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The Chronicle T h e i n d e p e n d e n t d a i ly at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y
xxxxxday,february tuesDAY, mmmm xx, 4, 2014 2013
www.dukechronicle.com
ONE ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED AND AND EIGHTH ninthYEAR, YEAR,Issue Issuexxx 78
Aggression in Feminist activists unite across shades of blue kids linked to neighborhoods by Carleigh Stiehm The Chronicle
A study that analyzed children from nine countries—including more than 300 families in Durham—found that children raised in a dangerous neighborhood are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. More than 1,290 families—from China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the United States—took part in the study led by Ann Skinner, a researcher with Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy. Although it has been widely accepted that there is a link between dangerous neighborhoods and aggressive children in the U.S., this was one of the first studies to examine the correlation internationally. In neighborhoods that were determined to be dangerous, children displayed higher levels of aggression, Skinner said. “We were able to replicate across the globe in a wide range of cultures, that when parents reported they lived in a dangerous neighborhood, we also saw increased levels of child aggression,” she said. Skinner noted that this observation was previously only reported with domestic samples. Since 2008, more than 300 Durham families were a part of the study that used parent responses to measure levels of child aggression—targeting behaviors like screaming and threatening others. Although differing parenting techniques were not found to be an effective way to mediate aggression when in dangerous neighborhoods, the study found that parents in dangerous areas often opted for harsher parenting techniques, Skinner said—noting that this style elevated the levels of reported aggression. “When children reported they felt they lived in a dangerous neighborhood, this was linked with harsher parenting methods, which were in turn linked with more child aggression,” she said. “Parent and child reports were mixed on this point, however, and this study only talks about correlations, not causes.” She added that further study will be needed to determine how parenting techniques influence the displays of aggression in children. Throughout the nine countries of See behavior, page 6
illustration by raisa chowdhury/The Chronicle
The Kenan-Biddle Partnership, which unites Duke and UNC students, has funded a new initiative focused on female empowerment.
by Hailey Cunningham The Chronicle
A new multi-campus initiative is working to connect and empower active feminist leaders from Duke and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Funded by a $5,000 grant from the Kenan-Biddle Partnership—which focuses on uniting students from Duke and UNC—the new Feminist Activist Initiative aims to facilitate equality on both campuses by promoting feminist leadership and activism. Twenty-two total applicants were accepted to the pro-
gram last week—11 from each school. The initiative received over 80 applications from Duke alone. “The initiative bridges class year and unites students with all different backgrounds from all different walks of life across two campuses in a network of feminist leaders,” said senior Lillie Reed, the initiative’s founder and chief administrator. “We want to build a community.” Unlike many of the other campaigns on campus, Reed said the Feminist Activist Initiative will have a strong focus on following through with action.
“Something that I find rather agitating about a lot of campaigns at Duke and at UNC, is that there’s a lot of awareness and leadership development, but not a lot of action,” Reed said. “As members of the initiative, the people participating will create an activist campaign of their own design.” Senior Cara Peterson, a member of the new initiative and co-founder of Duke Culture Initiative, hopes the campaign will emphasize mentorship. “There’s a lot of experience that can See Initiative, page 5
Tobia wants to amplify voice of student body by Kali Shulklapper The Chronicle
In his campaign for Young Trustee, senior Jacob Tobia wants to strengthen the voice of the student body. Tobia served as vice president for equity and outreach for Duke Student Government and president of LGBT student organization Blue Devils United. Along with participating in Project WILD pre-orientation program, he was an active member of Rhythm and Blue a cappella group, has been involved in theater productions such as the Me Too
Monologues and is currently a member of the selective living group Round Table. “People know me as an activist, but I’m much more than that,” Tobia said. “I’ve seen so much of this place—my experiences are broad enough to represent the student body well.” Tobia’s priority is to increase avenues through which students can voice their concerns to the University. Tobia said that the current model enables informal discussions of serious topics where professionalism is preferred.
“I don’t think that’s acceptable,” Tobia said. “It is important that any great campus has a mechanism where they can hear back from their community.” Tobia said he is committed to making the Board of Trustees more accessible to students by creating a student forum designed for professional dialogue. Despite these challenges, Tobia has pursued a number of his own projects. Through work with DukeOpen and the Business and Finance Committee of the See tobia, page 5