How 330 young, 481 middle, and 299 late adolescents (535 males and 575 females) perceive the relative importance of relationships with their mother, father, most important sibling, best same-sex friend, and most important teacher was investigated. Results from the Network of Relationship Inventory were analyzed. (SLD)

Background: The families of a population sample of people with Down's syndrome (DS), and of their non-disabled controls, have been followed since early childhood, and the families have now been seen again as their sons and daughters reached age 30 and 35 years. Methods: A semi-structured interview schedule was used, including items from the…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" discusses family-based interventions and how they may have both direct and indirect effects. While the measurement of direct outcomes for a targeted group is important, a…

Prior research concerning young children's moral development has been conducted primarily in same-age environments. This study investigated whether preschool children's moral (helping) behaviors are related to younger peer-directed internal state language (talking about younger peer's feelings, wants, and abilities), perspective-taking skills, and…

This study examined family-based relationships as predictors of social functioning in primary school and the possible protective role of family-based relationships for children at risk for school problems. Longitudinal data gathered on 158 children were used to examine the unique contributions of mother-child attachment classification at ages 1…

This report discusses the implementation of a parent education program in a Long Island community. A questionnaire, which addressed the community's need for information for parents on child care services, was sent to the community's child care facilities. Responses indicated that parents had difficulty in locating an early childhood program, and…

This monograph provides research-based information on the counseling needs of gifted and talented students, as well as effective counseling approaches to meeting those needs. Following an historical overview of counseling programs for the gifted, sections specifically address the self-concept of gifted and talented students, at-risk students,…

Examines different ways the experience of fostering can affect the biological children of foster families. Emphasizes the importance of considering the needs of the whole family when making placements, of addressing the needs of those children at an early stage, and of making sure the children are listened to and always have access to support. (AA)

Tested links between early adolescent older sibling (OS) and younger sibling (YS) competence in rural African American families. Found that OS competence was stable across time and related to improvements in mothers' psychological functioning from Wave 1 to Wave 2. Mothers' Wave-2 psychological functioning related to Wave-3 involved-supportive…

Interviews with parents from 50 Mexican-descent families revealed that parents encouraged their preschool children to ask questions about science and causal relationships; older and younger siblings learned different skills from one another; and children learned through observation and imitation. Discusses issues of "match" between home…

This study examines how sibship characteristics affect educational attainment in Taiwan. Using a multilevel analysis of a sibling sample of 12,715 observations from 3,001 families drawn from a national survey, we investigate the effects of family size, sibship density, birth-order rank, and sibship gender composition. The results support the…

This study compared the development of 38 infants from separated or divorced families with that of 38 infants from married families in Britain to determine whether parental divorce or separation precipitates cognitive, social, or emotional difficulties in infants. Infants were 11 to 45 months old. Infant-mother attachment was measured using the…

This book explores the process and characteristics of children's personal and social relationships. To determine what relationships mean to children and how children manage those relationships, a recursive interviewing technique was used with nearly a thousand children to detail children's social rules. Those rules cover a range of social issues,…

Explored how perceptions of social support changed during first semester of university, and how social support, coping strategies, and adjustment were interrelated among freshmen in China. Found that overall social support did not change significantly. Support from different sources (parents, peers, teachers, siblings) showed distinctive change…

A program called Strong Families: Competent Kids was developed in response to the growing number of latchkey kids. The goals of the program are to help parents determine when their children are ready for self-care and to provide children with skills to manage self-care safely and confidently. It does not advocate that children should be left in…