Although self-esteem and locus of control orientation differ for American Indian and White children at all educational levels, internality increases with age and is positively related to self-esteem for both groups. American Indian students have a more external orientation and lower self-esteem than White students. (SB)

Maintains that the Puerto Rican Catholic and Jewish cultural and religious experience emphasizes family, communal values, and rituals. Argues that these commonalities can be a platform for building a comparative analysis and dialog. This dialog holds the possibility of strengthening personal and communal identities, as well as increasing…

A review of the social science literature traces the history of the construct of multiracial identity, 1890-1995. Research emphases have shifted from racial categorization to ethnicity, from behavioral observation to self-report, and from the inferiority or marginality of multiracial individuals to their phenomenological experiences. Contains 139…

Investigated relationships among prenatal maternal resources, perceptions about parenting, and children's temperament at 6 months, and adaptation of 90 adolescent mothers three years after the birth of their first child. Found that maternal resources uniquely predicted later maternal cognitive functioning, personal adjustment, and child abuse…

Claims that the juvenile justice system provides an array of interventions but that culturally relevant programs are necessary to deal with the myriad of social problems. Introduces the MAAT (Egyptian for virtuous or moral life) Center for Human and Organizational Enhancement Inc. and its Rites of Passage program, which uses an Afrocentric…

Identifies contributions of Liben and Bigler's studies to gender development related to measuring self and other sex typing, developing a theoretical account of the self-other relation, and incorporating individual differences. Raises questions about measures used and interpretations of the findings. Suggests issues for future research:…

Introduces a recursive-based developmental theory of multiple/multiethnic perspective-taking ability for teachers' developmentally and culturally congruent pedagogy: a way to understand and facilitate growth in teachers' interpersonal pedagogical coordination for developmentally and culturally congruent teaching as "teaching for all…

A study of 489 African American first-, fourth-, and seventh-grade students examined children's knowledge of gangs. Findings indicated that students are well aware of gang activities in their neighborhoods and can readily name the groups present in their inner-city environment. Students' awareness of gangs increases with age and may represent a…

Reprints an April 17, 1989 NEWSWEEK cover story, "How Kids Learn," which maintains that young children learn best in developmentally appropriate programs that promote cognitive, social, and language development; physical activities; feelings of competence and self-esteem; individual rates of growth; parent involvement; and teacher…

Peer helping provides critical opportunities for practice and reflection as a means of supporting psychosocial development. School counselor skill and knowledge play an important role in the process of peer program development and success. Provides steps for developing a successful program and a sample developmental training model. (JBJ)

Gender differences were examined in 182 freshman college students who had completed a packet of questionnaires and inventories to address the impact of separation from parents and to test relevance of self-in-relation theory. Differences indicated that women reported establishing more of all kinds of support. Other results are reported. (JBJ)

Reports on a study of Russian parental attitudes regarding appropriate age of initial school attendance and decisions regarding secondary education. Finds that 80% of parents of young children support kindergarten education. Includes 14 tables of data from the study. (CFR)

A typology of adolescent media uses is presented, discussing five uses--entertainment, identity formation, high sensation, coping, and youth culture identification--in relation to adolescent socialization. Media differ from other socializing agents in that adolescents have greater control over their media choices, resulting in substantial…

Examined the role of biological factors, such as perinatal complications, and psychological factors, such as maternal attitudes, in predicting developmental outcomes in preterm children. Findings support the main effects model of biological and environmental factors in explaining developmental psychopathology, but also the interactional model, as…

Defines student empowerment and asserts that the classroom teacher can be a catalyst for that process. Discusses three aspects of classrooms that enable children to become empowered. Provides seven steps for developing democratic classrooms. (CFR)