Truskauskaitė, Inga

This representative study examines the prevalence of psychological, economic, physical, or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV), the main patterns of IPV exposure, and the interconnections between IPV and socio-demographic characteristics. The participants of the current cross-sectional study were 1173 women from a nationally representative survey. The data were collected using in-person interviews. The reported lifetime prevalence of any IPV (physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse) in Lithuania is 51.2%. For women who experienced abuse, the lifetime prevalence of psychological, economic, physical, and sexual IPV is 50.1%, 29.9%, 21.5%, and 16.9%, respectively. Of those victims, 57.1% had experienced IPV in the past year. Younger women (≤ 60 years), being separated or divorced, being economically disadvantaged, living in rural areas, and those who had experienced violence in their childhood are more likely to have experienced IPV during the past 12 months. Five different patterns of exposure to violence were identified: nearly absent IPV, psychological-only IPV, psychological/physical IPV, high sexual IPV, and high overall IPV. Comparison of the women belonging to different clusters differed from each other on the type of partner relationship, household income, area of residency, and childhood violence exposure. Findings of this study make a unique contribution to the existing literature by identifying multiple risk factors associated with various types and patterns of IPV that to date, had not yet been comprehensively analyzed in the IPV literature. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

The aim of the current study was to assess the components of the intervention program “Aquatic”, targeted at the reduction of bottled water use in adolescence. The Comprehensive Action Determination Model was chosen as a theory of change for the development and evaluation of pro-environmental behavior intervention. We examined the impact of five experimental intervention factors (water bottles, promo video, prompts, goal setting, and feedback) on eight intervention program outcomes: Perceived behavioral control, Social norm, Habit, Awareness of need, Awareness of consequence, Personal norm, Intention, and Behavior. The study sample consisted of 419 adolescents (52.8% girls, Mage = 15.21, SDage = 0.64) from Lithuania. A factorial experimental study design was used, and a Latent change modeling approach was applied for the evaluation of individual and combined effects of intervention components. Promo video, Prompts, and Goal setting had a positive effect on Awareness of consequence, Social norm, and Awareness of need, respectively. Receiving a Water bottle in combination with Promo video had a positive effect on Perceived behavioral control and in combination with Prompts as well as Goals—on Awareness of need. Water bottles, Promo-video, Prompts, and Goals, but not Feedback, had value in the promotion of targeted pro-environmental outcomes.

A substantial body of research provides evidence for the role of parents in transferring pro-environmental attitudes, values, and behaviors to their children. However, little research has focused on children’s active attempts to influence parents’ pro-environmental behavior. In a survey involving 508 Lithuanian families, we examined the bidirectional influences of parents’ and adolescents’ information-induced proenvironmental intentions and behavior. Three plastic waste-related consumption behaviors were studied: purchasing bottled water, using reusable shopping bags, and recycling non-refundable plastic. Results show that both adolescents and their parents influence each other’s proenvironmental intentions and behaviors, suggesting that not only parents but also adolescents, may be important agents of positive changes in families and society.

This chapter explores the different pathways of the 5Cs model of Positive Youth Development (PYD) represented by competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring among adolescents in Lithuania. We present a longitudinal four-wave study with a community sample (N = 458, M age = 15.14, SD = .48 at T1, 52% females) and a quasi-experimental four-time point intervention study using the Try Volunteering program (N = 605, M age = 15.26, SD = .67 at pre-test, 43% females) in a school setting. In the first study with a community sample, high, medium, and low developmental trajectories of PYD were distinguished and the change of the 5Cs over time was explored. In the second study, investigation of the 5Cs focused intervention revealed that the intervention program Try Volunteering shifted the developmental trajectories of all 5Cs towards positive development. The findings have relevant implications for PYD interventions to promote thriving in adolescence and practical evidence-based tools for fostering positive youth development in Lithuania.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in posttraumatic growth (PTG) of women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Lithuania, in relation to the centrality of traumatic experience, identity exploration, and time after exposure to violence. The longitudinal study sample consisted of 217 women who experienced IPV, recruited from women shelters, social support centers, and through counseling psychologists. In this sample the assessment instruments were administered three times during an 18-month period (at 6-month intervals). The results of the study revealed that PTG significantly increased over time for the women who experienced IPV more recently. Those women who experienced IPV more anciently reported higher PTG levels at the beginning of the study, but significant changes in PTG did not emerge. In addition, higher levels of PTG at the beginning of the study were positively associated with event centrality and identity exploration, meaning that those women who perceived their IPV experience as central to their identity and who explored possible identity choices were more likely to have higher levels of PTG at the beginning of the study. However, neither the centrality of the event nor the identity exploration was important for the change in PTG over the study period. Findings of this study highlighted the importance of the first 2-year period after the violence when the potential for PTG and its increase occurs. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of the short-term school-based intervention program Try Volunteering in the development of the Five Cs (Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring) of positive youth development.The longitudinal quasi-experimental study design was used for the pilot evaluation of the intervention program. The study sample consisted of 615 adolescents assigned to intervention and control groups. The Latent Class Growth Analysis revealed that most program participants showed an increase in Competence, Connection, and Caring as well as maintained stable levels of confidence and Character; whereas most non-participants showed a decrease in Competence, Confidence, and Character and maintained stable levels of Connection and Caring. The effect size estimation revealed large between-group program effects on Competence and Confidence and moderate effects on Character as well as moderate within-group time effects on all Five Cs.Thus, the intervention program Try Volunteering is an effective tool for fostering positive youth development.

