Since the early 1980s researchers have increasingly turned to family systems theory and stress and coping theory to conceptualize the relationship between parental adjustment and children's adaptive process. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of maternal coping strategies upon the adaptive processes of children. That is, how…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" presents findings from research examining the influence of collective socialization, concentration of disadvantage, and prevalence of crime on conduct…

Play is a natural activity for children that provides opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, and socially. These two booklets offer toy selection advice from the government agency charged with protecting the public against unreasonable risks of injury associated with consumer products. The first booklet outlines toy choices for: (1)…

Since 1995, community schools in the Netherlands have provided multiple interventions to improve student behavior and socioemotional functioning, improve the home educational environment, decrease risk behavior, decrease educational and physical disadvantages, and create opportunities for all children in a neighborhood. This study examined the…

This handbook gives step-by-step instruction on using play therapy with children in school and private practice settings. The second edition builds on the fundamental instruction of the first edition and supplies play therapists with the necessary tools to strengthen therapeutic work with children-- especially those with problematic attitudes--…

The central objective of this study was to draw interdependent relationships between preschoolers' social functioning and their modes of social thought. Assessment of 67 four-year-olds was done through systematic observations of social behavior, including social participation, type of play, and affective involvement in the preschool setting, as…

The rapid development of special classes for middle-range, severely retarded, or trainable children has brought into sharp focus a number of relatively new instructional problems. What educational aptitudes do these children possess and what should be the objectives and procedures in teaching them? On the basis of the quantitative and experimental…

Focuses on the issue of change in preschool discourse and argues that changes are related to the emergence of new rationales for governing the child. Specifically describes a period of transition (1920-1940) in the history of the Swedish preschool when Friedrich Froebel's discourse on the child became replaced by developmental psychology. (SD)

Argues that parents and educators must strive to develop true independence within their children. Argues that independence is achieved by encouraging a strong will in children which enables them to fully develop their personality and arms them with the skills to make decisions, create positive self-esteem, and be responsible and sympathetic…

Tested the basic hypothesis that failure experiences at school increase the likelihood of aversive parent-child interaction after school. Subjects were 254 elementary school students. Found that children who rated more academic failure events at school described parents as more disapproving after school, but this effect was only partially mediated…

Identified groups of economically disadvantaged children showing high externalizing behavior in first grade that persisted (persistent) or decreased (improver) in third grade, or low first- grade levels that were stable (unproblematic) or increased (new problem) in third grade. Found that verbal ability, behavioral impulsivity, parent…

European- and African-American mothers reported their use of physical discipline with their children. Mothers, teachers, and peers rated the children's externalizing problems annually from kindergarten through grade 3. Found that physical discipline was associated with higher teacher- and peer-rated externalizing scores for European-American…

Examined the effectiveness of an intervention program to prevent conduct problems among the preschool sons of 104 alcoholic fathers. The 10-month intervention combined parent training and marital counseling and had significant positive effects on the children's negative, prosocial, and affective behavior at program termination. Only the prosocial…

Used a standard picture-ranking task to assess preschooler's attitudes about orthopedically handicapped individuals. Found that children as young as preschool age can hold a functionally related preference for a normal over a physically handicapped person. Children who held this preference interacted differently in social situations than children…

Examines children's response to initial separation as they enter school or day care. Suggests that starting school is normally accompanied by some degree of anxiety for both children and parents. Examines two patterns of insecure attachment: anxious-avoidant and anxious-resistant. Offers ideas and practical suggestions for helping parents and…