Describes several mentoring programs and their success in reducing the dropout rate. Suggests that participation in the simplest form of mentoring increases self-esteem and ambition. (JOW)

Examined whether intervention after suicide attempt could decrease risk of repeat attempt in following two years. Experimental subjects (n=63) attended 18 therapy appointments over 1 year; controls (n=63) received usual care. Of experimental subjects, 35 percent made repeat attempts, compared to 30 percent of controls. Study had 99 percent power…

Reviews literature surrounding possible limitations of criminal justice system and child protective services system in treatment of children who have been sexually abused. Discusses suggestions for ways investigation and adjudication systems could be improved to better meet needs of children. Gives implications for practitioners to provide…

Addresses design and evaluation issues of community-based programs for families experiencing marital separation and divorce. Reviews and discusses general programmatic issues; presents specific community-based program, The Orientation for Divorcing Parents; details evaluation of this program; and discusses implications of this literature review…

This editorial addresses principles of risk assessment in child abuse cases by professionals in child protection work. It notes that the essence of risk assessment is predicting whether the child will be maltreated at some future point in time. It also introduces four articles concerning different aspects of the risk assessment process. (DB)

Reviews literature on effects of teenage parenthood on adolescent mother herself, her child, and her mother from perspective of ecological and family systems theories. Describes life course trajectories of the family members and how changes resulting from early motherhood co-occur. Emphasizes missing links between what is known about lives of…

During war against Japan, there were two facets of U.S. program to prevent suicide among the Japanese: research component in Foreign Morale Analysis Division of Office of War Information and a suicide prevention program itself put into effect toward the end of the war in battles of Saipan and Okinawa and undertaken by U.S. GIs. (Author/NB)

Presents strategies for using bibliotherapeutic process to prevent and treat adolescent alcohol and drug abuse. Definitions, goals, and principles of bibliotherapy are overviewed. Synopses of several useful books that focus on chemical dependency are presented. (Author)

Describes head, body, and crab lice so parents can recognize and respond to the problem in their children, noting that head lice are common in grade school children. The article includes an insert that describes 10 steps in recognizing signs of lice and providing treatment. (SM)

Provides update on status of primary prevention for counselors and argues for its broader-scale adoption in training and practice. Reviews recent evidence demonstrating that well-designed and well-executed primary prevention programs can be highly effective. Discusses implications of this work that are significant for the profession of counseling.…

Explored the hypothesis that the increased use, misuse, and abuse of drugs is one of the myriad explanations for the escalation in youth suicidal behavior during the past 25 years. Used clinical case histories and research results to exemplify the impact of heightened drug usage as an argument for the upsurge in youth suicide. (Author/LLL)

Children can suffer from allergies that can markedly affect their behavior and school performance. Once an allergy is suspected, teachers and principals can consider allergens inside the school, outside the school, and related to problem foods or chemicals. A sidebar lists some allergy clues to watch for. Includes nine references. (MLH)

Presents the Jonah Complex as a retreat from an opportunity to realize one's fundamental values and capacities. Discusses the key features of the Jonah Complex, provides examples of the primary fears, and offers guidelines for resolving the Jonah Complex. Introduces Maslow's growth-safety model as model for understanding and countering Jonah…

Examines the question of playground safety and why, when guidelines for safer surfaces and equipment are readily available, communities are still stumbling to create safer playgrounds. The 12 leading causes of playground injuries are highlighted. (GR)

A model for multilevel ordinal response data is described that allows for nonproportional odds for a subset of explanatory variables. The model, the multilevel thresholds of change model, focuses on modeling the K-1 thresholds that delineate membership in the "K" ordered stages. The model is illustrated with data from a cancer prevention study.…