The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood antisocial outcomes has been demonstrated repeatedly across a variety of outcomes. Yet debate continues as to whether this association reflects a direct programming effect of nicotine on fetal brain development, or a phenotypic indicator of heritable liability passed from…

Recent research and policy initiatives have focused on the roles of Hispanic fathers in their children's literacy development. Research indicated that fathers are able to motivate children to acquire, develop, and use literacy; learn new roles to enhance their children's literacy development; participate in literacy activities; and influence their…

The current study investigates differences between inmate mothers' and fathers' reported rates of incarceration for family members, adult children, predictors of adult children's incarceration, and living situations of minor children. Participants included 6,146 inmates who participated in the U.S. Department of Justice Survey of Inmates in State…

This study investigated whether mothers are responsive to their children's literacy level, thus employing different writing mediation styles with each twin according to the child's level, or whether they possess a consistent style employed with both twins. The sample included 28 sets of twin kindergartners (56 children, M age = 68.89 months) and…

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for adverse outcomes such as substance abuse and criminality, particularly if they develop conduct problems. Little is known about early predictors of the developmental course of conduct problems among children with ADHD, however. Parental psychopathology and parenting …

Using multilevel models of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (N = 20,356), the authors find that parental involvement in education partially mediates the association between family poverty and children's math and reading achievement in kindergarten, but differences exist across race. In Asian families, poor and…

Purpose: The sharp increase in the number of international adoptions in the United States has prompted a heightened interest in the language development of internationally adopted children. Although recent studies have investigated the early language development of adoptees, little is known about the school-age language and literacy skills of…

Research Findings: This study analyzed the school readiness beliefs of parents of 452 children from public pre-kindergarten and the relations of these beliefs to socioeconomic status and children's readiness skills. Parents conceived readiness largely in terms of the ability to name objects, letters, or numbers, but few included inferential…

Certain parenting behaviors have been linked with youth aggression and violence, but less is known about whether parents' attitudes toward fighting are a risk factor for children's aggressive behavior problems and future injury risk. Social cognitive theory suggests that parents' beliefs about fighting and retaliation may influence their…

Using an expanded econometric model, this study sought to estimate more precisely the net effect of independent variables (i.e., attending an HBCU) on three measures of labor market outcomes for African American college graduates. Findings reveal a statistically significant, albeit moderate, relationship between measures of background, human and…

Since the late 1980s, school choice has become a popular education reform strategy. This document presents findings of the National Household Education Survey 1993 (NHES:93), a survey of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) that provides national data on school choice. The survey asked parents of children in grades 3-12 who were…

Since the late 1980s, school choice has become a popular education reform strategy. The National Household Education Survey 1993 (NHES:93), a survey of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), provides national data on school choice. The survey asked parents of children in grades 3-12 whether their child attended a private school or a…

This ethnographic study focuses on two homeless mothers and their efforts to support their families. The study reveals how the mothers came to be homeless and how this experience has affected them. The work examines the experiences of the mothers with and perceptions of their children's education as well as the roles the mothers play in the…

A total of 137 mothers and 76 fathers of sixth graders rated their relationship with their child in terms of closeness or conflict. Parents also provided data concerning their expectations for their child's changes over the next 2 years, and the degree to which they influenced their child's behavior and would influence it when the child became an…

Understanding the core issues of a woman's relationship with her mother can be beneficial to women striving for a more fulfilling life. Both men and women suffer some degree of damage in their early relationships with one or both parents, and the relationship which appears to have the strongest influence on a woman's life is often her relationship…