Many sexuality educators and professionals, even those involved in program development and planning, are not aware of the biological and social factors involved in gender identity development in youth. As such, this topic is often not as well addressed in whole life educational curricula as better understood topics, such as reproductive anatomy,…

This paper evaluates UNESCO's recommended sexuality educational framework for junior school students aged 5-8 years. It also compares it to an existing state-designed Health and Physical Education curriculum that includes sexual and reproductive health for the same cohort. Based on the universal values of respect and human rights, UNESCO's"…

This article presents findings from a study of the role of prior childhood adversity in the pubertal narratives of 16 African-American and White girls, defining "adversity" as the experience of stressful circumstances (e.g., abandonment, abuse) or psychological states (e.g., depression) that influence the experience of later life events,…

Life history theory provides a metatheoretical framework for the study of pubertal timing from an evolutionary-developmental perspective. The current article reviews 5 middle-level theories-energetics theory, stress-suppression theory, psychosocial acceleration theory, paternal investment theory, and child development theory-each of which applies…

Depression is an essential component in any consideration of emotional/behavioural difficulties in the schools. Depression can occur as a disorder or as a clinically significant array of depressive symptoms, both of which should be of concern to school personnel. The present paper reviews literature concerning the identification, prevalence, and…