Sexting is recognized as a common public issue as well as a prominent issue among researchers. Authors usually define sexting as sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages or nude, partially nude, or sexually suggestive digital images of one's self or others via a cell phone, e-mail, Internet, or Social Networking Service (Brown,…

This report presents findings from a systematic review of international reviews and meta-analyses, as well as Chinese empirical studies, on parent-child reading. Existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in English largely concern Western contexts -- especially the US and the UK -- yet few studies have reviewed articles in global…

Although school violence is on the decline, it remains a significant concern for the general public, policymakers, and researchers. This report commissioned by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) takes a comprehensive look at the state of the research on school violence and includes additional discussions about research on serious violence and…

There has been a consensus in research and practices that social and cultural aspects of lives contribute to literacy development, particularly in second language learning. The conception of literacy has been shifting from the lens of formal literacy learning in school settings into broader opportunities in sociocultural contexts, and some may…

This paper presents findings from a selective review of the literature related to predictors of school readiness in literacy and mathematics. School readiness was defined as what children are expected to know and do in a variety of academic domains and processes of learning prior to entering a formal classroom setting. Seven themes emerged, based…

Investigates the likelihood of family reunification across ethnic groups of youth using runaway shelter services nationwide. Youths who reported abuse or neglect by their parental figures or had parent(s) who were unemployed were less likely to reunify following a runaway episode. However, completing youth shelter services markedly increased the…

Examines relationships between trajectories of child hyperactivity and antisocial behavior symptoms for African Americans, European Americans, and Hispanics. Overall, child hyperactivity mediated the effects of family environment on child antisocial behavior, but with key racial differences. Results indicate the importance of conceptualizing…

Identified a number of risk factors contributing to early household formation. Found that for girls, factors included mother's educational level and birth order; for boys, parental divorce at any stage of childhood. Risk factors common to boys and girls were age of mother at time of child's birth and race. (HTH)

This literature review of family factors associated with externalizing behavior disorders such as hyperactivity and aggression in preschoolers found that: (1) preschoolers with externalizing disorders had families who were more likely than comparison families to have at least one type of negative characteristic; and (2) family characteristics were…

Examines various dimensions of functioning in alcoholic and nonalcoholic families. Participants were 813 college students who completed a standardized measure of family functioning, demographic questions, and questions related to experiences in their families of origin. Results indicate that children raised in alcoholic families tend to experience…

Examines relationships between family environment, discrepancies between the "actual" and the "desirable" environment, and children's test and trait anxiety. Main findings reveal that children's levels of anxiety were negatively correlated with dimensions of family environment and positively correlated with discrepancy between…

This study examines a group of 21 imprisoned males, convicted of murder whilst aged 18 years or less, and compares them on a range of psychosocial variables to 21 convicted non-violent burglars. Results showed that lower socio-economic status, harsh parenting, and exclusion from school were significantly more common for murderers. Confirms that…

Utilizes data from a prospective longitudinal study of at-risk children to explore multiple predictors of high school dropouts across development. Results reveal association of early home environment, quality of early caregiving, socioeconomic status, IQ, behavior problems, academic achievement, peer relations, and parent involvement with dropping…

Desegregation does not appear to be a significant factor promoting learning. Rather, more individual attention to students in the schools and educational support and stimulation at home (irrespective of race or social status) can greatly boost student achievement. (Author/GC)

Study explores why some female adolescents in La Paz, Bolivia, become pregnant while others in similar circumstances avoid early pregnancy. Results reveal that girls who had experienced a pregnancy were less likely to have reported affectionate and supportive parents, more likely to have reported fighting in their home, and exhibited lower levels…