactions and relationships, and to develop the parts of CARE that help foster an optimal educational environment.
Researchers will spend the second year observing teachers in the classroom, before and after the teachers have completed CARE. The researchers will measure disruptive behavior, student compliance, cooperation, communication, problem-solving, interest level, focus, and responsiveness.
By giving teachers the skills to be aware of their emotions and observing the results, Jennings is hoping to understand better which factors are associated with effective teaching.
"Many people think that good teaching is most associated with such factors as years of teaching experience or the amount of training a teacher has received. Those are important factors, but if a teacher doesn't respond and interact with their students in a way that fosters a positive learning environment, then the education tends to get left behind," says Jennings.
Researchers will also evaluate the self-reported social-emotional status of teachers. They will determine whether the teachers have problems with sleep, anxiety, depression, or caring for themselves.
"Even the most caring of teachers are known for ignoring themselves," says Jennings. "This can be problematic. About 50 percent of teachers leave the profession after only five years. By teaching skills on how to be more self-aware, we hope to lower this number, and increase the number of positive role models in our education system."
In the pilot study that helped secure funding for her project, Jennings saw success with CARE.
"An English teacher in a Philadelphia school hit a wall of resistance from her students one day. The students were not interested in her grammar lesson and they became disruptive. Through her own practice with mindfulness, the teacher was able to calm herself down and not react with anger, and in doing so, she was able to tune in to her students and really listen to their complaints with genuine interest. After an open discussion with her students she decided to shift her lesson in response to these feelings. The students were enthusiastic about the new assignment, and the teacher helped them channel their frustration into a creative outlet."
That teacher was able to avoid frustration, and in doing so reduced her stress levels and encouraged learning in the classroom. Those are the results that Jennings is hoping to see and promote through CARE.
CARE was developed by Jennings, Richard Brown, chair of the Contemplative Education Department at Naropa University, and Christa Turksma, prevention consultant. The evaluation will be performed simultaneously in Harrisburg and State College schools. Additional courses on mindfulness are available through the Garrison Institute (www.garrisoninstitute.org).
Any elementary school teachers interested in being a part of the CARE evaluation can contact Patricia Jennings at paj16@psu.edu
Mark Greenberg Receives Award from Society for Research in Child Development
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (March 26, 2009) – Dr. Mark T. Greenberg, Edna Peterson Bennett Chair in Prevention Research and director of the Penn State Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, will be a co-recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Public Policy for Children Award at the 2009 biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development.
Greenberg is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the prevention of family violence and child delinquency and the promotion of social competence in children. He is the co-creator of Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS), a program designed to improve the social, emotional and cognitive competence of elementary-aged children. The curriculum, which has been implemented in more than 1,500 schools worldwide, is one of 11 programs designated as a “Blueprints for Violence Prevention” program by the U.S. Department of Justice and one of 25 programs designated as a “model program” by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Within Pennsylvania, Greenberg played a key role in former Governor Mark Schweiker’s Early Childhood Care and Education Task Force and currently serves on a stakeholder commission that supports the work of Governor Ed Rendell’s Commission on Children and Families. He also serves as principal investigator on a number of projects designed to enhance the health and well-being of children, including PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER), Communities That Care, Family Life and Reaching Early Achievement for Children in Harrisburg (REACH).
Throughout his distinguished career, Greenberg has written more than 200 journal articles and book chapters on child development, aggression, violence and externalizing disorders. He has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Research Scientist Award from the Society for Prevention Research, the Faculty Outreach Award from Penn State and the Pauline Schmitt Russell Research Achievement Award from Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development.
The Society for Research in Child Development is a multidisciplinary, nonprofit, professional association with a membership of approximately 5,500 researchers, practitioners and human development professionals from over fifty countries. The purposes of the Society are to promote multidisciplinary research in the field of human development, to foster the exchange of information among scientists and other professionals of various disciplines and to encourage applications of research findings. These goals are pursued through a variety of programs with the cooperation and service of its governing council, standing committees and members.
Students who feel connected to peers, teachers are more inclined to warn of dangerous fellow student
Zero tolerance policies can work against cohesion in schools
[PDF: Syvertsen et al., Journal of Educational Psychology article]
WASHINGTON – Students who feel connected to their peers and teachers are more inclined to alert a teacher or principal if they hear a fellow student "wants to do something dangerous," according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.
But those students who don't feel connected are less likely to act. Researchers from The Pennsylvania State University and Missouri State University looked into why some students adopt a "code of silence" when faced with a fellow student's dangerous intentions. Their findings appear in the February Journal of Educational Psychology, published by APA.
The researchers presented a hypothetical scenario of a peer's plan "to do something dangerous" to 1,740 middle and high school students from 13 schools. The students were asked if they would (1) intervene directly, (2) tell a teacher or principal, (3) talk it over with a friend but not tell an adult, or (4) do nothing.
High school students (964) were less likely than middle school students (776) to talk directly to the peer planning to do something dangerous or tell a teacher or principal, said lead author Amy K. Syvertsen, MEd. "High schools are generally larger than middle schools and provide less opportunity for teachers and students to interact, which is the foundation for building trust, caring and community between the two."
