This document consists of the three 2002 issues of a journal reporting new research in early child development conducted by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center (FPG) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Articles in the Winter 2002 issue highlight some current work at FPG on factors that enhance or inhibit social and…

This report confirms the detrimental effects of low family income on children by examining the well-being of children across all incomes and race-ethnicity groups in a nationally representative sample of children attending kindergarten and participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. The sample included…

This policy statement from the Michigan Department of Education interprets federal provisions and the laws of the state as they may pertain to children receiving special education services. It describes disciplinary procedures for students already receiving special education services, students not yet eligible for special education, students…

This report presents the collective results of studies funded under the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention congressional directive. The studies confirm that young African-American males are disproportionately involved as offenders and victims of violence, that firearms play a large role in juvenile violence, and that gang…

This study tested the effectiveness of parent training (PT) as a health promotion/prevention intervention. Participants were parents of toddlers enrolled in 11 urban day care centers serving low-income families of color. The 12-week intervention consisted of a video-based PT program with group discussion. Eleven centers were matched and assigned…

Many children have inappropriate behaviors that are part of their disability. These behaviors may make it difficult to learn, cause harm to the child or others, or isolate a child from his or her peers. Some children have behaviors that they can't control, such as tics for a child with Tourette syndrome or self-harming behaviors for some children…

Good classroom management supports good instruction. Just as important, instruction that actively engages students' attention and efforts decreases the incidence of student misbehavior. This "What We Know About" discusses the link between instruction and management, describes daily routines that contribute to a smoothly run classroom, and talks…

Using large-scale surveys from nine states, the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP) estimates that 8% of American children under the age of 12 years experience hunger each year. CCHIP operationalizes child hunger as multiple experiences of parent-reported food insufficiency due to constrained resources. The current study…

Studied the connection between actual cases of criminality and criminals' own experiences with their parents and why certain influences are significant. Factors described by interviewees included violence at home, neglect, and turning to peer groups for support. Consequences included the inability to develop normal social relationships. (Author/SD)

Presents a program that one school developed to address extortion and fighting on school buses. Fourth- and fifth-grade students were encouraged to become "flight attendants" on the buses. This enhanced students' sense of pride, responsibility, and interest in others, creating a safer atmosphere more conducive to learning and career…

Examined associations between maternal employment and mothers', fathers', and teachers' perceptions of young children. In contrast to findings from a study by Bronfenbrenner and others, maternal employment was more strongly associated with fathers' and teachers' perceptions of children than with mothers' perceptions of them. (GLR)

Examined the effects of disruptive behavior in mathematics classes. Reported a case study of 31 Greek students considered to be very difficult. Concluded that an alternative approach toward students' concerns--based on human communication, discussion, and negotiation--improved classroom behavior in general. (MDH)

Studied after-school activities of third graders for two years. Found that children attending after-school programs spent more time on academic and extracurricular activities; children in informal care spent more time watching television and "hanging out." Sex differences were reported in the type of activities. Time spent in activities was…

More youths with disabilities are successfully making the transition from school to higher education, jobs, and adult responsibilities than they did in the late 1980s, according to a federally financed study that has tracked thousands of secondary school students with disabilities over time. The percentage of students completing high school rose…

Mediator models were examined in which children's emotional reactions to peer aggression were hypothesized to mediate their selection of coping strategies and subsequent peer victimization and internalizing problems. Self-report data were collected from 145 ethnically diverse kindergarten through fifth grade children (66 females and 79 males) who…