This research examined alternative mechanisms in the etiology of attachment disorganization. The authors hypothesized that negative intrusive parenting would significantly predict children's attachment disorganization at age 12 months within a diverse community sample. Of more substantial interest, the authors tested moderational mechanisms in the…

According to the narrative perspective on personality development, personality is constructed largely by interpreting and representing experience in story format (scripts) over the course of the lifespan. The focus of this paper is to describe briefly the narrative perspective on personality development during childhood and adolescence, to discuss…

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how mental health practitioners can use the Enneagram's system of human personality development as a source of insight and a tool for personality transformation. The article provides an introduction to the Enneagram and its orientation to personality types and defines a linear process of how to use the…

This article provides qualitative outcomes from a group counseling intervention whose goal was to facilitate the ethnic identity development of Mexican-origin youth. Outcomes revealed that participants perceived group participation as meaningful. Themes that emerged from the data included the importance of the relationship to engender change,…

In 1910, the first college mental health service sought to help college students with personality development and building a healthy mind. In 1920, the meeting that founded the American College Health Association (ACHA) identified "mental hygiene" as important, although a separate Mental Health Section was not established in ACHA until 1957.…

This commentary focuses on the promises and challenges facing the Social and Character Development (SACD) consortium in evaluating the effectiveness of seven universal SACD programs designed to enhance student behavior and school climate under conditions of real world practice. In this commentary, we highlight that the opportunity costs associated…

Reviews the literature on children and the threat of nuclear war, focusing on four areas: awareness of nuclear weapons, fear of the bomb, influences on personality, and denial of the threat. The research is briefly critiqued, and implications for early childhood are drawn. (RH)

Tempermant provides a framework for appreciating and supporting individual differences of children while prompting ways to skillfully handle their behavior. The science of temperament and its applications also assists clinicians in exploring and improving the transactional patterns that occur between children and their environment. Article…

Offers information from a study of anorexia nervosa patients, discussing the behaviors and attitudes that characterize this group. Considers related social, cultural, and environmental factors. Suggests that educators voice concerns to the disturbed student and his/her parents in a simple and frank manner and encourage seeking professional medical…

Defines "at-risk youth." Describes characteristics of resilient children and their families, friends and mentors, schools, and communities. Discusses camp program practices that have been shown to promote resiliency: focus on youth development, intentional processes that target the personal domain, organizational elements borrowed from…

An overview of issues in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of withdrawn or isolated children is presented. Also examined are the most commonly used procedures for the treatment of social withdrawal in children. Limitations of existing conceptual and methodological approaches are discussed along with directions for future research and…

Review of a New Mexico study on factors discriminating between recidivist and resilient youth following incarceration led to development of guidelines for fostering resiliency by correctional educators. Specific guidelines address lesson planning, classroom management, and revising educational goals. (DB)

Discussed are principles of nonverbal therapy for deaf children with disorders in the development of self, and the possible existence of a relationship between lack of auditory experiences in deaf children and disorders in mother-child bonding. A case study presents a three-year-old deaf boy successfully treated through a nonverbal…

The article describes factors relevant to the psychoeducational model of intervention with behavior disordered students, including values, biological predispositions, psychological development, and continuity of experience. The therapeutic potential of the teacher and the curriculum in helping students generate personal resources for coping is…

This research review adopts a developmental perspective to the problem of gifted underachievement. It covers affective development characteristics, focusing on self-concept, locus of control, and personality and temperament; environmental influences such as family and school; and strategies for holistic development through a combination of direct…