Article discusses the After-School Girl's Leadership Program in Seattle designed to foster positive development in girls. Their ideas and concerns are at the center of the curriculum, and they are able to experience the power of positive peer support. The program empowers them to address the environmental concerns that impede development.…

Surveyed adolescents and their parents regarding the effects of 10 youth developmental assets on adolescent tobacco use. Results highlighted a strong relationship between having any of nine assets and not smoking. Important assets included having adult, parental, and peer role models; family communication; good use of time; religion; effective…

Suggests that modern civilization isolates teens from real life and creates constraints that can result in psychosocial disorders. Explains that conflict in adolescence is caused by a mismatch between genetically programmed desires and culturally programmed opportunities. Outlines remedial actions that are necessary to make teenagers' lives…

This article proposes guided viewing of film as a counseling strategy through which middle and high school counselors and educators may assist gifted students in gaining helpful insights to deal with the personal problems. It presents a theoretical foundation for this approach, a variety of strategies for implementation, and three sample plans for…

Over the past several years, increased interest in preventing youth problems and promoting healthy youth development has led youth and family practitioners, policy makers, and researchers to develop a wide range of approaches based on various theoretical frameworks. Although the growth in guiding frameworks has led to more complex models and a…

The first aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which the larger network of family relationships (parent-adolescent, marital, and sibling relations) affect adolescent adjustment. The second aim was to identify distinct patterns of family relationships and to examine whether these different family relationship patterns are…

One of the major challenges facing youth workers today is the development of programs and services that are meaningful and relevant and that promote in young people a sense of responsibility for their learning and personal growth. In order to more adequately develop youth programming that will attract and challenge a greater portion of youths,…

This article provides an overview of the history of research on adolescence. In our view, the history of the scientific study of adolescence has had two overlapping phases and is now on the cusp of a third. The first phase, which began early in the 20th century and lasted about 70 years, was characterized by grand theoretical models that…

Over the past 5 years the scientific study of adolescence has continued to grow in volume and sophistication. Drawing on recent articles published in the "Journal of Research on Adolescence", I take this opportunity to comment on some common understandings about the nature of adolescent development and behavior, recurrent tensions in the research,…

This article is based on a study of young people's help-seeking. Fifty-five qualitative interviews with young people aged 13-14 are analysed to take account of stage process models. It is argued that while the models do have relevance to young people's help-seeking, they have two key limitations. First, they ignore problem legitimization. Second,…

This article discusses published poetry books focusing on middle school students' exuberant interests and passions as explored through these topics: family and relationships, transitions and growing up, school encounters, exploring things to do, and broader perspectives and other voices. In "Love Letters," Adoff (1997a) presents a series of 20…

Are teenage girls being left behind in the technology race? According to author and professor Lesley Farmer, teenage girls are not embracing technology and all of its potential impact on their futures. In "Teen Girls and Technology", Farmer explores the developmental issues of teen girls, including the reality of girls and tech as it now stands.…

All of today's young people need a rigorous academic program that prepares them for college and career success. But a growing body of research also suggests that low-income, high-risk teens who have opportunities to gain work experience and to connect education and work during high school are likely to do better in school and earn more throughout…

Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of mental retardation and one of the most frequently occurring neurodevelopmental genetic disorders in children. Children with Down syndrome typically experience a constellation of symptomology that includes developmental motor and language delay, specific deficits in verbal memory, and broad…

Firearms account for the majority of deaths among young Black men in America. This article presents a qualitative investigation of youth temptations, emotional reactions, and subsequent behavior with respect to guns. Twenty-three youth enrolled in a community-based firearm reduction program have participated in interviews on retrospective…