A meta-analysis of 22 studies that provided effect sizes for the change in campers' self-esteem found that campers' self-esteem benefitted from camps that focused on self-enhancement as a working part of the program and philosophy. Campers aged 6 through 10 benefitted more than did older campers. Common factors of camps that focus on…

Reports on school survey of males entering puberty and occurrence of delinquent behaviors. Results show that these students reported a wider range of delinquency, including higher levels of crime and school opposition behaviors. They also reported a greater frequency of particular delinquent acts over a 12-month period. Findings lend support to…

Compared family environments for probability sample of 118 homeless adolescents residing in shelters to matched comparison group of 118 housed adolescents. Found that, after controlling for behavior-disorder effects and alcohol abuse, homeless adolescents experienced more parental maltreatment than housed adolescents, and reported feelings of less…

This study identified a set of factors, including vocational exploration and commitment, commitment to the role of work, and participation in the role of studying, which explained 43.3 percent of the variance in the identity development of 95 gifted female adolescents. Of these factors, vocational exploration and commitment contributed the most to…

This article describes positive youth development as a process in which young people's capacity for being motivated by challenge energizes their active engagement in development. The first part of the article discusses the conditions under which this motivation is activated and considers obstacles to its activation in daily life. The second part…

To gauge the status of connections between the research literature about adolescent development and current theoretical and applied work pertinent to the concept of positive youth development (PYD), we assessed whether the adolescent development literature from 1991 to 2003 reflected a network of terms associated with PYD. A list of 16 terms…

Adolescence is a developmental transition period during which there are profound transformations in emotional, cognitive, and behavioral systems. Despite being a time of rapid development and increasing rates of suicidality, limited research has examined possible interrelationships. Through the use of a case study, this paper illustrates the role…

Research using retrospective or cross-sectional data suggests that suicidal ideation rates peak during mid-adolescence. This study used a longitudinal, community sample of adolescents who reported suicidal ideation repeatedly over 7 years to examine suicidal ideation trends. We hypothesized that a mid-adolescence peak in ideation is limited to…

In this article, I explore how talk about being "ready" or "not ready" for sex shapes teen and adult understandings of sexuality. I argue that this "discourse of readiness" poses serious threats to teens' identity development, sexual decision making, and educators efforts to help them through these processes. To illustrate, I draw from my…

The author reviews the main points in Freud's 1917 paper "Mourning and Melancholia" and relates them to the process of both normal and troubled adolescent development. Using clinical examples she illustrates the ways in which the processes Freud describes in melancholia operate in some disturbed adolescents such that instead of mourning the lost…

"Student voice" describes the many ways in which youth might have the opportunity to participate in school decisions that will shape their lives and the lives of their peers. Student voice opportunities allow students to work with teachers and administrators to co-create the path of reform, it enables youth to meet their own developmental needs,…

This paper outlines a qualitative research tool designed to explore personal identity formation as described by Erik Erikson and offers self-reflective and anonymous evaluative comments made by college students after completing this task. Subjects compiled a list of 200 myths, customs, fables, rituals, and beliefs from their family of origin and…

This book provides beginning teachers and educational leaders with a series of articles that can help them build their curriculum knowledge base. Features include: (1) Provides a historical context of the curriculum field, giving educators a solid foundation for curriculum knowledge; (2) Describes the political nature of curriculum and how we must…

African American adolescents (132 males and 128 females; age M=14.8 years, SD=0.92) enrolled in an urban community social skills development program participated in a study assessing the relationship among perceptions of family and community social support, fear of calamitous events, depression, and anger expression. Expressing fear of calamitous…

Objective: This article reviews the literature concerning the impact of exposure to domestic violence on the health and developmental well-being of children and young people. Impact is explored across four separate yet inter-related domains (domestic violence exposure and child abuse; impact on parental capacity; impact on child and adolescent…