Gifted adolescents may identify as "gamers" who create avatars to navigate video games and cell phone apps. Avatars provide a unique venue through which gifted teens can explore the issues of self and identity in a critical time of their development. The purpose of this article is to (a) provide an overview of what avatars are, (b)…

Declining academic performance, along with a growing apathy of students toward the value of education, demonstrates that students in the United States public education system do not recognize the value of a positive experience in middle schools. A plethora of research and writing has been done on elementary schools and secondary schools, but…

Youth development professionals (YDPs) working at community-based organizations are in a unique position to interact with the adolescents because they are neither parents/guardians nor teachers. The objectives of this study were to explore qualitatively what sexual health issues adolescents discuss with YDPs and to describe those issues using the…

This article reports results of an analysis of the relationship of young people in school, and their individual and group attitudes based on sociometric theory. This study adopted a mixed methodological approach with an intervention conducted with 60 youths over 3 years in Portugal and was based on the question "Is sociometry capable of…

Staff-youth relationships are a key strength of after-school settings, though more research is needed to understand the actual processes whereby these interpersonal connections lead to beneficial outcomes. This qualitative study focuses on the relational strategies that staff employ within an urban youth organization, and the ways in which those…

An American sociologist who grew up in the Netherlands, Amy Schalet digs deep into cultural values about adolescent sexuality to explain the reasons for the vast disparities between American and Dutch sexual health indicators. This article reviews the book's key conclusions and discusses their implications for parents, educators, and policy…

Based on advice and information from Peace Corps volunteers, staff, and experts, this manual provides creative, innovative ideas for activities for youth that are founded on development principles. Part 1 provides information about these different kinds of youth a volunteer may encounter in the community: in-school, out-of-school, differently…

The concept of caring, especially when applied to adolescents, is often overlooked in education, perhaps due to the belief that parents are their primary nurturers or that adolescents do not require nurturing. This literature review examines periodicals, documents, books, and a television broadcast, all produced between 1990 and 1996, that deal…