Encourages teachers and administrators to gain a complete picture of the school environment through an exploration of the symbolic nature of the hidden, or implicit, curriculum. A historical overview of the influence of the hidden curriculum on the educational process is presented. A checklist for examining symbolic aspects of the school…

At-risk adolescents and their impact on families and society, as well as characteristics of both healthy and maladaptive families, are discussed. Cognitive distortions of dysfunctional adolescents and their effect on family members, along with methods for intervention and creating more healthy environments, are delineated from a systemic…

Several current views on the origins and meaning of adolescent intoxication are reviewed and the validity and utility of each perspective discussed. It is concluded that each occurrence of teenage drunkenness should be analyzed individually. (SJL)

Study examines the relationship between social support and the ability of Brazilian adolescents to adapt to life on the streets. Findings indicate that neither quality nor quantity of social support was related to adaptation. Discusses the implication of these findings with regard to the resiliency of street children. (Contains 20 references.)…

In Hong Kong secondary schools, students in the senior forms take competitive examinations to proceed to the next level, whereas those in the junior forms attend school regardless of their ability and motivation. To determine if this produces different classroom climates, 602 Chinese secondary school students were administered the Classroom…

Reviews recent literature, finding support for hypothesis that power of alcoholic parent within household is related to whether offspring become alcoholic. In considering reasons for this relationship, suggests that children and adolescents are more likely to emulate and identify with powerful alcoholic parent and, thus, learn that alcohol can…

Literature review on relationship between adolescent chemical dependency and family factors yielded two broad categories: family drug usage patterns and family atmosphere. Found strong relationship between adolescent substance abuse and family drug usage, family composition, family interaction patterns, and discrepancies in family perceptions.…

Suggests that adolescence is often viewed as a problematic period of development and provides a counterview that adolescence is a life period of considerable potential development and productivity. Psychological research on formal operations, conceptual research on the quality of life, and historical findings from the Italian Renaissance are…

Street children, as the offspring of complex contemporary urban environments, represent one of our most serious global challenges. Article discusses the causes of this phenomenon, characteristics of street children throughout the world, and specific circumstances in Nepal, Indonesia, India, Latin America, and the Philippines. (Author/EMK)

Study explores why some female adolescents in La Paz, Bolivia, become pregnant while others in similar circumstances avoid early pregnancy. Results reveal that girls who had experienced a pregnancy were less likely to have reported affectionate and supportive parents, more likely to have reported fighting in their home, and exhibited lower levels…

Comparison of childhood and adolescent obesity and anorexia nervosa reveals etiological similarities between the two conditions, particularly regarding family interactional patterns. In both cases, family enmeshment and overprotectiveness resulted in a poor sense of identity and effectiveness. Some children, while compliant and dependent in…

Provides support for the relationship between academic performance and delinquency. Reviews experimental research describing the learning-disabled male adolescent as a likely candidate for delinquent involvement, discussing learning disabilities, age, gender, and socioeconomic status, and their relationship to delinquency. Suggests implications…

Summarizes literature on identity formation in individuals from socially devalued racial and ethnic groups in U.S. Discusses implications for adolescents in foster care or residential group homes, many of whom are African American or Latino. Postulates that social maladaptation is reflective of identity disturbances created by negative images of…

A 3-year follow-up study of alcohol prevention among 4,406 children showed that neither a comprehensive school curriculum nor a community intervention was successful in preventing adolescent drinking. Predictor variables for drinking are examined and the importance of tolerance and encouragement of drinking by adult role models are noted. (Author)

Attempts to identify the psychological characteristics that predispose certain children to run away and to survive, often for long periods, on the streets of South Africa. Examines vulnerability and resilience as well as social conditions that mediate the psychological predisposition to become a street child. (Author/GCP)