Analyzes burglary rates for 141 cities for which data on burglary, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), cost of living, unemployment, household status, and other social and economic variables were available. Cost-of-living AFDC payment per recipient was found to have a direct negative impact on burglary and a separate indirect negative…

Discusses the continued incidence of food insecurity and hunger among American families despite a booming economy, and discusses the impact of malnutrition on children's development. Describes increases in demands for emergency food, suggesting changes in the Food Stamp Program. Identifies continued earnings inequalities. (KB)

Discusses the sudden increase of families with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line, noting particularly the impact on children. Notes a direct link between increased family poverty and the decreasing protective role of cash welfare and food stamp benefits. Describes federal proposals to increase minimum wage and cut taxes; makes…

Critiques Hirsh's book, "The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them," which suggests that progressive education is rampant in today's school, and all students should learn important subject matter content that should be appropriately sequenced and uniformly paced, with achievement objectively measured. Critiques Hirsh's minimization…

Examines domestic violence embedded within the lives of poor, white, urban middle school boys, describing observations and interviews conducted with 18 boys in their bilingual school, on neighborhood streets, and in the community center. Suggests that by not disrupting their violent attitudes and tendencies, the institutions around which their…

Studies differences in social mobility between rich and poor families. Finds that borrowing constraints retard social mobility among the poor by preventing poor parents from investing optimally in their children's human capital. Also finds that sibling inequality appears to be independent of parental wealth. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/PKP)

Describes the experiences of several families who are homeless in New York City, looking at what it is like for the children in these families, how the parents cope with trying to find work and a place to live, and how these families are treated by the system as they wait for various kinds of assistance. (SM)

Using an ecological risk-protection perspective, explores functional changes in single African American mothers (N=96) receiving government assistance. Examines links among maternal employment, mothers' physical and psychological health, and children's attributions about causes of poverty. Maternal psychological distress was linked with children's…

Using African American parents' answers to survey questions, researchers examined variation in management of their children's education within the home, school, and community as a function of child academic achievement. Parents of high- and low-achieving students emphasized the importance of education, recognizing their role in helping them…

An absenteeism study found that the largest percentage of teacher absences was due to professional development activities, illness, and vacant positions. High schools had lower absence rates than elementary and middle schools and centers. Absenteeism was also related to number of kids eligible for free-lunch programs. (Contains 20 references.)…

A study investigated how neighborhood and individual factors affected 400 parents from neighborhoods with different risk profiles for child maltreatment report rates. Neighborhood factors of impoverishment and child care burden significantly affected child abuse potential. Variation in child abuse potential within neighborhoods was greater than…

Assessed relationship between family instability and problem behaviors at ages 5 and 7 years. Found direct, concurrent relations between family instability and preschool children's externalizing behavior in the context of other family process variables, relations between subsequent family instability and first-grade children's internalizing…

High-performance, high-poverty schools are distinguished from other high-poverty schools by the strength of their school-level and district leadership, described as goal-oriented and ethical; their commitment to building a learning community, characterized by inclusion, collegiality, and collaboration; and their focus on putting research on how…

Outlines key dimensions of social cohesion, exploring whether societies are facing a new crisis in this area. Examines where contemporary residential neighborhoods fit into social cohesion debates, particularly regarding the interaction between social cohesion and social capital. Outlines key debates over social capital, showing how it can be…

Investigated whether living in a deprived area compounded residents' disadvantaged status and whether area effects contributed to social exclusion. Data from surveys conducted in deprived and socially mixed neighborhoods indicated that both structure and agency were important in influencing neighborhood problems, though living in areas of…