The first aim of the study was to develop a theory-based multidimensional measure of contribution, as currently known measures address the single dimension – contribution to the community. Eighteen adolescents from Lithuania (50% girls) aged 15 to 17 participated in focus groups as the corresponding population to consult about the concept of contribution. Following the Grounded Theory Approach, the 15-item Three-Dimensional Contribution Scale (3DCON), was developed. The face validity was established in the process of the scale development. The second aim of the study was to evaluate the psychometric quality of the newly developed scale. Participants (community sample) filled the questionnaire two times (N = 1422; 54.1% girls; Mage = 16.35, SDage = 1.13 at Time 1 and N = 786; 53.1% girls;Mage = 17.63, SDage = 0.72 at Time 2). The internal consistency analysis revealed an excellent reliability of the scale. The CFA results confirmed the structural validity of the three-dimensional contribution model. Multigroup (gender and age) and longitudinal measurement invariance demonstrated the robustness of the three factor structure. The results support the reliability and validity of the Three-dimensional Contribution Scale (3DCON) for assessing the contribution to self, family, and community as defined in the model of Positive Youth Development.

Policy awareness increases the likelihood of policy-congruent behavior. Yet individuals may differ in the extent to which they notice certain policies; thus, psychological factors that explain behavior can have a differing effect on policy-congruent behavior of individuals. We investigated to what extent the relationship between normative, habitual, intentional, and situational factors that explain bottled water purchasing behavior vary regarding individuals’ awareness of policy targeted at reducing bottled water purchasing. We investigated this question in a representative sample of Lithuanian adolescents. Our study indicated that awareness of policy targeted at bottled water purchasing acts as a moderator for adolescents’ normative, habitual, intentional, and situational factors related to their bottled water purchasing. In low, moderate, and high policy awareness groups, habit was the strongest direct predictor of behavior. Normative factors had a strong effect in explaining intentions; in addition, awareness of consequences was directly related with behavior in the high policy awareness group. However, situational factors were insignificant predictors of self-reported behavior. Based on the results of the current study, we suggest that to achieve policy-congruent behavior, policy makers should consider both policy-reinforcing incentives and the level of policy awareness of the targeted group.

Adolescents today face the negative outcomes of climate change, and their pro-environmental behavior is crucial to mitigate these negative outcomes. Yet, we know little about what influences adolescents’ pro-environmental behavior. Research shows that people’s biospheric values and environmental self-identity, elicit personal norms to act environmentally friendly, which can induce a wide range of pro-environmental actions. Yet there is no evidence that these factors can influence pro-environmental behavior of adolescents, because this has only been studied for adults. Given that in adolescence, values, identities and moral structures undergo intense development, the question is whether these factors can motivate adolescents to act pro-environmentally. To address this question, we have conducted three studies with adolescents in Lithuania (Study 1: N = 256; Study 2: N = 349; Study 3: N = 905). We found support that adolescents’ biospheric values and environmental self-identity were associated, via personal norms, with a wide range of pro-environmental behaviors, including recycling, environmentally friendly traveling, purchasing environmentally friendly goods and drinking tap water. Based on theory and the current findings, we suggest directions for policies aimed at promoting pro-environmental behavior of adolescents.