The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) is designed to provide detailed information on children's development, health, and early learning experiences in the years leading up to entry into school. The ECLS-B is the first nationally representative study within the United States to directly assess children's early mental and…

In 1981, the Norwegian parliament established an Ombudsman for Children to promote children's interests. This book describes the ombudsman's efforts to serve children, both in the past and the present, in 6 chapters. In Chapter One, a brief history of changes in families, children and society in Norway in the twentieth century is followed by…

The trend in public child welfare toward increased purchase of services from local agencies is presented in this report as a rationale for developing monitoring systems which link service to client outcomes and to agency mandates. The monitoring system designed for the Parent Training Initiative, a parent education program, is described as one…

Deaf teenagers have more trouble coping with the effects of parental alcohol abuse than do hearing teenagers. Suggestions are made for helping the deaf teenager and other family members deal with these problems, especially in potentially violent situations. Two short case studies are provided to illustrate intervention methods and outcomes.…

Describes using the overlapping areas of relaxation, meditation, hypnosis, and imagery as a counseling technique. Explains the methods in terms of right brain functioning, a capability children use naturally. (ABB)

The "latchkey" child who spends time at home alone is vulnerable to a variety of crisis situations. Suggestions are offered to help this child become more self-reliant and better able to deal with fears, boredom, and danger. (DF)

Several models dealing with American Indian students' academic performance are examined in this article. A new model, in which family, child, and teacher influence academic achievement, is suggested. Environment and peers are shown to influence the nature of the context in which transactions take place. (DF)

While self care is not always harmful, research finds that when children under 13 are regularly left to spend time alone or to be cared for by young siblings, they may be at risk for injuries and developmental problems. This research brief focuses on two groups of children that may be particularly vulnerable when they lack regular adult…

Approximately 360,000 people in Florida are migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Although this group includes a wide array of ethnicities with their own cultural characteristics, the shared experience of migrancy lends some common threads to an otherwise diverse population. This publication explores these commonalities, as they relate to educators'…

The authors examine parental stress on the birth of a cerebral palsied (CP) child, medical aspects of CP, the beginnings of communication, and need for parental involvement in the child's early experiences. Then described are a family's efforts to provide a normal environment for a seven-year-old CP girl. (MC)

Describes the prevalence of school bullying behavior, noting the physical, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of children involved in school bullying; examining related issues (interpersonal relationships, family environment, physical health, and academic and school issues); looking at attitudes/perceptions regarding bullying; and…

Muslim parents share many of the same ideals that other religious parents do when considering comprehensive religious schools. For those who see Islamic schooling as a viable option, supporters claim that these schools help to (1) preserve the culture and customs passed down from generation to generation, and (2) provide Muslim children with a…

Violence in schools and communities is no longer an urban school problem; it is every school's problem ( Garbarino, 1999 ). What factors cause children to interact with increasingly violent and anti-social behaviors? What strategies can teachers and schools use in order to help these childhood bullies who grow up to be violent youths? This paper…

Preschool to school-age trajectories of 242 children, including 37 with insecure-disorganized and 66 with insecure-organized attachment patterns, were examined. Child attachment and stressful life events (the latter retrospectively) were measured at ages 5-7, and mother-child interactive quality, parenting stress, marital satisfaction, and…

Video Activated Communication (VAC) is a powerful family intervention model that builds on family strengths. On the basis of video recordings of parents and children at home, the VAC practitioner (VACP) shows parents which communication skills they have been using to achieve successful interaction with their children. The successful outcomes,…