Children who exhibit persistently elevated levels of conduct problems (CP) from early childhood, so-called early-starters, are known to be at increased risk for continued CP throughout middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Theoretical and empirical work has focused on this subgroup of children characterized by similar risk factors, an…

Though often discussed as a discrete event, puberty comprises one segment of a larger developmental continuum and is notable for rapid transformation across a multitude of domains. While an earlier timing of puberty relative to peers stands as one of the most well-replicated antecedents of adolescent difficulties for girls, findings have been less…

The Relational Model (J. V. Jordan, 1995) of women's development is a theory that explains women's development in a context of relationships, specifically relationships that promote growth for self and others. This model is applied to counseling women who are experiencing infertility, and a case presentation is provided to illustrate the approach.…

Based on studies of girls' loss of voice and self-confidence in early adolescence, the author introduces a poetics of research grounded in feminist epistemology to explore why this happens and how women can recover their "courage"--to speak one's mind by telling all one's heart. (SK)

Reviews dissertation and thesis research that explores adult women's perspectives on their own learning. Key themes include personal development, ways of knowing, and marginality. One concern is the lack of any coherent line of research on women's learning. Discusses implications for practice and further research. (EMK)

Childbearing among African American girls of lower socioeconomic status who are 16 to 21 years of age constitutes a "career choice" and an alternative, normative path within African American culture. The author addresses this choice from the perspective of vocational and developmental psychology. The views presented incorporate a…

The number of children and adult women known to have experienced an incestuous relationship is growing. Clinical case studies, systematic empirical case studies, and comparative empirical studies have been conducted to examine the effects of incest. Although few studies have been able to directly connect psychological and relational problems of…

This article reviews several research studies on the achievement of gifted females. Factors that appear to contribute to lower achievement in career and profession include lower aspirations, lack of mentors, pressure to put energy into family, and poor self-esteem. Stressed are the different timelines for achievement experienced by many females.…

The transformational leadership style, in which power is delegated to participants who then work to their capacity to complete required tasks, is appropriate for all people to combat the current tendency to consume experiences without developing responsibility or commitment. A model of personal growth through adventure is outlined. (SAS)

The controversy between Margaret Mead and Derek Freeman about Mead's work (1928) on coming of age in Samoa in the 1920s is analyzed. Freeman's claim to have refuted Mead's findings can be easily refuted itself. Mead's study, arguing that adolescent turmoil is not universal, stands the test of time. (SLD)

The past 15 years have brought a re-evaluation of women's adult development in light feminist thinking. However, many outdated assumptions in psychological theory remain comfortably ensconced; to challenge these ideas, some misrepresentations of women's experience are examined. The focus is on Erik Erikson's explanation of the second stage of…

Legal and political theorists strive at expanding the scope of children's rights to cover further areas of their lives and choices. This paper suggests that this effort is misguided, and that the protection of children requires instituting adults' obligations, rather than broadening children's rights. Contrary to the common theoretical and…

Today, while secular society has opened up a new range of roles and psychological expectations to women, the status and life of Orthodox Jewish women remain circumscribed by Jewish religious law. Orthodox women face inequality in four areas: in the synagogue and participation in prayer; in religious education; in legal areas such as status in…

This article explores the impact of internal barriers, priorities, and personal decisions on the realization of the potential of gifted females. Dilemmas relating to family, fear of success, the development of resilience, multi-potentiality, absence of planning, confusion about effort and ability, perfectionism, unreal expectations, and loneliness…

Adult development theorists believe that the changes that occur during the adult years are predictable and age linked. Their theories explain how change is resolved by the majority of the adult population. Three persons whose research has been influential in the field of adult development during the 1970s are Erik Erikson, Daniel Levinson, and…