Most students who said they would take action favored directly approaching the peer rather than telling an adult. "This may be a reflection of where many of these students are developmentally. They want to assert their autonomy, make decisions and handle the situation on their own," said the authors.
Students who generally felt a sense of pride in their school and concern for others were more likely to say they would act rather than ignore the situation. For all students, Syvertsen said, knowing they could voice their opinions and be heard by a school official along with their sense of belonging – how they and their friends fit into the school culture – best predicted whether they would confront the peer themselves or tell an adult.
Fear of getting into trouble makes students less willing to go to a teacher or principal with their concerns about a peer's potentially dangerous plan and more likely to ignore the situation, said the authors. Yet those students who said they would speak directly to the peer said they didn't believe they would get into trouble.
Certain school policies, such as zero tolerance, may create an atmosphere that prevents students from confiding in a teacher or school administrator because of the perceived repercussions, said Syvertsen. "Blanket policies that are often not clearly explained to teachers or students can create an atmosphere in which rules get in the way of relationships between students and teachers, to the detriment of keeping the schools safe," said the authors.
"Fostering a caring school climate where students and teachers look out for each other to keep one another safe can't be taught in a single lesson or by using deterrents, like metal detectors or harsh policies," Syvertsen added. "It is built on daily interactions between the teachers and students."
Although the nature of the dangerous school event used in the study was hypothetical, the results of this study provide some sense of students' willingness to act should a similar situation arise.
Faculty member's research aims to assure quality child care
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
University Park, Pa. — Child care is part of the daily routine for millions of American families with more than 12 million children under age 5 in some type of out-of-the-home facility each week.
As a result, the quality of these settings where children spend a large part of their time is a continuing matter of public and governmental concern.
"There’s a lot of child care out there, but some is not very good," said Penn State Harrisburg Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Richard Fiene who has spent more than 30 years assisting parents and state agencies define quality in preschool care.
A faculty member in the Penn State Harrisburg School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Fiene's teaching responsibilities include classes in the undergraduate Human Development and Family Studies major which prepares graduates to work in a wide range of professions, including day care centers, child and domestic abuse facilities, and runaway shelters.
Fiene's ongoing research in which he has identified 13 key indicators of child care quality is now being used by one of the leading advocacy organizations in the nation. The National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has made the list of indicators available to parents through the Child Care Aware program on its web site at www.naccrra.org. Fiene explains, “NACCRRA is the foremost national organization assisting parents to choose high-quality child care and the provider of guidelines for all states in the U.S.”
When interested parents and agencies visit the NACCRRA Web site and visit the “Child Care Aware” presentation, a link to Choosing Child Care takes them directly to an overview and the 13 indicators developed by Fiene. Originally developed by Fiene for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the indicators each include checklists for parents to determine overall quality of a facility. Fiene suggests parents visit a number of child care providers and use the checklist before making a final decision.
The indicators of quality include standards that deal with the supervision of staff, hand washing and diapering, director qualifications, lead teacher qualifications, child-to-staff ratio and group size, immunizations, unavailability of toxic substances, emergency plans, fire drills, child abuse prevention, medications, staff training and fire drills, and playground safety.
He notes there are several things that parents should look for and that a program can do to foster an effective and harm-free child care experience. They include: increased caregiver support, a focus on positive behavior, and training opportunities.
"Really good child care will give children a good start in school," Fiene advised. "It's very important for us to be concerned about the social aspect of early care."
"For 30 years, I have worked every six years on longitudinal studies in Pennsylvania for the governor's office to document how quality changes based on changes in public policy. Things have come a long way. I got discouraged at times, but we’ve turned it around. Things are much better in Pennsylvania and great strides have been made in child care quality," he says reflecting on governmental regulations.
In a related endorsement of his efforts, The National Association for Regulatory Administration has posted links to 44 of Fiene’s publications profiling his research on quality child care. They can be accessed at www.naralicensing.org.
As an extension of his child-centered research and scholarship, Fiene was also one of three Penn State faculty members to recently be awarded a $130,000 grant to conduct a national study of early childhood professional development programs and earlier this year he was granted funding to resurrect the Harrisburg Collaborative Research Scholar Initiative which addresses health and human services needs in the capital region.
Penn State program aims to reduce teen pregnancy rates
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Spring education workshops will equip teachers and community and health care professionals with the latest knowledge and strategies to help young people develop into sexually literate and healthy adults
The rate of teen pregnancy is rising after a 14-year decline, and so are the societal costs. Nationally, teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $9.1 billion a year, according to a study published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. In Pennsylvania, nearly $400 million in tax dollars is spent annually for public health care, child welfare and other services for teen mothers, the study concludes. The Pennsylvania Academy for Sexuality Education (PLASE) has been established to combat issues like unintended teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmissible diseases by helping young people to develop into sexually literate and healthy adults.
"Adolescent pregnancy is a complex issue. We do know, however, that comprehensive sexuality education that provides young people with accurate information and health-promoting skills decreases the risk of negative outcomes," reports Patricia Barthalow Koch, Penn State professor of biobehavioral health and faculty director of PLASE.
