A theoretical framework for conceptualization and assessment of preadolescent children's coping in social situations is presented. The framework classifies responses to stressful social situations according to four categories, consisting of anxiety amplification, in which children focus on negative emotions concerning an event without attempting…

The evolution of health education programs aimed at reducing the use of tobacco is discussed, and out-of-school educational programs are compared with in-school programs. Further, methodological differences in program evaluations were considered. Out-of-school programs are defined as involving several dimensions not found in schools: (1) goals and…

The hierarchical model for the teaching of computer programming to children that is presented in this report comprises five content domains: (1) technical skills of controlling the machine; (2) mastery of the programming language; (3) understanding the structure of a computer program; (4) understanding the logical dynamics of the computer program;…

A study is reported of the language behavior of trilingual 9-to-12-year-old native Italian speakers in Montreal, some of whom were studying Italian on Saturdays and some of whom were not. The study focused on their available vocabulary in the three languages (Italian, French, and English) and on their language productivity during their various…

This report discusses research related to the educational potential of 3-2-1 CONTACT, a PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) series on science and technology, which was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for a primary target audience of 8- to 12-year-olds in both home and school settings. Conducted over a 6-year period (1977-83), this…

Describes three literacy organization and public library programs: Project LEARN (Cleveland, Ohio), which encourages higher-level beginning adult readers to want to read on their own; Greenville County (South Carolina) Library's Latchkey Kids Program; and policies on unattended and disruptive children developed by Iowa City and Cedar Rapids (Iowa)…

This study examines the influence of duration and amount of soap opera viewing by sixth and seventh graders on their perceptions of relational fragility and importance of talk in managing relationships. Mediating variables of viewing motives, experience with peer relations, and family structure are also examined. (Author/MBR)

Adolescent drug use in the United States remains higher than that of any other industrialized country. To explore this problem, demographic and psychosocial variables from a survey of 346 pre- and early adolescents were used to predict membership in clusters of students with varying substance use attitudes and expectancies. Cluster analysis…

This study compared the coping strategies used by children residing with single caregivers to those used by children residing with dual caregivers. Participating were 30 children in grades 4 through 6: 15 children living in families with 1 adult present and 15 children living in families with at least 2 adults present. Measures of anxiety,…

Developed measures of preoccupied and avoidant coping to determine whether the measures concurrently relate to adjustment problems. Subjects were 229 children from third through seventh grades. Results indicated that preoccupied and avoidant coping with the mother can contribute to maladjustment in other arenas. Children's adjustment with peers…

Examined the relative importance of ethnic identification, perceived parental attitudes, and peer victimization for Dutch and Turkish 10- to 12-year-olds' ethnic attitudes in the Netherlands. Found that for both groups, stronger ethnic identification related to more positive in-group evaluation, and peer victimization related to more negative…

Assesses the relative base rates of common forms of youth psychopathology among 1,400 children, preadolescent, and adolescent Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and rarer minorities across social classes as defined by parent education levels. Findings include data showing most psychopathology being distributed proportionately across race and…

Parental access to community-based assistance was investigated in 70 households with relation to occupational status and age of their intellectually disabled child/teenager. Lower-occupational-status parents were less likely to have received help with "information," while parents of children aged three-five were most likely to have…

Reports results from secondary school students in North Carolina which point to need for drug prevention programs in elementary and middle schools. Describes Drug Action prevention program, model cooperative program between urban public school system and community-based program which uses cognitive-behavioral approach to prevent drug use.…

Examines the effects of a stress inoculation program on the aggressive behavior of four behaviorally disordered preadolescent males. Finds that three of the four boys exhibited decreases in aggressive behavior and increases in coping behavior that generalized to nontreatment day school setting. (FMW)