Provides a review and integration of findings on the effects of parenting styles and maternal employment on children's academic achievement. Presents a model in which it is argued that maternal employment status has little, if any, direct effect on children's academic achievement. Suggests maternal employment affects parenting styles, which in…

Reports on interviews with 20 assaulted women about their concerns for their children and how these concerns affected the decision to leave the assailant. Fifty-five percent of the women's children had witnessed violence, and 90 percent of these children had become involved in the physical or psychological abuse in some way, even after separation.…

Compared early adolescent involvement with antisocial peers and boys' experiences at age 10. Poor parental discipline and monitoring, peer rejection, and academic failure at age 10 predicted involvement with antisocial peers at age 12. Continuity between boys' antisocial behavior and peer contact at ages 10 and 12 was found. (BC)

Parent attitudes and effects of parent participation were studied for workshops for professionals trying to become more family-focused in early intervention programs for children with disabilities. Thirty professionals and six mothers participated. Parent presence influenced the extent to which professionals perceived a need for change in program…

Studies female engineers' characteristics, how they were socialized into engineering, and coping mechanisms for a male-dominated work world. Interviews with 29 women and 3 men suggest that women choose engineering because of the challenge, interest, and parental influence. Many female engineers experience gender discrimination and problems with…

A study of 593 college freshmen found 28% reported problem-drinking or alcoholic parents. This group differed significantly from others in their perceptions of the extent of distraction and the amount of support they received in pursuing academics prior to college. (Author/MSE)

Researchers examined early adolescents' perceptions of the influence of social agents on their decisions to not join or cease participation in organized activities. Survey results found parents were the strongest influence in the decision to not join activities. Perceptions about significant other adults were most influential in decisions to cease…

This comparison of the influence of individual family members in eight families with deaf parents and a hearing child and eight all-hearing families found that (1) hearing children of deaf parents had more of their ideas accepted than did hearing children of hearing parents; and (2) deaf-parented families were more adaptable. (Author/JDD)

Examined the role of exposure to speech in children's vocabulary growth. Characterized vocabulary growth rates for children from 14 to 26 months of age. Found a relation between individual differences in vocabulary acquisition and variations in the amount of a mother's speech to her children. (BC)

Berkeley Nutrition Study followed 180 children longitudinally to investigate whether child rearing practices, health beliefs, demographics, and parental characteristics related to childhood obesity. Results indicated a high mother-daughter correlation. Other factors included how often per day the child ate, irregular eating patterns, and parental…

Discusses the lack of parent involvement in education. Discusses both parent and teacher attitudes toward parent involvement, and considers the advantages and disadvantages of parent involvement. Presents examples of effective ways to use parental help, including help from working parents and family influence during out-of-school time. (JS)

Reviews research on influence of child's family context on development of conduct problems. Addresses what critical aspects of child's family context (parental psychological adjustment, parental marital adjustment, parental socialization practices) seem related to development of conduct problems and how these factors might affect child. Discusses…

Examined generalization of treatment effects of social learning family therapy for families with aggressive boys to child's classroom, parental level of marital satisfaction, general family relationship environment, and parental level of depression. Results showed that teachers reported improved child behavior following treatment. Parental level…

Examined parent/peer linkages and how both types of experiences influence substance use in European-American adolescents. Found that mothers' responsiveness lessened adolescents' peer orientation, which reduced substance use. This process was moderated by maternal values regarding adolescent alcohol use. Among fathers, closer monitoring was…

Using a self-report questionnaire, this study investigated smoking experimentation among 374 rural, black fifth graders and white fifth graders. Results indicated that 26% of males and 16% of females had tried cigarettes. Black students and white students had similar smoking experimentation rates. Peer and parent smoking affected students smoking…