Using data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project, this longitudinal study investigated the predictive validity of different dimensions of observed parent behavior on adolescent externalizing (aggression, hostility) and internalizing (depression, anxiety) problems over a 2-year period. In addition, the study examined how observer ratings…

Formats of communication within families are believed to be relevant contexts for children's development. Cultural values, norms, and interpretation patterns are transferred from parents to children within the family's specific communication framework. The purpose of this project was to study the quality of relationships and the communication…

Noting that family members need to work together to find ways of relating that feel comfortable, this book is intended to help teenage stepchildren understand stepfamily life and to find ways to make it happier. The chapters are: (1) "Divided Loyalty," including being a go-between for divorcing parents and where to live; (2) "Can Access Be Fun?"…

Past research on women has indicated that a fear of becoming fat emerges during adolescence and continues into adulthood. This study focused on factors associated with negative or positive body image, such as weight, physical activity, teasing, comparison to others and racial identity. Data was drawn from an eight-page questionnaire completed by…

Although the basic growth changes for teenagers are the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago, the environment in which these changes occur has changed. This book describes the characteristic changes in human behavior which take place from year to year between the ages of 10 and 14. Part 1 of the book describes the longitudinal research, which…

Recent work in the field of child and adolescent social skills is synthesized in this volume with new and unpublished information. The first three chapters provide a foundation for conceptualizing and assessing child and adolescent social skills. Chapter 1, "The Nature and Value of Social Skills," provides a definition, examples, historical…

This paper describes the development of an outdoor education camp that assists young people in recognizing new responsibilities and celebrating transition into young adulthood. Using the concept of initiation, the camp marked the beginning of a process which involved adolescents in developing an identity as young adults, increasing personal…

In 1970, as part of an effort to meet the needs of black children waiting for adoption by two-parent black families, the Chicago (Illinois) Child Care Society launched a longitudinal study of the growth, development, and family life of transracial adoptees (TRAs), or black and mixed-race children adopted by white families, and inracial adoptees…

Recent debates among educators about the middle school curriculum involve three concepts: (1) middle school ought to provide a general education school in which the curriculum focuses on widely shared concerns of early adolescents and the larger world rather than specialization among separate subjects; (2) the curriculum ought to serve the…

More than seven million adolescents under the age of 18 live in homes where one or both parents is an alcoholic. This document presents a three-part discussion of adolescent children of alcoholics' (AdCOA) issues relative to school classrooms. Part I discusses characteristics and behaviors of AdCOAs. The characteristics of dysfunctional families…

This report provides a composite look at public schools in the first 111 communities that conducted the 152-item survey titled "Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors" through the RespecTeen program. Chapter 1 presents a vision of what is wanted for children, then attempts to evaluate how well this vision is being met.…

The task of dissolving infantile dependency ties to the mother and family during adolescence has been frequently cited as a major developmental task of adolescence. The role of the mother in the resolution of the rapprochement crisis as it continues into adolescence was illustrated through a case analysis of a 14-year-old boy and his mother. The…

Psychologists and sociologists recognize the importance of graffiti, yet there is a lack of information on the content of high school desk top graffiti. To study desk top graffiti, a 9th and 10th grade English classroom located in an inner city high school in the southeastern United States was found in which graffiti was written on nearly 90% of…

This brief booklet, based on interviews with Gay Munsell, a Native American child development specialist, with the National Resource Center for Youth Services at the University of Oklahoma, examines the difficulties experienced by Indian youth in confronting the problems and changes of adolescence. In urban areas, 80% of Indian youth drop out of…

This document presents a personal statement concerning the recommendations in "Turning Points," a 1989 publication of the Carnegie Corporation's Task Force on Education of Young Adolescents. This document suggests how the reformulation of middle grade schools along the lines recommended in "Turning Points" can improve the life chances of young…