PLASE workshops are designed for Pennsylvania teachers, counselors, health care providers and other professionals who present sexuality education to students, families, clients, patients and others. The academy is based in the Department of Biobehavioral Health in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development and is a collaborative effort with the Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The one-day spring workshops are underwritten, in part, by the Penn State Outreach Thematic Initiative Fund. Workshops will be delivered through Penn State Conferences, a unit of Penn State Outreach, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel at University Park campus. The workshops, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., are:
• Sex and Alcohol: The Double Whammy, Monday, Feb. 23
• Don't Touch that Dial! Sexuality and Media Literacy, Monday, April 13
• Love or Lust? Building Healthy Relationships, Wednesday, May 6
For more information and to register for a workshop, visit http://www.programs.psu.edu/PLASE09 online.
PLASE is also sponsoring an annual Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference at University Park campus. The theme for the 2009 conference is "The Future of Sex Education." The conference will also be held at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on May 4 and 5.
Further PRC Faculty, Student Honors in 2008
Dr. Mark Greenberg, Pennsylvania State University, received the 2008 Friend of ECPN (Early Career Preventionist Network) Award from the Society for Prevention Research, for supporting and encouraging early career persons or issues.
Dr. Michael Hecht of Pennsylvania State University presented a paper at the 2008 Annual International Communication Association Convention in Montreal, Quebec, Canada held May 22-26 2008. The paper by Matsunaga, M., Ndiaye, K., Hecht, M.L., & Elek, E.E. (May 2008), "Punctuated Equilibria of Ethnic Identity Development: The Case of Mexican-Heritage Youth in the United States," received an award as the top paper in intercultural communication.
Dr. Stephanie Lanza, Scientific Director of the NIDA-funded Penn State University Methodology Center (P50) and PI for the Methodology Center's annual Summer Institute on Longitudinal Methods (R13), was presented the Early Career Prevention Network (ECPN) Early Career Award at the annual meeting for the Society for Prevention Research in San Francisco, CA on May 29, 2008. This award is bestowed to someone who has shown a commitment to prevention science through outstanding research, policy or practice.
Dr. Melissa Tibbits, Dr. Michael Cleveland, Dr. Monique Faulk, and Dr. Amy Syvertsen, current and former fellows on the NIDA supported Prevention and Methodology Training program at Pennsylvania State University, along with pre-doctoral student Joche Gayles won the 2008 SPR Sloboda & Bukoski Cup, an annual Society for Prevention Research competition where independent groups of scientists, each working with the same data set prior to the conference, conduct a study that is presented at SPR and evaluated by a panel of judges and audience members on the quality of the research and presentation.
New Center Gives Technical Support to Communities for Youth Well-being
University Park, Pa. — The Penn State Prevention Research Center (PRC) has opened its new Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Support Center, created to support the PRC's continuing efforts to work with Commonwealth agencies and Pennsylvania communities to promote the well-being of children, youth and families and reduce violence and delinquency through tested and effective programs.
EPIS Center is funded for four years at about $3.6 million by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and the state Department of Public Welfare.
"This is a strong testament to the commitment of our public officials to address social problems in communities in a way that provides positive outcomes for families with accountable and cost-effective solutions for taxpayers," said Brian Bumbarger, director of EPIS Center.
Over the past 10 years, the PCCD has invested more than $60 million to assist communities in adopting these evidence-based programs. Recent studies by the PRC show that these programs are having a significant impact on reducing delinquency, and represent a $317 million return on the Commonwealth's investment -- delivering strong, positive outcomes for families and youth and providing substantial cost savings for taxpayers.
The EPIS Center was established to provide greater technical support to communities implementing these effective strategies, with the objective of ensuring even better outcomes and cost savings for Pennsylvania in the future.
Mark Greenberg, director of the Prevention Research Center, part of the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State, noted, "The support for the EPIS Center signals that Pennsylvania has taken another important step toward ensuring healthy outcomes for children, youth, and families. Penn State takes seriously the mission of integrating research and outreach for Pennsylvania's citizens and is excited to be a partner in this important mission."
Arthur E. Grim, chairman of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges' Commission, said, "Those of us who are responsible for making decisions that affect the future of our children youth, and families, as well as the communities in which they reside, salute the new EPISCenter. The Prevention Research Center recognizes the importance of promoting strong, evidence-based, outcome-measured programs and the need to provide technical assistance so communities can implement these effective strategies."
The EPIS Center is located at 403 South Allen St., Suite 206, in State College. For more information about the EPIS Center, please call (814) 863-2568 or e-mail EPISCenter@psu.edu.
Contact Lee Carpenter src5@psu.edu http://prevention.psu.edu/ 814-865-3877
Roger Weissberg is 2008 Bennett Lecturer
Roger Weissberg, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Education and President, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), University of Illinois at Chicago, is the 2008 Bennett Lecturer in Prevention Science. Dr. Weissberg visits the Penn State University Park campus from November 12-14, 2008.
The 2008 Bennett Lecture is on Thursday, November 13, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Nittany Lion Inn Boardroom. The lecture title is: "Social and emotional learning: Strategies to improve the lives of millions of children?".
Dr. Weissberg also spoke on "Social and emotional learning: A dialogue about inputs, outputs, and mediators" on Wednesday, November 12, at 4:15 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge, Nittany Lion Inn, as part of the Child Study Center's speakers series.
