Firearm Involvement of Parents and Their Adolescent Children: A Prospective Intergenerational Study of High-Risk Youth, Chicago, Illinois, 1995-2022 (ICPSR 38498)

Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)

Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

Firearm Involvement of Parents and Their Adolescent Children: A Prospective Intergenerational Study of High-Risk Youth examines how parents' current and past involvement with risky or problem behaviors (e.g., firearms, substance abuse, and criminal activity) influences their adolescent children, the community, familial, and individual characteristics that influence these associations. The researchers also examine the effect of parents' incarcerations on their children's outcomes. This project makes use of the data collected for the Northwestern Juvenile Project since 1995.

As part of the project goals, the researchers examine the following:

• Patterns of firearm involvement, substance use and disorder, and related problem behaviors in at-risk, urban adolescents.
• Parents' past and current firearm involvement, substance use and disorder, and related problem behaviors.
• Associations between parents' firearm involvement, substance use and disorder, delinquency, and related problem behaviors, and that of their children.
• Relationships between parents' incarceration and children's psychosocial outcomes.
• Collateral consequences of parents' incarcerations mediate the associations between parents' incarceration and children's psychosocial outcomes.
• Mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of risky and problem behaviors, focusing on identifying factors that predict resilience in children.
• Protective effects of a supportive and prosocial environment.
• Individual differences in delinquency and firearm involvement within families (siblings) and between families.
• Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated containment and mitigation strategies, and protective factors that increase resilience to negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Barriers to and Facilitators of Service Use and Identify How Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Incarceration Affect Barriers to and Facilitators of Service Utilization.

Study Design View help for Study Design

The research project 2017-IJ-CX-0019 is part of the Northwestern Juvenile Project: Next Generation Study (Next Generation). The research team conducted the first large-scale study of how parents' current and past involvement with firearms (ownership, perpetration of violence, and victimization) influences that of their adolescent children. Researchers interviewed NJP parents (ages 34-43 years) and their oldest child ages 10 to 17 years when sampled, and leveraged data already collected on parents' firearm involvement--during their own adolescence and young adulthood for the NJP.

The research team recruited a stratified random sample of 1829 youth at intake from the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (CCJTDC) in Chicago, Illinois, between November 20, 1995, and June 14, 1998. The sample was stratified by gender, race/ethnicity (i.e., self-identification as Black, non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, or "other" race/ethnicity), age (10-13 years or ≥ 14 years), and legal status (processed in juvenile or adult court) to ensure that a diverse sample was collected. The research team have been tracking and re-interviewing participants, irrespective of where they were living since 1996.

Sample View help for Sample

The study has 524 participants, comprised of 262 pairs, which include (1) G1: adults; (n=262) arrested and detained as juveniles between 1995 and 1998, enrolled in the Northwestern Juvenile Project, and who live at least two days a week with a biological child ages 10 to 17 years when sampled; and (2) G2: G1's child aged 10 to 17 years (n=262) at the time of sampling.

The researchers choose to study children ages 10 to 17 years for 3 reasons: (1) initiation of firearm involvement is marked during this period and the risk for gunshot victimization rises sharply at age 14; (2) conduct problems prior to age 15 years are a precursor for adult behavioral disorders; and (3) youth 10 to 17 years are subject to arrest and incarceration as juveniles.

Like many prior intergenerational studies, the researchers selected the eldest child in the household within the age range.

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Persons in this study are:

1. Participants from the Northwestern Juvenile Project (NJP) who were living at least two days a week with a biological child age 10-17 at time of sampling (G1)
2. The oldest child ages 10-17 years at the time of sampling (G2) living with G1 at least two days a week

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

The researchers invited n=472 G1/G2 pairs for interviews.

Researchers interviewed n=262 pairs (55.5%).

Seventy-two (15.3%) declined to participate (48 G1s; 21 G2s; and 3 other parents or guardians).

Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales

Likert

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2022-11-29

Weight View help for Weight

Not available