The Child Development & Behavior (CDB) Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) seeks to improve the health and well-being of individuals from infancy through early adulthood by supporting research into healthy growth and development, including all aspects of child development. The study of typical child…

Using data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project, this longitudinal study investigated the predictive validity of different dimensions of observed parent behavior on adolescent externalizing (aggression, hostility) and internalizing (depression, anxiety) problems over a 2-year period. In addition, the study examined how observer ratings…

This cross-cultural study was designed to overcome some limitations of previous research by not only inquiring into general attitudes toward physical punishment, but also by obtaining information concerning the context (for example, situation, type of misbehavior, and form of physical punishment). A cross-cultural comparison was made of attitudes…

Asserts that child care providers must collaborate with children's families in order to better understand their culture and their child, and to successfully deal with challenging behavior issues. Addresses: (1) culture definition; (2) culture and identity; (3) cultural differences; (4) seeing culture; (5) child care and school culture; (6) moving…

This essay argues that the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system does not appear to be related to emotion regulation processes in children, although individual differences in emotion processes related to negative emotion temperaments appear to be associated with individual differences in HPA reactivity among normally…

Surveyed state preschool centers in North Queensland, Australia to identify behaviors involved in antisocial play and the range of strategies used to deal with disruptive play. Findings highlighted the practice of keeping center rules and guidelines in public view, and the need for diversity and flexibility in access to and deployment of…

Investigates archival data of African American and Caucasian families referred for treatment of disruptive behavior problems. Following completion of pretreatment assessments, subjects and their parents received treatment using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). No significant differences between groups were found on the pretreatment…

The Child Behavior Rating Form (CBRF) was adapted for use with children having mental retardation and was named the Nisonger CBRF. Independent factor analyses of parent and teacher ratings for 369 children produced 2 Social Competence subscales and 6 Problem Behavior subscales. Internal consistency was generally high and parent-teacher agreement…

Outlines strategies for dealing with campers who have difficult behavior and includes examples in which camp staff were unaware of a camper's emotional or behavior problem. Case studies involve a camper with a learning disability and a camper who had been sexually abused by a teacher. Includes guidelines for establishing behavior agreements. (LP)

With an increasing array of problems affecting children in the home, schools are facing a vast array of behavioral and emotional concerns affecting childhood behavior. Yet, many school-based mental health professionals lack the knowledge to provide direct interventions. This article examines contemporary problems facing families, considers the…

This article reports the results of an in-depth, descriptive study of long-term welfare recipients. A random sample of 284 respondents, all of whom had received public assistance for at least 36 months, were interviewed. Results illustrate personal barriers to self-sufficiency, including physical health problems that prevent work, severe domestic…

This study investigated the immediate impact of an 8-month center- and home-based prevention program for preschoolers at high risk for conduct problems. We report immediate program effects on observed and self-rated parenting practices and observed child behavior with peers. Ninety-nine preschool-age siblings of adjudicated youths and their…

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) was a pioneer in studying the behavior of children in their natural life space of family, school, peer group, and community. His concept of the ecology of human development is transforming practice for effective work with children and youth. Bronfenbrenner's research highlights the power of human relationships to…

In this study we examined parent and teacher agreement at the item level of the newly revised Child Behavior Checklist/1??5 (CBCL/1??5) and Caregiver?Teacher Report Form/1??5 (CTRF/1??5) in 505 preschool children from low-income and predominantly African American families. Parents generally rated more children as having problem behaviors than did…

Early detection of developmental and behavioral/mental health problems is greatly facilitated when quality instruments are deployed. This article describes how to identify accurate measures and presents standards for screening tests. Included is a table delineating accurate tools for primary care: typically those relying on information from…