This report tells how KIDS COUNT advocates in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Washington used solid data, leadership and citizen engagement to spur race-based legislation and community change. It is the first installment in the 5-part Race for Results Case Study series, which explores the intersection of kids, race and opportunity in America. (Author abstract)
In this qualitative study, the authors explored adolescent African American (AA) males’ characterizations of healthy teen dating relationships. They conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 AA males (ages 13-21) recruited from schools and community youth groups around Washington DC. Analysis focused on what the young men value in a dating relationship and their perceptions of what makes a relationship healthy. Their narratives provided multi-layered, descriptive characterizations of healthy dating dynamics. Through an iterative process, four key themes emerged (Trustworthy Relationship,…
This brief is based on extensive in-person observational data, as well as survey data, from 55 unmarried low-income African-American mothers and fathers who were part of the Fragile Families study. Given that 70 percent of African-American children (compared with one-third of all children) in the U.S. are born to parents who are not married, this is a particularly important group to study. The present study is one of the first to collect in-depth observational and parent-reported data from unmarried mothers and fathers regarding their couple relationship and the fathers' involvement with…
Almost one-third of all children and 70% of African American children in the U.S. are born to parents who are not married. At the time of children's births, almost all unmarried fathers have contact with their infants, but this connection drops over time. This study presents a study of 55 unmarried low-income African American couples in the early months after the birth of a child. The study considers the implications of the quality of parents' couple relationship, as well as of parents' demographics, personal resources, and family structure for understanding variation in fathers' involvement…
