Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the effects of group cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) on improving anxiety symptoms and enhancing personal growth among adolescents at risk of developing anxiety disorders in school settings in Hong Kong. Method: A total of 26 participants received an eight-session CBT group and 20 received…

Full-term neonates from 37 pairs of same-sex twins, either small or appropriate for gestational age (SGA/AGA), were observed during the first sleep cycle after feeding to determine if behavioral indices of central nervous system (CNS) functioning were related to risk for the SGA infants. No differences were observed between groups for time spent…

This study examined whether cry acoustics enhance the prediction of developmental outcome in preterm infants, after accounting for medical and social variables. Selection criteria for 149 preterm subjects included being born at less than 35 weeks gestational age and less than 1,500 grams; for 25 term subjects, selection criteria included being…

This study compares various approaches for incorporating family risk factors in explanatory models of children's achievement over the first 4 years of school. Living in poverty, in a single-parent household, in a household whose primary home language is non-English, and having a mother with less than a high school diploma are well-known risk…

Results of a study of physically abused elementary school children in the four urban boroughs of New York City are reported. The study recruited 106 families with a physically abused child between the ages of 8 and 12 years. A matched control sample was recruited from classmates. The abuse sample was highly representative of the New York City…

Recent third-person perception articles suggest that optimistic bias is the mechanism underlying the perceptual bias, but fail to empirically test the assumption. Minority "at-risk" youth are neglected in both literatures, despite the fact that they are frequently the target audience for the resulting campaigns. This study sought to…

This study compared 17 toddlers identified as prenatally exposed to cocaine (along with marijuana, alcohol, or nicotine), with another group of 10 toddlers with no prenatal exposure. All subjects were African-American, 1-3 years of age, and in foster care. Toddlers were age- and gender-matched and compared on measures of temperament, development,…

This study examined motor, academic, and behavioral performance of 38 nine-year-old Australian children who had been described as biologically "at-risk" from neonatal conditions. In addition to individual tests taken by subjects, school progress questionnaires were administered to teachers and parents. Subjects were found to require a…

Noting prenatal and early childhood home visitation by nurses has had positive effects on birth outcomes in several at-risk populations, this study examined the impact of weekly home visits by systematically trained visitors on birth outcomes of high-risk pregnant women within the context of a Florida Healthy Start project. Participating were…

Noting that the kindergarten year is important in establishing competencies critical to children's success and achievement in school, and the lack of information on how children make the transition to kindergarten, this study examined differences in parental reports of children's adjustment behaviors for a large, nationally representative sample…

This study investigated the social cognitive abilities, social adjustment, and self-esteem of maltreated preschoolers and those at risk for abuse. Subjects were 12 maltreated children, 22 children at risk for abuse, and 22 control children. Children completed the Social Problem Solving Test--Revised, a test of Attributed Intentions and Aggressive…

This study examines otitis media as a possible factor associated with increased risk for communicative handicap in a group of children with a possible vulnerability for language delay: "late-talkers." Speech and language outcomes at ages 3 and 4 were examined in 28 late talkers and 24 children with normal language development. Late…

Early findings are reported from the Michigan State University Vulnerability Study, a study of differences in parents and children of families with an alcoholic father and matched, community control families with a non-alcoholic father. Male preschool children in the alcoholic homes were the target group, because they are 6 to 10 times more at…

Since 1995, community schools in the Netherlands have provided multiple interventions to improve student behavior and socioemotional functioning, improve the home educational environment, decrease risk behavior, decrease educational and physical disadvantages, and create opportunities for all children in a neighborhood. This study examined the…

This study investigated the way in which parental beliefs moderate affective reactions to children at risk for abuse. A sample of 40 unrelated mothers was drawn from a larger research project. At-risk and not-at-risk children were recruited from 40 families participating in counseling at a local child abuse agency. At-risk status was determined…