Does persistent adversity over time have effects on children's behavior beyond the effects of intermittent or concurrent adversity? This study examined the relations between school behavior in 5th grade (mean age = 11 years 0 months) and indexes representing persistent poverty and contextual risk. The indexes described 2-year intervals of family…

The present concurrent study combined developmental and ecological considerations to examine the unique contribution of multiple preschool competencies to an indicator of early academic success. Participants included 195 Head Start children from 32 classrooms representative of a large, urban Head Start program. Dimensional (variable-centered)…

The lifestyles of young people excluded from school have received much attention recently, particularly in relation to illicit drug use. Commentators have acknowledged that they constitute a high-risk group to social disaffection and substance abuse. This paper reports on a group of 48 young people living in Belfast aged 13-14 years who are…

Teachers are highly concerned about students with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD). Lately, much emphasis has been given to the field of prevention in schools, through the Competence-Enhancement Perspective. Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) provide the necessary skills to be acquired by students. The…

We investigated the effects of secrecy regarding their mothers' incarceration and social support on behavioral problems in a group of 116 children (aged 6-13 years, M = 9.00). Children with low levels of social support had more externalizing and internalizing problems, and children who had experienced more life stressors reported more…

This article re-evaluates the concept of "difficult temperament," documenting the difficulty of differentiating normal difficult behavior from difficult temperament, and difficult temperament from diagnosable psychiatric disorder. Researchers and clinicians acknowledge that childhood aggression is occurring with greater frequency and at younger…

We investigated direct and shared effects of family functioning and self-concept on the severity of adolescent externalizing problems in a sample of 224 clinically referred adolescents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed strong, direct relationships between problem behaviors and both family functioning and self-concept. Using R. M. Baron…

Objective: To examine the durability of improvement in child and maternal symptoms 6 months after termination of child-parent psychotherapy (CPP). Method: Seventy-five multiethnic preschool-age child-mother dyads from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds were randomly assigned to (1) CPP or (2) case management plus community referral for individual…

Background: Adopted children have been said to be difficult children, scarred by their past experiences in maltreating families or neglecting orphanages, or by genetic or pre- and perinatal problems. Is (domestic or international) adoption an effective intervention in the developmental domains of physical growth, attachment security, cognitive…

Background: This paper seeks to extend research into the adult sequelae of childhood conduct problems by investigating the associations between conduct problems in middle childhood and psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. Method: Data were gathered during the course of a 25-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand young people.…

We report on the development and initial validation of the parent-report scale, "Management of Children's Behavior Scale" (MCBS), designed to evaluate parenting practices related to conduct problems in children. Children (N = 396, ages 2-14) referred for outpatient treatment and their parents served as participants. We evaluated the composition…

The multi-agency, multiple intervention Promoting Prevention initiative to prevent youth offending in Swansea was evaluated with a computer-based interactive questionnaire with 580 young people (aged 11-18). Results indicate that multiple exposure to risk factors within the main domains of the young person's life (for example, family, school)…

The broad term "pervasive developmental disorder" (PPD) describes a set of symptoms that occur along a continuum of severity; these symptoms are often referred to as "autism spectrum disorders" (ASDs). Little is known about the incidence and prevalence of ASDs among students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Teachers of DHH students, who must…

Learning to write is a complex process that depends on mastering a variety of processes and skills, including how to plan compositions and regulate writing behavior. One approach that has been used successfully to teach both good and poor writers such processes is Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). With SRSD, students are taught…

Of a cohort of 104 children with Autism, PDD-NOS or specific language disorder, recruited at age 2-3 years of age, only three appeared to meet diagnostic assessment criteria for Asperger syndrome (AS). The children were followed up at 4-5 years, and assessments at both time points included the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R), the Autism…