The authors examined ecological risk factors associated with teen pregnancy with a sample of 1,190 court-involved female juvenile offenders between 11 and 18 years of age. Data were obtained from five Midwestern juvenile county courts using a recently developed youth risk assessment instrument called the global risk assessment device (GRAD). In…

This report presents the latest analysis of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and policies that affect young children in the People's Republic of China and poses overall recommendations to move forward. Shanghai, being a model for several developmental issues in China, is used as an example to help elucidate viewpoints whenever…

Relationships are important in helping youth, including vulnerable youth, achieve their goals and a transition into adulthood. Having the skills to manage healthy intimate partner relationships can make a difference as youth make decisions related to school, employment, pregnancy prevention, and establishing strong relationships. These skills may…

Background: "Hooking up" behaviors, or sexual activities without commitment or emotional attachment, are occurring among college students. Purpose: This study examined the relationship between hooking up and two measures of religiosity. Methods: Data was obtained from students at a mid-southern university (n=459). Results: Most respondents…

Teenage pregnancy and the subsequent social morbidities associated with unintended pregnancies are complex issues facing school nurses in their daily work. In contemporary practice, school nurses are being held to higher standards of accountability and being asked to demonstrate the effective outcomes of their interventions. The purpose of this…

This report analyzes problems in New York State efforts to reduce unwanted adolescent pregnancy and its associated problems. Following an executive summary and introduction, the report consists of five sections. Section 1 details the framework and background for the Task Force recommendations. Section 2 provides an overview of current efforts to…

An evaluation of case management services to families on public assistance suggests that a "logic model" and an "open systems" evaluation approach might be useful in program evaluation. A second study describes how the logic model and open systems evaluation were used to develop an evaluation plan for services to homeless…

An overview of research on pre-adolescent and adolescent pregnancy is provided, and innovative school and community-based prevention programs are discussed. The implications for psychologists with respect to preventive programing in school settings are considered. (SLD)

This handbook was written to encourage and assist school districts, schools, and community-based organizations to respond to the growing need for adolescent pregnancy prevention activities in the middle grades. It reflects the experiences of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs across the country, particularly those of the eight Urban Middle…

This report documents a history of unintended pregnancy, premature motherhood, and failure to plan for the future. Research indicates that most homeless young women are aware of birth control, but few of those who became pregnant were able to translate this knowledge into practice. The failure of homeless mothers to engage in family planning is…

This fourth volume of the 1981 Report of the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health presents a collection of commissioned papers prepared in order to provide working groups of the panel with background information on major areas of health care and health policy toward children and pregnant women. The papers are grouped according to the…

Reviews literature on prenatal drug abuse to (1) estimate mothers' drug use and exposure of infants; (2) document the relationship between prenatal drug use and adverse birth outcomes; and (3) examine effects of maternal drug use on birth defects. Argues for more treatment facilities and greater prevention efforts. (SLD)

An in-depth discussion of national and local statistics regarding teenage and adolescent pregnancy and the developmental issues involved opens this analysis. Problems and adverse consequences of adolescent pregnancy in an urban setting are explored using a city-wide random sample of adolescent births. A model pregnancy and parenting program and…

Project TEAM (Team Education for Adolescent Mothers) is a support program designed to counteract the socioeconomic consequences of early childbearing, by developing a model for providing high-quality care services for pregnant adolescents, adolescent parents, their infants, and their extended families. The project has four site locations:…

Adolescent sexual activity and the resulting pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases have been on the rise during the past several decades. This chapter addresses each of the three objectives regarding sexual behavior outlined in the Healthy People 2000 initiative. Background data and trends in adolescent sexual behavior are…