The paper focuses on four representative studies regarding definitions of sexual abuse, describes differences in the definitions used, and examines how such differences may contribute to discrepancies in the estimated prevalence. Historical and legal issues pertaining to the definition of child sexual abuse are also discussed. (Author/CL)

Examines relevance of region and migration to divorce. Regions of high population mobility have high divorce rates, regions with low migration rates experience low levels of family dissolution. Persisting regional differences in the incidence of family dissolution are independent of relevant social demographic variables. (Author/ABL)

Examined relationship between farm economic crisis and farmer suicide rates using data from 15 states from 1980 to 1985. Found suicide rates for farmers were greater than truck drivers but no different from forestry workers. (Author/ABL)

This paper is a continuation of the antagonistic dialogue about the differences of chaordic systems thinking (CST) and socio-technical systems design (STS). In this second part of the conversation a concrete example is used to illustrate the added value provided by CST. Whereas STS focuses on an organization's surface by designing processes and…

This paper discusses (a) the role of cognitive and noncognitive ability in shaping adult outcomes, (b) the early emergence of differentials in abilities between children of advantaged families and children of disadvantaged families, (c) the role of families in creating these abilities, (d) adverse trends in American families, and (e) the…

Every state offers community colleges as the first rung on the ladder of higher education. They prepare students for four-year colleges, educate key professions, offer job training and basic skills, and bolster economic development. However, this education policy brief finds that the 50 states differ widely in the extent to which they use their…

This investigation examined faculty attitudes, beliefs, and practices with regard to students with learning disabilities (LD). An instrument was designed to measure attitudes and administered to all faculty in a large urban, private university. Responses from 192 faculty members were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis; results indicated…

The author reports on research conducted of teachers and their instruction in a US urban public school, with narrative and counter-narrative employed as analytic tools. Central questions guiding the study included: How do teachers' counter-narratives and experiences influence them in their urban school classrooms? How do teachers' multiple and…

About a year ago, Heidelberg College pumped up its spending for a new, streamlined scholarship program, and then promoted its simplified formula so that students would know how much they could get before they even applied. Heidelberg's strategies worked as it was able to brought in the second-largest class in its 158-year history and a gain in its…

The article elaborates and discusses the relation between professional college programmes in social work, nursing and primary school teaching and professional work in institutions, hospitals and schools. Empirical data from bachelor students in the beginning (first year) and the end (third year) of their programmes and from candidates three years…

Education and business leaders as well as the public at large have grown increasingly concerned about the achievement disparities that children from at-risk backgrounds manifest at a young age. Early childhood initiatives that take into account the entire preschool period of 0 to 5 years need a better understanding of the disparities which may be…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of questioning "during" a read-aloud and questioning "after" a read-aloud, using science-related informational tradebooks with first-and second-graders. Three thematically-related tradebooks were used, each portraying a scientist involved in authentic investigation. Students in two first/second…

This study was designed to research the difference in parental training in phonemic awareness on the achievements of their children who had been identified as struggling readers. Subjects were children from ten kindergarten and first grade classrooms residing in federally subsidized housing. An experimental group (the phonemic awareness trained…

Mother- and father-reported reactions to children's negative emotions were examined as correlates of emotional understanding (Study 1, N = 55, 5- to 6-year-olds) and friendship quality (Study 2, N = 49, 3- to 5-year-olds). Mothers' and fathers' supportive reactions together contributed to greater child-friend coordinated play during a sharing…

This report finds that the South's public schools have a majority of students of color for the first time in history. In the school year ending 2009, African American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, American Indian, and multi-racial children constituted slightly more than half of all students attending public schools in the 15 states of the…