Professor Weissberg has authored about 200 publications focusing on preventive interventions with children and adolescents and has written curricula on school-based programs to promote social competence and prevent problem behaviors including drug use, high-risk sexual behaviors, and aggression. His Social Competence Promotion Program for Young Adolescents received a model program designation from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Some of his major published volumes include: Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators (1997), Enhancing Children’s Wellness (1997), Establishing Preventive Services (1997), Children and Youth: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (1997), Promoting Positive Outcomes (1999), The Promotion of Wellness in Children and Adolescents (2000), Long-term Trends in the Well-being of Children and Youth (2003), a Special Issue of the American Psychologist on “Prevention for Children and Youth that Works” (2003), Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning Programs (2003), Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say? (2004), School-Family Partnerships for Children’s Success (2005), and Sustainable Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning (2006).
Louis Brown, Sarah Chilenski, Receive Awards from SCRA
Louis Brown, Ph.D., Research Associate with the Prevention Research Center, and Sarah Chilenski, Research Assistant Professor with the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, were both honored recently by the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) with dissertation awards. Dr. Brown received the Emory L. Cowan Dissertation Award for the Promotion of Wellness; Dr. Chilenski received the Best Dissertation on a Topic Relevant to Community Psychology Award. Each award includes a monetary prize, a one-year membership in SCRA, and reimbursement of some travel expenses to a conference of the winners' choice. Well done, Louis and Sarah!
Penn State Study Shows Large Payoff for Crime Prevention Efforts
June 2, 2008 (Harrisburg, PA) – According to a report released today by the Penn State Prevention Research Center, a $60 million investment by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) over the last decade in evidence-based programs across the state has resulted in a $317 million return on just seven of those programs.
Study results reveal that by reducing arrests, drug and alcohol treatment, victimization, welfare and social service usage and increasing school performance, graduation rates, employment and subsequent tax revenue, these prevention programs not only pay for themselves but generate a significant return-on-investment of between $1 and $26 for every dollar spent. The programs involve prevention strategies that address youth crime and violence, including mentoring programs, school-based skill building programs, family strengthening programs, and individual and family therapy for juvenile offenders. The seven programs––Big Brothers Big Sisters, LifeSkills Training, Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care, Multisystemic Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Strengthening Families 10-14––were found to offer a positive cost-benefit ratio ranging from $54 to nearly $80,000 per youth, collectively representing a total statewide return of over $317 million.
“These programs have been carefully researched and proven to prevent and reduce youth violence, delinquency and drug use, improving developmental outcomes for children and families,” said Dr. Mark Greenberg, Director of the Penn State Prevention Research Center. “The results are indisputable: these programs are not only effective for families, they are also a cost-effective, wise investment of taxpayer dollars that will continue to pay dividends for years to come.”
“We’ve made very deliberate, thoughtful investments in programs that we know work,” said Michael Pennington, Director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. “It is one thing to get tough on crime, but we also need to be smart about preventing kids from becoming the next generation of adult criminals.”
“This report comes at a critical time. Pennsylvania is facing a prison overcrowding crisis and the Department of Corrections is asking for nearly $700 million to build more prison cells,” said Brian Bumbarger, Director of Policy Research and Outreach for the Penn State Prevention Research Center and co-author of the report. “Given the current rate of inmate population growth, the Commonwealth can spend $700 million on new prison construction and we’ll still be overcrowded by more than 9,000 inmates within 5 years. Investing in prevention programs that work is the only way we’re going to get a handle on prison overcrowding over the next decade.”
“Those of us on the front lines in the fight against crime understand that we’ll never be able to just arrest and imprison our way out of the crime problem,” said Cumberland County District Attorney David J. Freed. “Pennsylvania’s commitment to putting criminals in jail must be matched by our commitment to keeping kids from becoming criminals in the first place by investing in programs shown by research to be effective.”
The report reveals that the adoption of policies developed to ensure a greater investment in prevention and promotion of the use of evidence-based programs will ultimately result in fewer prison admissions. The programs have the very real potential to reduce the juvenile and adult prison population over time. A reduction of only 5% in the number of adults and juveniles locked up in one year would free nearly $84 million to support new or expanded prevention programs.
The full report, The Economic Return on PCCD’s Investment in Research-based Programs: A Cost-benefit Assessment of Delinquency Prevention in Pennsylvania, is available on the Penn State Prevention Research Center’s website at www.prevention.psu.edu.
Prevention Research Center to study ways to reduce aggression in youth
March 28, 2008
University Park, Pa. - The Penn State Prevention Research Center has received a $3.9 million state grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to study interventions to build resilience and reduce aggression in young children.
The Penn State project continues long-term partnerships with The Harrisburg School District and Hempfield Behavioral Health.
The project will focus on gaining a better understanding of factors related to aggressive behavior and social-emotional competence in children when they first enter school. Researchers will develop and evaluate a multi-component prevention program targeted to help parents and teachers support healthy social and academic development in children who show early signs of aggression. Five areas of development and functioning will be enhanced: parenting in the home; peer relations; child coping and problem-solving skills; classroom atmosphere and curriculum; and home-school relations.
Researchers also will assess various neurobiological factors may be related to aggressive behavior and how they are modified by this preventive program. This information can be used to better assess and support children to improve school readiness and mental health.
