From a developmental perspective, adolescence is a time of gaining independence, experimentation, and taking risks. One area of experimentation associated with adolescence is substance use. For counselors working with adolescents who use or abuse substances, or both, it is important to understand the scope of the problem and ways to effectively…

Research has linked youth activity involvement to positive development. However, past studies have confounded at least two separable dimensions of involvement: breadth (number of activities) and intensity (participation frequency). Theory and the limited available evidence suggest that these dimensions may make independent contributions to…

Although identity researchers now believe that identity formation occurs not only by separation from others but also in relational contexts, few empirical studies of this concept have been conducted. This paper has three aims: (1) to reconceptualize identity formation to take relational aspects into account, focusing particularly on identity…

This document presents "I'm Positive: Growing Up With Self-Esteem," an informal, personal study course designed to strengthen the reader's ability to nurture self-esteem in children from birth through adolescence. Special emphasis is given to four parenting skills: acceptance, encouragement, empowerment, and love. Weekly activities are provided…

The general development of the concept of self-esteem is reviewed, and concerns about the research strategies and issues are discussed. This paper focuses on adolescent self-esteem. Research is presented on global self-esteem, domain specific self-esteem as it relates to global self-esteem, and the identification of self-esteem trajectories.…

This booklet begins with a poem written by an adolescent undergoing psychotherapy for depression, then goes on to describe what depression is and to examine sex and age differences related to depression. The difference between clinical depression and feeling blue is explained. Various therapies used in the treatment of depression are identified.…

Adolescent mothers display less frequent, accepting, and involved interaction with their children than do older mothers. Yet the role of the young mothers' psychosocial immaturity in these phenomena remains unexplained. This project explores the validity of Newberger's model of Parental Awareness (PA) which outlines hierarchical stages in the…

This annually revised bibliography lists books on subjects of special interest and appeal to teenagers. Selected by the Committee on Books for Young Adults, which is composed of librarians who work with teenagers in the New York Public Library, the approximately 1,250 titles and brief annotations are arranged under the following main headings:…

Female college students (N=99) recounted memories of menarche, described menarcheal circumstances, and completed the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). Found inadequate emotional preparation for menstruation to be associated with negative feelings at menarche. Menarcheal circumstances were not strongly predictive of adult MDQ scores. (Author)

Administered self-concept and academic ability scales to 664 Malaysian adolescents to examine whether self-concept changes with age, not only in the global sense but in various components of the self-concept. Found that the self-concept of adolescent boys changed with age in the direction predicted. The trend was less obvious and less consistent…

Asserts that cognitive skills that develop during adolescence are crucial to successful contraceptive practice and that practitioners must understand special developmental setting in which adolescent sexual growth and experimentation occur in order to impact contraceptive use. Demonstrates how health and medical providers can work together to…

Addresses issue of socialization of the young for participation in society by viewing the family as a micro-society. Congruence between family themes and societally shared meanings is considered, utilizing ideas from the social construction of reality theories of Berger and Luckmann (1966). Three ideal-types of family themes are developed relative…

Issues connected with sexuality create conflict and countertransference dilemmas for staff who work with psychiatric adolescents in a therapeutic community. A system is proposed for articulating and working through these feelings, whereby the residential treatment center allows adolescents to develop a sense of self. (Author/NRB)

Surveyed 485 undergraduate students to determine on which developmental tasks they believed they were currently working. Results indicated students were simultaneously engaged in developmental tasks associated with middle childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, although they identified themselves as being in early adulthood. Results supported…

Presents a successful program for preventing isolation and alienation in early adolescents, developed by The Quest National Center. It uses a multimodal behavior therapy approach that works to combat the delusion of uniqueness many adolescents experience. Lists 11 references. (MD)