This paper focuses on the problems of youth at risk of not successfully making the transition to adulthood. It examines the concept of mentoring and discusses several existing and successful mentoring programs. It looks at mentoring as it relates to young people--teenagers, young adults, and also some "pre-teens." Chapter 1 presents an overview of…

Affective disorder is characterized by maladaptive changes in mood, attitudes, energy level, and physical status. These changes constitute the basic dimensions of depression. Depression results from a combination of genetic and experiential factors. There are sex differences and age differences with regard to depression, and there is a high…

This document describes the Parents Too Soon (PTS) program, a project which integrated a comprehensive array of services for teenagers in an effort to help prevent premature and unwanted pregnancies. Four components of the PTS program are listed: (1) comprehensive family planning medical services including provision of contraceptives; (2) social…

Adolescence is a time when formal abstract thought becomes possible, enabling the individual to work through the highest stages of morality. Adolescents' understanding of religion and their commitment to it seem to differ sharply from those of children. It has been proposed that adolescents are likely to change, expand, or abandon their religious…

This review examines three theories of alcohol abuse by American males: (1) the sex role theory which states that men drink heavily because American culture accepts and encourages that activity in males; (2) the dependency theory, which interprets drinking as a means by which men secretly gratify their dependency needs while manifesting an…

This document discusses whether young people with difficulty entering adulthood can be helped, or if accumulated effects of various adversitites have caused irremediable damage. First the developmental tasks that adolescents need to accomplish before they can take on adult roles are described. Next, two well-known explanations for youths' failure…

This document discusses the differences in maturity of late adolescents, aged 16 to 21, and how lack of readiness by some adolescents has a major impact upon communities and upon the individual. The document illustrates the tension between individuation and regulation with five vignettes of actual cases. Sources of variation, including biological…

This study examines the normalcy of adolescent risk-taking and proposes that the social adventures of adolescents have significance for the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships and self-identity. To evaluate the narrative role of shared risks in transforming different types of relationships, an interview procedure was…

This cumulative index provides access to the almost 1,300 entries in three bibliographies: (1) "Media and the Young Adult: A Selected Bibliography, 1950-1972"; (2) "Media and the Young Adult: A Selected Bibliography, 1973-1977"; and (3) "Research on Adolescence for Youth Services: An Annotated Bibliography on Adolescent Development, Educational…

Although recent research suggests that drug misuse involves multiple etiologies, more information is needed to aid in the development of individualized treatment regimens. Individuals with high sensation-seeking (SS) needs do not appear to respond well to traditional counseling approaches. Adolescents (N=584) aged 15 or 18 at time 1 (T1) and 18 or…

A survey of resources is provided for improving youth programs conducted by religious organizations. After a brief introductory chapter establishing the focus of the document, the second chapter offers an overview of adolescent physical, intellectual, moral, social, emotional, and religious development. In addition, the attitudes of young…

Schooling for young adolescents (middle grade education) is the weakest link in the chain of public education. Young adolescents pose a unique problem for educators. The central characteristic of this age group is its diversity, resulting from extreme variations in the rates of physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Strong…

Frequent mood changes in adolescents are often attributed to the influence of shifting hormone levels. The presence and magnitude of menstrual-related mood changes in adolescent women were examined in 10th and 11th grade females (N=158) who completed the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). Self-reports of the onset date for the next two…

The concept of "structure" is discussed in connection with the biological and psychological sciences and shown, through a short historical analysis, to have been subject to imprecise use. The recent "structuralist movement" in the social sciences has also tended to cloud the meaning of structure rather than to clarify it. Using…

Describes the psychology of motherhood during the daughter's adolescence. Describes normal maternal development with an emphasis on the synergistic, maturational tasks of the mother and adolescent offspring; maternal conflicts; and counseling approaches that promote the mother's individuation and appropriate responses to her child. (Author/ABB)