Examined the relation between close, dyadic, peer relationships and adolescent adjustment. Found partial support for the hypothesized relations between specific friendship qualities and adolescent adjustment, but the pattern of gender differences was opposite of that predicted. (Author/SD)

Surveys elementary school children (N=289) to examine aspects of their social and contextual experiences in schools. Students classified as having poor relationships with teachers and poor bonds with school had poorer scores on self- and teacher ratings for social and emotional adjustment. Results provide researchers with descriptive typology that…

Examined the effectiveness of parental reports of their preschool children's social adaptation outside the home as an indicator of children's behavior. Parent responses on the Child Adaptive Behavior Inventory, which assesses both competencies and difficulties with adaptation, were compared to evaluations by trained observers. Parents were found…

Examined processes whereby attachment and other factors contribute to social/emotional adjustment among African-American children. Found that attachment assessed at 4.5 years uniquely predicted perceived social support two years later. Insecure attachment predicted self-reported behavior problems and parental report of internalizing problems.…

Identified fourth graders' peer groups and measured social network closure--extent to which meaningful social relationships exist between children and their friends' parents and among parents whose children are friends. Found that higher social network closure related to higher academic achievement and lower parent-reported externalizing…

Compared parent-child relationships and early adolescent well-being in families with children conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), adoptive families, and families with a naturally conceived child. Found that IVF children were functioning well and did not differ from other children in social or emotional adjustment. (Author/KB)

Examined associations between interparental agreement, parent-child responsiveness, and children's social competence with peers. Associations were found between parental agreement in beliefs about control and parental similarity in use of control with child. Associations between agreement measures and children's social competence were partially…

The relations between parent and child acculturation and family and child adjustment were examined among 91 immigrant Chinese families in Canada with early adolescents (average age of 12). Acculturation was assessed in public (e.g., language use) and private (e.g., values) domains separately in Chinese and Canadian cultures. With one exception,…

Two studies addressed the normative aspects of attachments to mothers and fathers in middle childhood. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons, we tested the hypothesis that children show no changes in perceptions of availability of attachment figures across the later middle childhood years, but do utilize attachment figures less…

The correlates of authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful parenting were examined within a sample of 1,355 14- to 18-year-olds adjudicated of serious criminal offenses. The sample is composed primarily of poor, ethnic-minority youth living in impoverished urban neighborhoods. As has been found in community samples, juvenile…

Stable peer status clusters of rejected, popular, and average girls from ages 10 to 13 were identified and associated to young and middle adulthood adjustment. The study included a representative sample of 445 females from the longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adaptation. Results showed that, by young adulthood, rejected…

Immigration is the challenge that faces European countries in the immediate future. Spain, a former exporter of migrants, has recently become a host country, which must be taken into account if we wish to promote a multicultural, integrative school system. The aim in this article is to reach some conclusions about the integration of immigrants,…

Previous research has demonstrated that former foster care youth are at risk for poor outcomes (e.g., more problem behaviors, more depression, lower self-esteem, and poor social relationships). It is not clear, however, whether these findings reflect preemancipation developmental deficits. This study used 163 preemancipation foster care youth and…

This qualitative study examined the experience of immigrant Jewish Ethiopian youth in Israel and its impact on their identity formation. The study sample comprised 13 high-school students, aged 14 to 17. Data analysis revealed two poles on which these youths negotiate their identity: (1) the temporal pole (past, present, and future), and (2) the…

With passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990, autism was recognized as a distinct special education category. Subsequently, there has been a steady increase in the number of students qualified in the schools to receive special education services under this category. There are a number of questions as to the types of…