• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.61-74
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• 2007

Adolescents from stepfamilies have been considered as at-risk group of mental and behavioral problems. This study aims to determine whether there is a group difference of emotional or behavior disturbance between young people in step and non-stepfamilies and whether risk factors linked to emotional and behavior symptoms of young people in stepfamilies are different from those of girls in non-stepfamilies. The study used 'the Mental Health of Children and Young People in Great Britain, 2004 (MHCYP 2004)'. In the MHCYP 2004, the Rutter Problem Behavior Questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were administered to parents, teachers, and children drawn from young people aged 5-17 living in private households in England, Scotland (including the Highlands and Islands) and Wales. The total of 2,471 samples of aged 13 through 17 from them were selected for this study. The selected data was analyzed using SPSS. The findings showed group differences in emotional and behavior symptoms between young people in step and non-stepfamilies: Young people from stepfamilies were more emotional and have behavioral disturbances than those from nonstepfamilies. The result also confirmed the different risk factors associated with emotional behavior problems. The study supports that professionals need to develop effective treatment and preventive approaches designed for young people in stepfamilies who may have different risk factors different from those in non-stepfamilies.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 1994

The aim of this study was to research and compare the demographic characteristics of drug abusers with non-drug abusers among junior high school students in Japan through a closed format questionnaire. The same questionnaire and face-to-face interviews were used in order to find the circumstances of drug abuser among Kyogoin(a sort of child welfare institution) students in Japan. The goal of the study was to provide basic materials for preventive education of drug abuse through the two investigations mentioned above. Between July 1993 and November 1993, the information for this study was collected from 964 students from 4 junior high schools, and also 142 students from 3 Kyogoin in Japan. A total of 1106 questionnaires were completed resulting in a following response rate of 90.4%. Information was based on the scales : family relation scale, school life scale, recognition on danger of drug abuse scale, family environment scale (Moos, 1986), self esteem inventory (Coopersmith, 1967), etc. The conclusions can be summarized as follows : 1. Drug abusers are more likely to lake communication in their families and have poorer human relations than non-drug abusers. Also their school life scores tended to be lawer non-drug abusers. 2. It was between their 6th year of elementary school and their first of Junior high school when the drug was first used. The drug of choice which they made their first attempt at using was a volatile solvent which was inhaled. It is likely that this drug is "gateway-drug" for adolescents in Japan because they then also tried other drugs (e.g. cocaine, marijuana, etc.) step by step. 3. It is therefore clearly important that greatly increasing education on the harmful effects of drug abuse before the summer vacation of the first term of the sixth year of elementary school. At the same time, intervention in the family will have an effective prevention strategy in Japan, as well., as well.