Alcoholic beverage consumption among high school students has shifted from beer to liquor. The current longitudinal study examined the effects of beverage-specific alcohol use on drinking behaviors among urban youth. Data included 731 adolescents who participated in Project Northland Chicago and reported consuming alcohol in 7th grade. Logistic…

This article takes up what people might learn about resistance and surveillance by looking at how students at a Bronx, New York, high school have responded to security initiatives recently imposed on them. It discusses three responses: the protest; tactical avoidance; and what the author calls emergent participation. The author addresses each of…

Investigated differences between father absence and father presence among 433 male African-American adolescents in a Midwestern city. Results for the 74.1% who were "father absent" support the importance of the father's presence, although the mother's involvement was a buffer for some delinquent behaviors. (SLD)

The impact the father's attitude toward premarital sexual intercourse has on the sexual behavior of the father's adolescent child was studied with approximately 750 inner-city African American youth. Results showed that adolescent perceptions of paternal attitudes were predictive of teen sexual behavior independent of perceptions of maternal…

Examined the reliability of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Scale (MEIM) (J. Phinney, 1992) in measuring feelings of ethnic affirmation and belongings, ethnic behaviors, and ethnic knowledge with 118 inner-city African American children aged 8 to 12 years. Results of reliability analyses are mixed and indicate that constructs of ethnic behavior and…

Inner-city, young adult Black males with a suicide attempt in the last six months, and matched controls were examined. The validity of the theory of Black self-hatred as the basic cause of suicidal behavior among Blacks is questioned. A theory focusing on forces moving toward positive subgroup ties is proposed. (Author)

Interviewed 420 street youths in a midwestern city to analyze their sexual behaviors. Ninety-one percent were sexually active, and nearly half were engaged in sex for survival. Discusses the need to coordinate comprehensive social services to prevent an increase in the number of street youth. (SLD)

Assessed the effects of a proactive instructional approach to school-wide discipline in common areas of an urban elementary school of 555 students on the social interactions of students and referrals for disciplinary action. Results show a clear improvement in social behavior that was maintained throughout the experiment. (SLD)

Used stepwise regression procedures to determine classroom behaviors associated with eight dimensions of reading attitudes among inner-city fifth graders. Classroom behaviors were measured by teacher ratings. Results indicate seven of the eight dimensions of reading attitude showed a significant relationship with some aspect of classroom behavior.…

Effects of a 52-lesson, class-taught, social-problem-solving training program for third-grade children were assessed. Program children improved more than controls on several cognitive skills, including problem identification, alternative-solution thinking, and consequential thinking as well as on behavioral problem-solving performance.…

Studied the similarity of behaviors among group members and the effects of a risk-reduction intervention aimed at AIDS/HIV prevention with 76 groups of African-American urban adolescents (n=382 youth) studied over 18 months. Data support the usefulness of HIV prevention through groups of friends. (SLD)

Studies dietary patterns that distinguish children with higher and lower mean daily percentages of calories from saturated fat using data from mothers of 205 Latino children aged 4-7 years in New York City. Substituting low-fat for whole milk appears a key strategy for lowering saturated fat intake. (SLD)

Examined ways in which 27 urban ninth graders from diverse backgrounds displayed empowering behaviors and attitudes. Students clearly voiced that they were in control of their actions. Schooling in the urban setting often placed these students in classroom environments in which student empowerment was displayed through acts of resistance and…

Instead of working solely to control young people and to put offenders behind bars, society should be trying to build a responsible community in which young people, aware of their value, act responsibly because they have seen responsible behavior in action. The importance of ritual and initiation for youth is discussed. (SLD)

Studies previously identified factors associated with adolescent pregnancy among a nationally representative sample of unmarried African-American females (n=4,663) born between 1938 and 1962. Data from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth suggest substantial changes in sexual behavior over the years. (SLD)