Since 1989, ParentLink has been devoted to supporting Missouri families and children by working with community teams to promote and support parenting efforts through a variety of means. Noting the widespread problem with high-risk behavior among Missouri adolescents and the importance of communication between parents and their adolescents in…

This two-part handbook presents information on educating adolescents about reproductive and sexual health issues. "Book One, Understanding the Adolescents and Their Reproductive and Sexual Health: Guide to Better Educational Strategies" focuses on the demographic profile of adolescents as well as their fertility, sexual behavior,…

Examined feelings of 132 late adolescents entering college toward their mothers, fathers, and closest siblings. Findings from questionnaires included that emotional support of mothers and siblings is more important to women, that discussion of feelings and activities with these family members occurs more often with women, and that men feel more…

This study examined relations among characteristics at ages 3 and 10 years and delinquent behavior at age 10. Findings indicated that race and gender were significant predictors of delinquent behavior at age 10, as were temperament, IQ, and emotional instability at age 3. Psychological status, perceived peer substance use, IQ, and temperament at…

Examined influence of perceived self-efficacy for affect regulation with older adolescents. Found that self-efficacy to regulate affect related to high efficacy to manage academic development, resist social pressures for antisocial activities, and engage with empathy in others' emotional experiences. Perceived self-efficacy for affect regulation…

Presents a look at individual responsibility and decision making (here defined as planfulness) and how it is affected by external factors of social and economic turmoil. Utilizes data from a longitudinal study of privileged men born between 1904 and 1917 and their educational attainment in subsequent years. (MJP)

Examined relations among maternal depressive symptoms, family discord, and adolescent psychological adjustment. Found that maternal depressive symptoms were related to subsequent adolescent depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and academic difficulties for girls but not boys. Girls' greater vulnerability to family discord accounted for the…

Eight papers are presented that describe the daily experience of White American children in grades 5 through 9. Each paper examines a segment of daily activity (e.g., schoolwork, talking, sports) and the associated affective states for 401 participants to provide a picture of the life space of early adolescence. (SLD)

Overviews the history of Service Volunteered for All (Servol), an organization founded in 1970 in Trinidad and Tobago by Gerard Pantin, a Catholic priest. The organization has evolved into 2 national networks of 150 preschools, 40 life centers for teenage boys and girls, training programs for preschool teachers, and community programs aimed at…

Compares 20 African-American rites of passage programs for adolescents, and considers the place of such rites for African Americans and their communities in current and future society. The adolescent rite of passage is a supervised developmental and educational process to assist young people in becoming adults. (SLD)

Investigation of the roles of pubertal timing and pubertal status on school achievement for 115 boys and 137 girls followed through grades 6, 7, and 8 indicates that late-maturing boys have the lowest school achievement, whereas late-maturing girls have the highest. Followups at grade 12 indicate few long-term effects. (SLD)

A framework is presented for discussion of resilience, schooling, and development among African-American youth in the 11 other articles in this issue. Protective processes are crossed with critical intervention points for the development of resilience. Each article discusses one or more processes as intervention points. (SLD)

To reduce the risks of adolescent pregnancy, comprehensive sex education programs and programs that reduce the risks indirectly by focusing on educational expectations and achievement are needed. Adolescents who do well in school and see education as a route to adult success have a reason to delay childbearing. (SLD)

Two studies conducted with 244 academically gifted seventh graders and 1,996 high school students indicate that specific content knowledge taught during a short time does not increase Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, but that educational experience over 5 years does relate to development of abilities measured by the SAT. (SLD)

This "Instructor" Supplement on middle school education, presents articles on new research and materials, adolescent development, reasons for teaching middle school, moving toward a middle school curriculum, peer teaching, multimedia software, murder mysteries, ancient China, geometry, teamwork, descriptive writing, literature, problem solving,…