A ten-year study of television viewing and content found that middle level students watch more television than any other age group. They are exposed to violence, sex, use of drugs, and sex role socialization in many programs. Schools can help students become discriminating consumers of television. (MLF)

The principles of a sound education can be incorporated in a middle school or a junior high school. It is important that commitment be made to programs rather than to the psychological ploy of a name. (Author/MLF)

Effective middle-level schools provide students with a supportive structure in the form of relationships between teachers and students. Research has confirmed the effectiveness of team organization, advisory groups, multi-age grouping, and exploratory curricula. (Author/MLF)

A pica box (containing items safe to chew) was used as an intervention with a 10-year-old autistic girl with pica behaviors in a special education setting. Evaluation using an ABAB design (varying in availability of the pica box) found a decrease in pica attempts when the pica box was available to the student. (DB)

Examined individual differences in the relations among preadolescents' sociomoral understanding and self-understanding and teacher and peer ratings of school behavior. Findings for 239 preadolescents are discussed in terms of curricular implications for inter- and intrapersonal understandings. (SLD)

Ten- to 14-year olds and their mothers and teachers completed measures of parental discipline and children's prosocial behavior, empathy, and guilt. Parents' use of inductive rather than assertive discipline was related to children's prosocial behavior; children of inductive parents were more empathic than other children; and children's empathy…

Using Erikson's theories on identity development as a framework, this paper examines the motives for and contexts of suicide among preadolescents, adolescents, and young adults, identifies specific school-age populations that are vulnerable to suicide, and discusses implications. (Contains 45 references.) (GCP)

Examined relations between Children's Depression Inventory, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, and Fear Scale Schedule for Children-Revised in 327 British and 336 American children. Relations were similar for both samples, with depression more closely related to anxiety than to fear. Children who reported high levels of depression also…

Investigated youthful ideas about old age by means of an analysis of drawings of young and old people by 10- and 11-year-old children (n=28). Pictures of old people were no more stereotyped than were those of young people. (Author/ABL)

Examined relationship between parental self-esteem and aspects of parent-adolescent interaction and adolescent behavior. Results from 139 parent-child dyads revealed that mothers with high self-esteem provided children with greater decision-making freedom and better communication. Fathers with high self-esteem reported better communication with…

Findings indicated that girls suffered from poor body image and dissatisfaction with weight more often than boys did. Findings also supported the notion of an interaction between context and individual. Sex differences were differentially moderated by the communities in which the adolescents lived. (RH)

Examined effects of using Hammond's (1981) method of aiding children of divorce through group counseling. Findings from 39 children in grades 4, 5, and 6 revealed that the 8-week program was successful in favorably altering the children's self-concepts. (NB)

Examined the relation between authoritative parenting and school achievement in 120 adolescents of 10-16 years. Adolescents who described their parents as treating them warmly, democratically, and firmly were more likely than their peers to develop positive attitudes toward their achievement and do well in school. (RJC)

Explored the roles of genes and environment in masculinity and femininity during pre- and early adolescence in 70 twins of 8-14 years. Results revealed significant genetic influences in all measures. Environmental influences were specific to each individual and not shared by members of the same twin pair. (RJC)

Analyzes progress in the fight against the "cigarette epidemic," presents evidence relating smoking to cancer, and provides suggestions for citizen action to curb cigarette-smoking and to prevent children from developing the habit. (LS)