Solitude occurs from childhood to old age. In this special issue introduction, we offer a lifespan perspective on matters of solitude with the aim to point to pertinent issues in the field. We propose that solitude serves important functions that may vary across different times in life and that solitude needs to be considered in the context in…

This article synthesizes knowledge on the role of relationships and key macro- and micro-contexts -- poverty, racism, families, communities, schools, and peers - in supporting and/or undermining the healthy development of children and youth, using a relational developmental systems framework. Relationships with parents, siblings, peers,…

Amid growing recognition that strong academic skills alone are not enough for young people to become successful adults, this comprehensive report offers wide-ranging evidence to show what young people need to develop from preschool to young adulthood to succeed in college and career, have healthy relationships, be engaged citizens, and make wise…

The authors examined how the variability in adult conflict resolution styles in family and school contexts was related to adolescents' positive development. Cluster analysis classified 440 fathers, 440 mothers, and 125 tutors into 4 clusters, based on self-reports of their conflict resolution styles. Adolescents exposed to Cluster 1 (inconsistency…

A multidisciplinary body of literature has established that students' affective relationships with teachers are associated with important academic and developmental outcomes. In this article, we explored late adolescents' active interpretations of what we call "being known" in high school. Distinct from a generalized perception of the…

Identity research has focused primarily on outcomes associated with identity formation. Far less attention, however, has been given to understanding the facilitating contextual elements of this process. This qualitative study examined a context, a 2-week adventure recreation program for youth, quantitatively shown in previous research to have…

Researchers have focused primarily on the processes and outcomes associated with adolescent identity development. Less is known about the interpersonal and contextual elements that facilitate the identity formation process. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate a structured recreation context that had been…

An assessment from a holistic perspective considers the overall well-being of the adolescent and seeks to understand the adolescent's development and resiliency in relation to social relationships and their context and risks, given the association between these factors and the goal to promote each area. It is recommended that measures in the…

Investigated hypothesis that individuals evaluate self-worth differently across relational contexts while holding perceptions of global self-worth. Found that adolescents' self-worth perceptions varied across contexts. Support in a given context was more highly correlated with relational self-worth in the corresponding context than in other…

Examined whether relationship seriousness influenced youths' sexual behaviors and attitudes. Found that interpersonal context influenced sexual timetables of whites more than other groups. Some ethnic differences in sexual timetables were diminished when sociodemographic factors were controlled. Youth generally began sexual activities with a…