The leaders of the Penn State project include Dr. Mark Greenberg, PRC Director; Dr. Karen Bierman, distinguished professor of psychology, College of the Liberal Arts; Drs. Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, assistant professor of human development, Clancy Blair and Emilie Smith, both associate professor of human development and family studies, College of Health and Human Development; and Dr. Tom Farmer, associate professor of special education, College of Education.
The grant is one of five recently awarded by the state with funds from Pennsylvania's share of the national tobacco settlement. The 2007 grant priorities were regenerative medicine and violence prevention. Each research grant is also required to address the reduction of health disparities among underserved segments of the population, and to include research training programs for minority students and faculty in order to diversity the applicant pool for high-level training positions. These grants are awarded as part of the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program, which supports clinical, health services and biomedical research.
State Health Secretary Dr. Calvin Johnson says, "This research involves collaborative 'Center of Excellence' efforts integrating research from several disciplines to address diseases and medical conditions, health disparities and health outcomes. These grants reaffirm Governor Rendell's commitment to using the tobacco settlement dollars to improve public health and increase the research infrastructure and capacity in Pennsylvania."
Greenberg Moderates Panel with The Dalai Lama at Historic Gathering to Celebrate Children and Compassion
Dr. Mark Greenberg, Director of the Penn State Prevention Research Center and Edna Bennett Chair and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, moderated a panel of international scholars with His Holiness The Dalai Lama at the “Exploring the Seeds of Compassion” event in Seattle, Washington, on April 11–15, 2008. The panel was part of a five-day discussion featuring The Dalai Lama on ways that parents and caregivers can show love and compassion that positively affect the social and emotional learning of children from birth to age five.
Dr. Greenberg’s panel, “From Knowledge to Compassion Action: What We All Can Do,” occurred on Friday, April 11, from 12:30–2 p.m. PST, and featured John Gottman, author of “How to Raise an Emotionally Secure Child”; Bob Marvin, Co-Originator of Circle of Security; Karen Gordon, Founding Executive Director of Whole Child International; Mary Gordon, Founder/President, Roots of Empathy; and Roger Weissberg, President, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.
The Seeds of Compassion event was organized to celebrate and explore the relationships, programs, and tools that nurture and empower children, families, and communities to be compassionate members of society. A fundamental part of the dialogue held at this gathering explored the scientific basis for the development and growth of compassion and foundational social and emotional skills beginning at birth.
The event was webcas and can be viewed at: www.seedsofcompassion.org/webcast/index.html
New Evaluation Report Demonstrates Effectiveness of Harrisburg Preschool Program
Harrisburg, PA – According to a recently completed evaluation of the Harrisburg Preschool Program (HPP), a five-year project funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation that focused on at-risk 3- and 4-year-old children in the Harrisburg School District, HPP students who now attend kindergarten in the District are demonstrating significantly higher academic skills in early literacy and mathematics than children who did not attend HPP.
HPP is a collaborative program involving the Harrisburg School District (HSD) and Capital Area Head Start (CAHS), commissioned by Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed in 2001 to provide comprehensive, high-quality preschool services to at-risk 3- and 4-year-old children in the District. [more]
Proven-effective Programs Reducing Youth Violence and Delinquency in Pennsylvania
A report recently completed by the Prevention Research Center at Penn State shows communities are beginning to experience the positive impact of violence prevention efforts supported by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Research-based Programs Initiative. The report confirms that the PCCD’s investment of more than $60 million since 1998 in the implementation of over 140 proven-effective prevention programs is making a significant difference in Pennsylvania communities by reducing youth drug use and antisocial behavior, preventing school bullying, and strengthening families. Each of the programs in this initiative has been selected based on strong evidence of effectiveness in well-controlled research studies. [more]
Penn State Receives $5.7 Million Grant to Help Youth Avoid Problems
Penn State University has received a $5.7 million federal grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to continue the development of community partnerships that strengthen families and help young people avoid substance abuse and behavioral problems. The new award will support PROSPER—PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience—for an additional five years. The total award to Penn State and its partner, Iowa State University, is $11.6 million.
Since 2002, in collaboration with Iowa State and through partnerships established with local communities and assisted by Penn State Extension, the Penn State Prevention Research Center (PRC) has been conducting research to promote capable and healthy youths, adults and families. PROSPER seeks to strengthen families and communities, promote positive youth development, and reduce youth substance use and other problem behaviors––literally helping families and their communities "prosper" through various intervention methods recommended by Penn State researchers. [more]
New study identifies four major motivators to drink alcohol
Most high school seniors drink because they want to experiment with alcohol, some drink for the thrill of it, and others because it helps them relax. A new study finds that a fourth group of high school students share all those reasons for drinking, but they also drink to get away from problems and to deal with anger or frustration issues. Kids with multiple reasons to drink, including reasons related to coping with life, show the heaviest and most problematic drinking behaviors, according to the study by Penn State researchers and published in the December issue of Prevention Science, a peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Prevention Research. The data for the study came from 1,877 students from the national Monitoring the Future survey conducted annually.
Read the full story on Live: http://live.psu.edu/story/27677?nw=1
Thomas Dishion, Ph.D.
