Reviews the Intimate Friendship Scale based on 16 studies relevant to children and preadolescents. Presents the conceptual background of the test. Addresses questions regarding the scale and suggests directions for future research. (DR)

Disruptive and delinquent girls are not well served by the mental health and juvenile justice systems. Interventions that have been developed for the behavior problems of boys are frequently applied to girls despite growing evidence for a female-specific phenotype, developmental course, and set of risk factors from middle childhood onwards. The…

We examined the quality of the relationship between children of incarcerated mothers and their kinship caregivers, to investigate whether perceived levels of warmth and acceptance were related to assessments of the children's behaviors. The sample consisted of 69 children (6 to 12 years) with currently incarcerated mothers who attended a…

This article describes preschool social understanding and difficult behaviors (hot temper, disobedience, bossiness and bullying) as predictors of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and aggressive conduct disorder (ACD) in a Dutch population sample of (pre)adolescents (N = 1943), measured at age 10-12 and at age 13-15. ODD and ACD were assessed by…

This 17-year longitudinal study tested whether low peer-perceived acceptance and association with aggressive-disruptive friends during preadolescence predicted students' failure to graduate from secondary school. Participants were 997 Caucasian, French-speaking boys from low-socioeconomic status, urban neighborhoods. The boys were recruited in…

A groupwork approach to the behavior problems presented within the context of recent theories about the significance of peer relationships to child development. (Author/MP)

Examines recent research on cultural and gender differences among early adolescents, focusing on friendship patterns, identity development, social expectations, self-esteem, learning styles, health concerns, achievement aspirations, and sex role attitudes and behaviors. Young adolescents benefit when middle-level educators provide opportunities…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" is an analysis of secondary data obtained from a sample of 9 to 11 year old children receiving outpatient public mental health services in Philadelphia. The…

Public broadcasting increased the number of programs for older children during the 1994-95 television season. Data from the Yankelovich Youth Monitor, a survey of 1,211 subjects aged 6 to 17 years, provide some information about response to these programs and give some insight into serving the 9 to 11 age group in particular. Television continued…

The Draw-a-Person Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance was evaluated with 39 deaf children, ages 9 through 12, who were divided into 2 groups: emotionally disturbed and not emotionally disturbed. Group mean scores were not significantly different; more than half the subjects in each group were misclassified using the procedure. (Author/DB)

This study evaluates the effects of the Coping Power Program with at-risk preadolescent boys at the time of transition from elementary school to middle school. Aggressive boys were randomly assigned to receive only the Coping Power child component, the full Coping Power Program with parent and child components, or a control condition. Results…

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Speilberger state-trait anger expression inventory (STAXI) and Framingham (FAS) anger scales in 86 African American youth. Significant gender differences were not observed for the STAXI or FAS subscales scores (all p greater than 0.17). Inter-scale correlations revealed that the anger-in and…

This article presents the results of a large-scale study of the characteristics of 156 individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) ages 12 to 18. Specifically, cognitive (intellectual, empathizing, systemizing), adaptive behavior, behavior, temperament, and sensory profiles of study participants are overviewed. These characteristics are discussed as…

We investigated determinants of parental monitoring and the association between parental monitoring and preadolescent sexual risk situations among low-income, African American families living in urban public housing. Preadolescents and their parents or caregivers who participated in a longitudinal study of familial and contextual influences on…

This prospective, longitudinal study examined the role of children's coping strategies in the link between interparental conflict and children's psychological adjustment. Using a sample of 100 parents and children aged 11-14 years, this study investigated children's venting of negative emotion, social support seeking, and problem solving…