This report details the 27th annual study to examine the attitudes of student leaders in U.S. high schools. Participating in the survey were 3,370 adolescents, primarily 16- and 17-year-olds, who had been featured in the 1996 edition of "Who's Who Among American High School Students." The report presents demographic information on the survey…

Examines relationship of psychological and socioenvironmental factors with adolescent suicidal ideation. Finds that daily hassles and negative life events for males and social support and depression for females are significant factors related to suicidal ideation, as are changes in depression and hopelessness. Argues for the need to examine…

The impact of the September 11th terrorist attacks on adolescents' mental health is reported. Two successive cohorts of students in 6 New York state high schools, identified from health courses, completed an in-school self-report baseline assessment of hopelessness, impairment, and help-seeking behavior. One year later, these students completed a…

Supportive and caring relations within families promote academic achievement and protect against involvement in health-risk behaviors by adolescents. Similarly, supportive and caring relationships within schools (henceforth, school connectedness) promote academic motivation among adolescents. Much less is known, however, about the influence of…

Objective: The aim of this article is twofold: first, to examine the prevalence of being the victim of actual and attempted rape among a large representative sample of Cape Town high school students; and second, to identify the correlates of sexual assault for both boys and girls, including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, behavioral problems,…

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with the development of numerous adult mental disorders. Women with a history of CSA were surveyed concerning their abuse experience and prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders. The 63 women in the low morbidity cluster had a mean of 1.02 disorders. The 11 women in the moderate morbidity cluster had a mean…

Aliteracy is defined as the quality or state of being able to read but the lack of interest in doing so; aliterates can read, but they never read for the love of reading. Aliteracy is said to be prevalent among college students. Also prevalent among college students are risk behaviors that contribute to poor health. Problem behavior theory links a…

Since the early 1990s, research, largely from a feminist perspective, has been devoted to identifying the "gender-specific needs" of delinquent girls. This article explores racial differences between girls and how these differences may affect the commission of violent behavior and self-injurious behavior. Self-report data were collected…

This report presents data on the current status of adolescent health. Many of the measures of health status are shown by single year of age or by 2- or 3-year age intervals to highlight the changes that occur in health status as adolescents move through this important developmental period. Summary measures combining 5- or 10-year age groups (the…

This article reports the results of a three-year study focusing on the experiences of a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people in the United Kingdom who were victimized by their peers at school. Data collected from 190 LGBs suggested that experiences of victimization at school were both long-term and systematic, and were perpetrated by…

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents. Between 1981 and 1989, 7% of all those who suicide were children and adolescents aged five to 19 and during that time 16,585 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 committed suicide. Written for counselors and middle and high school personnel, this book examines the dynamics of…

A youth suicide became the impetus for an Oregon education service district's leadership in spearheading a collaborative effort with local schools and community agencies to develop a handbook detailing acceptable, proven guidelines for appropriate interventions. This volume of the handbook series is designed to provide educators with appropriate…

A survey was conducted in Illinois to identify the risk of certain health problems among adolescents; to determine the health status of Illinois youth in relation to the Surgeon General's "Healthy People 2000 Objectives" and monitor progress toward national and state goals; and to help those working at national, state, and local levels…

What happened in the small farm community of Elk Point, South Dakota, on January 8, 1986, was unimaginable--a father shot his family and then walked to work and shot himself. Upon learning of the murder/suicide, the Elk Point School District faced the difficult questions of what teachers should say to students, how the district should deal with…

Development, implementation, and teaching of a college-level course on dying and death are described. The authors review their own experiences in becoming involved with death education and describe teaching methods, problems, and content of their current course in dying and death at the State University of New York, College at New Paltz. Because…