Dr. Thomas Dishion gives the 2007 Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science
Thomas Dishion, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director of Research, Child and Family Center, University of Oregon, was the 2007 Bennett Lecturer in Prevention Science. Dr. Dishion visited Penn State on October 24-26, 2007.
Some kids more sensitive to bad parenting
By Megan Rauscher
(From the Archives of General Psychiatry, April 2007)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Faced with harsh and cold parenting, some children are more likely than others to develop antisocial behavior, such as delinquency and aggression, researchers found, based on in-depth studies of 720 families with at least 2 children between 9 and 18 years of age.
The difference in children's sensitivity to problematic parenting is due to genetic factors, according to the team's report published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
"We don't know all the specific genes involved, but we can expect that those children whose blood relatives have a history of antisocial behavior will be most sensitive to harsh and cold parenting," Dr. Mark E. Feinberg of the Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University in University Park told Reuters Health.
The same cannot be said for the influence of poor parenting on depression, according to the study. "Children whose blood relatives are depressed would not be more liable to depression than other children faced with harsh or cold parenting," Feinberg said.
The current study suggests that harsh or cold parenting does not affect all children the same way. Some children are more resilient and other children more sensitive to problematic parenting.
It's important to know which children are most vulnerable for developing emotional and behavior problems, such as depression and antisocial behavior, so they can receive help, Feinberg noted.
"The bottom line," he said, "is that if we have limited resources for parenting support programs, we will get the most 'bang for the buck' by focusing intervention on the families of children whose biological relatives show antisocial behavior."
Smith and Caldwell Receive Awards from the Society for Prevention Research
Ed Smith and Linda Caldwell The SPR International Collaborative Prevention Science Award for their work in South Africa. Congratulations Ed and Linda!
Head Start REDI Program Teaches Preschoolers Tools for School-Readiness
(From the Penn State Newswire, 1/5/07)
If you're observing a preschool class in York, Pa., you may see the following behavior: two children are playing and a disagreement ensues. Suddenly one of the children stops arguing, and hunches over with her arms crossed over her chest, as if protecting herself. Chances are, the other child will watch and do the same. What are they doing? They're acting like Twiggle the turtle. "The theory behind Twiggle is, when you're feeling upset, you go into your shell," explains Karen Bierman. "It stops the behavior, and keeps you from acting impulsively. Then you take a deep breath and say the problem and how it makes you feel. That's the beginning of effective self-control and problem-solving." Twiggle is just one tool preschool children are learning through Bierman's project, Head Start REDI, which has grown out of the School Readiness Initiative, a collaborative effort supported by Penn State's Child Study Center (in the College of the Liberal Arts), the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development (in the College of Health and Human Development), and Head Start Programs in three Pennsylvania counties. The initiative blends an interdisciplinary group of researchers who are interested in developmental research and early elementary educational programs. Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/21530
NIH Director Offers Prognosis for Budget Squeeze on Research Grants
Washington
The National Institutes of Health expects to receive more than twice as many grant applications in 2007 as in 1998, which helps to explain why many researchers are lamenting that the grants are harder to get. The number of people filing applications has also risen sharply during that time, while the agency's budget growth has fallen below inflation since 2003. (more)
Dr. Mary Ann Pentz Gives 2006 Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science
Dr. Mary Ann Pentz
Mary Ann Pentz, Ph.D., director of the Center for Prevention Policy Research and professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, gave the 2006 Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science on October 12, 2006.
For over 20 years, her research and program development have focused on community and policy approaches to preventing tobacco, alcohol, drug use, and violence in youth. Her findings contributed to the formulation of a U.S. Senate bill and use of evidence-based criteria for appropriating funds for prevention under the Safe and Drug Free Schools Act. (more)
Friends Have Greater Sway on College Students' Beliefs on Drinking Behavior
(From the Penn State Newswire, October 6, 2006)
College students' friends have a greater influence on the students' drinking behavior or beliefs about campus drinking than social norms campaigns, according to a Penn State study. Social norms campaigns are based on the rationale that binge drinkers will be more likely to reduce their drinking if they believe other students on campus drink less than they themselves do. A survey of 277 college students at a northeastern university found that nearly 73 percent did not believe the norms message. "Disbelief in the campaign message may have resulted from the behavior observed by students among their friends and acquaintances, which contrasted with the 0-4 message," said co-author Ann Major, professor of communications and director of the Jimirro Center for the Study of Media Influence at Penn State. "Also, some students may discount social norms campaigns as an attempt by university administrators to control their behavior."
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/index.php?sec=vs&story=19866
Positive parenting helps encourage healthy sun habits in children
(From the Penn State Newswire)
Monday, August 21, 2006
A program that helps parents talk to their children about skin cancer risks may promote sun-safe behaviors, especially when parents and children have a high-quality relationship, according to a team led by a Penn State researcher in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the Journal of the American Medical Association/Archives journals.
Approximately one in six individuals will develop skin cancer during his or her lifetime, according to background information in the article. The recent increase in skin cancer incidence has been attributed to various forms of high-risk sun exposure among young people, including sunbathing, inadequate use of sunscreen and other protective measures and the use of tanning beds or lamps. Recent preventive interventions have targeted children in school or community settings, but widespread rates of dangerous behaviors persist in young people.
