SRA Statements

 SRA’s Response to a Tweet about the SRA Blog

9/23/2022
SRA strongly values work on race and racism, including White racial socialization. Blog posts on similar topics have been published on the SRA website previously. In fact, as you note, JRA published your original paper in a special section on whiteness in our journal and, like all JRA authors, you were invited to submit a blog post.

Based on the correspondence we obtained from the Associate Editors of the blog, editorial changes were requested (as is typical in revise and resubmit processes). One request was to address the examples used as the blog did not afford the context which the full paper provided. We apologize for messaging conveying that SRA is uncomfortable with the discussion of whiteness in a negative light, as this is against the core anti-racist principles of SRA. As the Associate Editors could not reach consensus, they requested the SRA Board to assist with the process. However, because we have an autonomous editorial process for both research articles in JRA and SRA blog posts, we referred it back to the SRA Blog Associate Editors to make the final decision.

We appreciate that the blog process is a unique platform for presenting research. While we tried to model the SRA blog process much like a journal review process, we acknowledge that this medium requires a different set of expertise and skills, and we are carefully evaluating refinements to the blog process as we move forward. We are working closely with our SRA Blog Editorial Board on this and look forward to sharing the new process soon.

 

Joint Statement on Adolescents and Young Adults following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

7/14/2022
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson is an egregious attack on bodily autonomy, removing a pregnant person’s right to autonomous decision making over the most personal and most consequential of life decisions. While this is devastating for all persons, adolescents and young adults will suffer greatly from this decision. This ruling reversed nearly 50 years of legal precedent, issued a direct assault on reproductive justice and the public’s health, and curtailed the status of pregnant persons as free and equal citizens (as noted in the dissenting opinion). We are collectively opposed to this violation of human rights, which will be especially harmful to vulnerable and marginalized populations including adolescents and young adults. We object to any restrictions placed on the reproductive rights of adolescents and young adults. Access to safe abortion is a basic part of comprehensive reproductive health care. This ruling contradicts the broad medical and scientific consensus that abortion is a fundamental component of healthcare, abortion is safe, and abortion is a human right.

Adolescents and young adults already face more barriers than adults in accessing comprehensive reproductive healthcare services and abortion care, such as cost, confidentiality concerns, and limited knowledge and experience seeking healthcare. This ruling means that abortion services will be either obliterated or severely limited in many geographic areas. Remaining avenues for accessing abortion care will be difficult if not impossible for young people, putting their futures, health, and safety at risk. Marginalized individuals and communities and those who experience systemic oppression are also uniquely vulnerable.

Adolescents and young adults deserve a health system that meets their needs and healthcare professionals who offer comprehensive reproductive health care. As professionals, we will continue to affirm young people in their pursuit of confidential and comprehensive reproductive health care, generate scientific evidence on how to optimize and support their physical and psychological well-being, and advocate for their basic rights. We are vehemently opposed to this ruling’s infringements on human rights. We support and defend the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young adults.

Signed,
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
Society for Family Planning
Society for Research on Adolescence
Society for Research in Child Development
UCLA Center on the Developing Adolescent

 

Gun Violence:

SRA Response to Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX

SRA mourns the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. This shooting is the most recent and deadly in a staggering number of mass shootings occurring in many communities across the United States, including shootings this month at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, in Koreatown in Dallas, TX,  and at a Presbyterian church in Irvine, California (Gun Violence Archive, 2022; NPR, 2022). Our condolences go out to all affected by these heinous acts, including families, friends, and community members. SRA acknowledges that this new wave of grief is occurring in a context of decades of mass shootings, and occurred as we mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, one of the deadliest school shootings in the history of the United States. These mass shootings reverberate across the nation, as youth, parents, and communities are all impacted by the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. These events have resounding consequences for adolescent development and wellbeing.  No one should have to fear becoming a victim of gun violence.

SRA calls for action from elected officials to address the gun violence epidemic, including:

  • Expansion of research that begins to identify factors at multiple levels that account for recent increases in the frequency and severity of mass shootings in the United States.
  • Funding of evidence-based programs and research to address gun violence prevention and effective responses to mitigate the negative impacts of gun violence when it occurs
  • Increased funding for screening and treatment of mental health concerns and issues, especially among adolescents and young adults, and particularly among those seeking access to firearms. This is imperative because for many individuals, mental health concerns and issues first emerge during these developmental periods. 

These calls for action are only a few of many research-based recommendations on gun violence prevention that have also been proposed by organizations such as the American Psychological Association (2013), American Public Health Association (2021), and American Medical Association (2022).

Talking with children and adolescents about safety and concerns related to guns and school shootings is crucial in helping them navigate these tragedies. The following list of resources may help adults talk to their children about gun violence.

 Anti-Racism:

SRA is committed to promoting anti-racism within our organization, developmental science, and society at large. We define anti-racism as racial equity created and maintained by interactions between equitable psychological factors, such as beliefs, feelings, and behavior rooted in equity, and equitable sociopolitical factors, such as laws, policies, and institutions that ensure equity for all (Roberts & Rizzo, 2020). Having an anti-racist perspective means challenging, interrupting, and eliminating all forms of racism within ourselves and our spheres of influence (Derman-Sparks & Phillips, 1997).