Positive connections to other human beings are the foundation of healthy development. However, the contemporary youth development field is expanding beyond the notion of connectedness with known adults. "Connectedness" can also encompass ideas related to belonging, attachment, and reciprocal positive regard for the institutions, policies, and…

Becoming a teen father can lead to negative consequences for both the young father and his offspring. It is important to understand the process that leads some young men into fatherhood while others delay it until they are more developmentally ready. One possibility is that becoming a teen father is part of a more general deviant lifestyle. This…

The family plays a primary socializing role in the lives of boys and girls. The quality of relationships within the family is a particularly important element in the development of adolescent behaviors. A great deal of research demonstrates that family interactions characterized by parental nurturance, warmth, and social support reduce…