Rob Turrisi, professor of biohaviorial health in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development, and colleagues evaluated a parent-based intervention and assessed family characteristics that may contribute to the effectiveness of such a program in 469 parent-child pairs. (more)
Penn State researchers to develop training for state's personal-care workers
(From the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Newswire)
Friday, June 2, 2006
University Park, Pa. -- A broad-based collaboration between Penn State and community organizations will result in more effective training and assessment for the workers who provide personal-care services for the elderly and people with mental and physical disabilities.
Matthew Kaplan, associate professor of intergenerational programs and aging in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, and Richard Fiene, associate professor of human development and director of Penn State's Capital Area Health and Human Development Institute, have received a $250,000 grant to assist the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare's Adult Residential Living Program in developing an innovative online training and testing system for front-line personal-care workers. (more)
Dr. David L. Olds
Dr. David L. Olds Gives 2005 Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science
Dr. David L. Olds, Professor of Pediatrics and Director, Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, gave the 2005 Bennett Lecture in Prevention Science on November 3, 2005 in the Living Center, 110 Henderson Building, from 4-5 p.m. The title of his presentation was "The Nurse-Family Partnership: From Trials to Practice." (more)
College Announces Creation of Capital Area Health and Human Development Institute
(from the College of Health and Human Development Office of College Relations)
The Penn State College of Health and Human Development announces the creation of the Capital Area Health and Human Development Institute (CAHHDI), the new urban research, training, technical assistance and outreach arm of the College in the Harrisburg area. The Institute will be directed by Dr. Richard Fiene, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies.
CAHHDI is a leader in higher education-based infant and toddler program quality activities and prevention research interventions in the United States. This new, integrated center, which includes the Capital Area Early Childhood Training Institute, Harrisburg Center for Healthy Child Development, and the Urban Community Partnership under the CAHHDI umbrella, has been established to coordinate research, training and technical assistance activities underway in the Harrisburg and South Central Pennsylvania areas. It will serve as the hub for faculty and students in the College of Health and Human Development who seek to take advantage of internships and other research and training opportunities in the Harrisburg area. (more)
When Parents Say 'Don't Drink,' Students Actually Listen, Scholar Reports
(from the Chronicle of Higher Education, 8/22/05)
In tens of thousands of households this month, parents will have one last anxious conversation with their 18-year-old children before sending them off to college. Don't take foolish risks, they will say, with drugs, alcohol, or sex. At the end of the talk, the parents might wipe their brows and wonder if their advice has had any effect.
The answer appears to be yes -- at least if parents are encouraged to use certain communication strategies. Recent experimental evidence suggests that parental conversations can have powerful effects on students' drinking behavior, a scholar said here on Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.
Rob Turrisi, a professor of biobehavioral health at Pennsylvania State University at University Park, has been working for more than six years on a simple idea: Colleges might mail pamphlets to the parents of every newly admitted student, encouraging them to talk about alcohol abuse and suggesting specific methods for navigating the conversation.(more)
Greenberg is Co-Editor of New Book on Enhancing Early Attachments
Enhancing Early Attachments: Theory, Research, Intervention, and Policy, is a new co-edited volume by Lisa J. Berlin, Ph.D., Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University; Yair Ziv, Ph.D., Child and Family Studies Group, Westat; Lisa Amaya-Jackson, MD, MPH, UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress; and Mark T. Greenberg, Ph.D., Prevention Research Center, Penn State University. The book was published by Guilford Press and is a volume in the Duke Series in Child Development and Public Policy.
Synthesizing the latest theory, research, and practices related to supporting early child-parent attachments, this volume provides a unique window into the major treatment and prevention approaches available today. Chapters address the theoretical and empirical bases of attachment interventions; explore the effects of attachment-related trauma and how they can be ameliorated; and describe a range of exemplary programs operating at the individual, family, and community levels. Throughout, expert authors consider cross-cutting issues such as the core components of effective services and appropriate outcome measures for attachment interventions. Also discussed are policy implications, including how programs to enhance early child-caregiver relationships fit into broader health, social service, and early education systems.
Click here for a flyer about this book.
Educating Against AIDS
(from Research/Penn State, July 2005)
Penn State researchers Edward Smith and Linda Caldwell are collaborating with South African colleagues to promote HealthWise in the sub-Saharan region. Read the story on the Research/Penn State web site.
Penn State Prevention Research Center Announces 2005-2006 Bennett Faculty Scholars
(from the College of Health and Human Development Office of College Relations)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (May 2, 2005) - Three members of the Penn State faculty - Dr. Linda Caldwell, professor of recreation, park and tourism management; Dr. John Graham, professor of biobehavioral health; and Dr. Patricia Koch, associate professor of biobehavioral health - have been named 2005-2006 Bennett Faculty Scholars by the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development. (more)
Greenberg Appointed to the NIDA National Advisory Council
(from the College of Health and Human Development Office of College Relations)
Dr. Mark T. Greenberg, holder of the Edna Peterson Bennett Chair in Prevention Research and director of the Penn State Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, has been appointed to serve a four-year term on the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. (more)
Carl to Receive Award for Distinguished Service
Barb Carl, Associate Director of the Harrisburg Center on Healthy Child Development, will be receiving the Award for Distinguished Service in Community Psychology and Social Change from the Penn State Capital College in mid-April 2005.
