In this commentary, Suess opines that comparing risk- and non-risk-groups, as is done in the study by Witting, Ruiz, and Ahnert (2016), is a favored approach in developmental psychopathology in order to learn more about underlying mechanisms of normal development, as well as developmental deviations. Witting and colleagues followed up this…

Since the mid-1970s the U.S. imprisonment rate has increased roughly fivefold. As Christopher Wildeman and Bruce Western explain, the effects of this sea change in the imprisonment rate--commonly called mass imprisonment or the prison boom--have been concentrated among those most likely to form fragile families: poor and minority men with little…

This book chronicles the author's experiences managing his son's wildly unpredictable Little League baseball team, exploring the pleasures and pitfalls of adult involvement in Little League, a game played by, and meant for, children. The book examines timely issues surrounding youth baseball today. Through interviews with parents, opposing…

The women's movement has shown how outdated assumptions about women block their freedom to achieve and stunt their earning power, but traditional stereotypes also exact a toll from men. Boys growing up in today's society must "prove" themselves to be full-fledged males, and are discouraged from being aesthetic, sensual, and nurturing. Athletics…

The process of coping with the academic difficulties of a 16-year-old boy is discussed from the point of view of his parents. The effect of each parent's life experiences on how they viewed their son's problem is examined. (PHR)

With changes in sex role expectations in marriage, family researchers have begun to examine the concept of machismo. Two characteristics dominant in the study of machismo are aggressiveness and hypersexuality. A biological model of machismo asserts that males everywhere tend to be more aggressive than females, a sex difference which appears to…

Differences in 3-month-old infants' vocal responsiveness to vocal-visual stimulation by mothers and strangers has been shown to be related to performance on both the Stanford-Binet at 3 years of age and the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistics at 5 years of age. The present retesting of 12 of the original 14 normal, first-born male subjects, now 12…

The author of "Reaching Up For Manhood" discusses troubling social/environmental conditions confronting boys. Raising better boys requires caring adults, safer risk-taking situations, positive reinforcement, and role models. Parents should monitor boys' media exposure, provide moral education, broaden their cultural and natural-world…

During the years 1986-1988, a Swedish research project called "Sons" tried to provide some tentative answers to questions raised by the recent focus on gender issues in peace education. A total of 20 feminist and 20 traditional mothers of sons were interviewed concerning their ideas about the development of their sons and about the difficulties…

In this article, a youth who is transformed from a troublemaker to a model student offers his advice on what it takes to reclaim kids like himself. Sections include: (1) The Outside Will; (2) Will Unfolding; (3) The Transition; (4) Potential Realized; (5) A Conversation with the Inside Kid; and (6) Suggestions from the Inside Kid.

The first in a two-part series on male college student development looks at a significant issue for many young men, lack of relationship with a father, and its effect on their journey to manhood. Specific recommendations are made for adults working effectively with young adult men in this context, and areas for further study are highlighted. (MSE)

The author concludes from his research that severe parental punishment (the use of a belt or its equivalent) is an almost necessary, if not sufficient, precursor to habitual male delinquency. He outlines his theory on the development of aggression and suggests ways for schools to counteract violence in the home. (Author/SJL)

Topics related to characteristics of mother/daughter relationships in contemporary patriarchal societies are discussed in this seminar paper. The first section describes cases intended to illustrate ways patriarchal social structures limit contemporary mother/daughter relationships, provides a brief historical contrast, and suggests possible…

Noting that characteristics such as attachment, honesty, self control, sportsmanship, generosity, and courage may be nurtured or thwarted by parents, teachers, or society, this book examines the roots of male character from birth to late adolescence. It maintains that particular intrinsic biological drives combine with parenting styles and…

Under the guise of helping girls, many schools have adopted policies that penalize boys, often for simply being masculine. Arguing that boys need help catching up with girls academically, and need love, discipline, respect, and moral guidance, but do not need to be rescued from their masculinity, this book scrutinizes studies and feminist doctrine…