Examined developmental and gender differences in relations between drug use and problem behavior. Found grade-related differences for 10 of the 18 substances investigated. Alcohol use showed the highest association with problem behavior. Girls who exhibited problem behaviors used or experimented with a wider variety of substances when compared to…

Examines cultural factors associated with pregnancy among Hispanic adolescents, highlighting policy areas within the health care delivery system that must be addressed. The paper discusses migratory patterns and service needs, acculturation and pregnancy, valuing of children, access to health services, the role of the health practitioner, and…

Reports data from a study assessing the comparative availability of services to teenage mothers and teenage fathers in agency settings in a midwestern state. A survey of 149 agencies indicates that teenage fathers are underserved relative to teenage mothers. Implications for social service policy are discussed. (SLD)

Liberals and conservatives agree that it is best if teenagers delay reproduction, but they disagree over how. Comparisons with Sweden and Great Britain suggest that America's difficulties with teen childbearing and abortion can be traced partly to combined cultural ambivalence about chastity, childbearing, and working. (SLD)

A study trained 14 high school students to interview 220 rural West Virginia students in grades 7-10 about their social service needs and their delivery preferences. Results indicate that large numbers of rural students were perceived by their peers as having major social and emotional problems yet little knowledge of human service professionals.…

In this interview, Senator Campbell identifies violence, drug and alcohol abuse, poorly funded schools, and racism as obstacles facing American Indian youth. He discusses government programs that help American Indians, but notes that tribal control of programs is more effective and a return to traditional tribal values is necessary to provide a…

Youth First conducted focus groups and participatory "youth tribunals" across New Zealand, examining experiences of growing up rural. Common themes included "not being listened to," exclusion from citizen participation, and anxiety about the future. Remarkable differences in experience and views were often found in the same…

A former youth at risk who is now an expert on youth development introduces the reader to the concept of Family Privilege. Individuals who grow up with this unearned advantage may fail to recognize the degree to which stable families set the stage for their success in life. (Author)

In response to an open-ended question about the causes of New Zealand's high youth suicide rate, 384 young adults most commonly cited pressure to conform and perform, followed by financial worries, abuse and neglect, problems with alcohol or drugs, and boredom. Depression was cited by 5 percent and mental illness by only 1 percent. Recommended…

Monitoring the Future is an ongoing program of research intended to assess the changing lifestyles, values, and preferences of American youth. This publication, from the occasional paper series, describes a study that monitors drug use and potential explanatory factors among American secondary school students, college students, and young adults.…

The clan principle, the informal determination of human groups by totem characteristics, commonly accepted standards for self-definition, valued knowledge, and regulation of behavior, is a reality for American Indian and Native Alaskan cultures and for the mainstream urban, suburban, and industrial society as well. The tendency to group…

Residential treatment centers have always steered a course between bureaucracy and anarchy. The conventional professional wisdom in the United States holds that residential group care programs for children and youth are intrinsically flawed. This volume seeks to remedy this perception by making a case for the adoption of Israeli and European…

This book traces the histories of two Chicano gangs in East Los Angeles since the early 1940s, when common gang stereotypes were created by the media and law enforcement agencies. In an unusual collaborative effort, researchers worked with former gang members to make contact with and interview members of various "cliques" (cohorts) of…

Historically, the status of girls has evoked much less interest than that of women. Recently emerging scholastic and strategic study concerning the vulnerability of girls, and the impact the neglect has on the status of women, is adding a vital missing link to the discourse on women and development. This book examines the status of girls and…

While a vast majority of children in Nebraska are experiencing a safe, healthy, and nurturing childhood, a significant number are not, and some of these numbers are growing. This Kids Count report is the third annual comprehensive review of available data in nine areas of child health and well-being in the state. Presented with these statistics…