Recent Work by Turrisi and Colleagues Featured in Society for Prevention Research Press Release
(from the Society for Prevention Research)
Click here to read the press release on "Strategies to Stop Drinking Problems on Campus: Colleges Consider Changes to Dorm Life, Campus Concerts". This work is part of Dr. Turrisi's "Campuses Selling Alcohol" project.
Mental Health Service Costs Offset by Savings in Other Public Sectors
(from the Penn State Newswire)
Penn State researchers have found that reduced expenditures for inpatient hospitalization, the juvenile justice system, the child welfare system and the special education system offset the costs of the improved mental health services delivered to youth through the system of care approach now being tried in communities in every state in the U.S. Mental health services for youth delivered via system of care have been criticized as too expensive compared to communities that don't adopt the approach. However, the Penn State study, the first of its type, shows that including spending in other service sectors in the analysis reduced the between-community cost difference from 81 percent to only 18 percent more for system of care. E. Michael Foster, professor of health policy administration and demography who led the study, says, "Mental health services that keep youth out of the juvenile justice system, for example, not only save tax dollars that would have to be spent on that sector but also reduce the suffering of the youth and their families. In addition, by not having a juvenile justice record, youth improve their chances of finishing high school and making a successful transition to adulthood and becoming future taxpayers." (more)
Dialogue & Personal Example Work Best for Parents in Drug Talks with Teens
(from the Penn State Newswire)
Parents can more effectively advise teens about alcohol and drug use if, first, they try dialogue instead of lecture and, second, they set an everyday example, rather than give the one-time drug sermon, according to a Penn State researcher. Drug talks can work best when parents and teens routinely share insights on the benefits and risks of drug use, says Dr. Michelle Miller-Day, associate professor of communication arts and sciences. One tactic would be for parents to ask teens what they hope to gain from use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco (e.g. relaxation, especially around the opposite sex; greater peer acceptance). The parent can then suggest wholesome alternatives to achieve the same end. (more)
New Parent-Child After-School Program Increases Literacy
(from the Penn State Newswire)
A collaborative after-school literacy program, piloted last fall in Somerset County, has sparked the interest of early elementary students and parents alike. The program proved to be highly successful in its first pilot. For the second pilot, the program will be repeated in Somerset for a longer period of time with a new group of students and will be expanded to another location.
Drucie Weirauch, project assistant in Penn State's Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy and Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and doctoral candidate in the College of Education, copiloted the project with Claudia Mincemoyer, assistant professor of agricultural and extension education in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The project is a collaboration among the two colleges and local family literacy programs, cooperative extension educators and Title 1 elementary schools. (more)
Penn State Study Verifies Positive Impact of Early Head Start on Children, Families
(from the Penn State Newswire)
Results from a five-year study conducted by Penn State researchers on the Lehigh Valley Early Head Start program indicate that the cognitive development of children from birth to age three improved profoundly as the result of their participation in the Early Head Start program relative to a comparison group. Cognitive development is one of the significant indicators for school readiness. Results of this study support the importance of early intervention for children at risk and also identified numerous factors that can place families and children at risk, including depression. Research over the last few decades indicating the importance of early intervention for children at risk compelled the Administration on Children, Youth and Families to introduce the Early Head Start program. (more)
Penn State Specialist Offers Tips on Dealing with School Bullies
(from Penn State Ag. Sciences News)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- They've got new clothes and backpacks, and they can find the right school bus. But children returning to a new school year may need adult help facing an old problem: the school bully. A family and youth specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences offers techniques and tips to help kids and their parents manage bullying in schools.
Even though violent acts in schools are declining, bullying remains a major issue that can affect your child's scholastic performance and social well-being, says Daniel Perkins, associate professor of family and youth resiliency. The first challenge for kids, he says, is to get adults to take it -- and them -- seriously. (more)
Prevention Research Center Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary
(from the College of Health and Human Development Office of College Relations)
(University Park, Pa) Approximately 120 educators, policy makers and childcare advocates from Pennsylvania and beyond gathered at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center on October 30 to help the Penn State Prevention Research Center celebrate its fifth anniversary. (more)
Faculty
making life better for families in state, nation
Monday, June 14, 2004
(from the Penn State Newswire)
Former Pennsylvania First Lady Michelle Ridge and Dr. Mark Greenberg prepare to kick off the Prevention Research Center's five-year anniversary celebration.
University
Park, Pa. -- As the youngest child of seven, Daniel
Perkins learned the lessons of family life early on. "I experienced
family in such a great way and always really enjoyed being around
people," says Perkins.
Those formative experiences led Perkins to his work with children,
youth and families. Now at Penn State as an associate professor
in the department of Agricultural and Extension Education and a
Cooperative Extension faculty member, Perkins' work, along with
that of Penn State Cooperative Extension professors James E. Van
Horn (whose focus is rural sociology) and Matt Kaplan (focusing
on intergenerational programs and aging), are helping to transform
lives in Pennsylvania and across the nation through initiatives
aimed at strengthening family bonds. (more)