Objective: School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a national surveillance system operated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A school-based system of surveys, Profiles monitors school health policies and practices in US states and other jurisdictions through questionnaires completed by school principals and lead health education…

This study examined the development of adolescents' self-concept of ability in mathematics and literacy during secondary school, and the role that mothers' and fathers' beliefs concerning their child's abilities play in this development. Also examined was whether the role of mothers' and fathers' beliefs about their adolescent child's ability in…

When people reflect on their important values, they may become more attuned to the needs of others. Two longitudinal field experiments examined whether a subtle value-affirmation manipulation can initiate relatively enduring increases in young adolescents' prosocial feelings (Study 1; M [subscript age] = 12.9) and prosocial behaviors (Study 2; M…

It is well known that teachers frequently observe a decline in the scholastic motivation of many adolescent students, which in turn is often associated with a decline in students' individual school self-concept. In contrast, less is known about the association between students' individual school self-concept and school engagement, or the related…

The aims of this study were to examine whether adolescent self-efficacy mediates the associations between parental control, perceptions of the importance of healthy nutrition for child health and barriers to buying fruits and vegetables and adolescent fruit consumption using a theoretically derived explanatory model. Data were drawn from a…

Secondary schools are sites of academic instruction but also contexts of socioemotional development, and the intertwining of these two functions has consequences for adolescents' future health and education. Drawing on nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 8,271), this study explored the…

The topic of cyberbullying is raising international debate and concern. Through the development and dissemination of a questionnaire 12 student researchers were supported in surveying 325 UK students across Years 7, 8 and 9 to gain further knowledge of this area, in relation to children and young people. Results were analysed and comparisons made…

Longitudinal research on the links between intelligence and health behaviors among adolescents is rare. We report longitudinal data in which we assessed the relationships between intelligence as assessed in Grade 7 and consequential health outcomes in Grade 11. The mean age of respondents (N = 420; 188 males, 232 females) was 12.30 years (SD =…

Teens are impatient and unsophisticated online researchers who are often limited by their poor reading skills. Because they are attracted to clean and simple Web interfaces, they often turn to Google--and now Wikipedia--to help meet their research needs. The Google Game, co-authored by this author, teaches kids that there is a well-thought-out…

This study investigated the relations between early adolescents' academic motivational orientations and an aspect of quality of friendship: intimacy. Two-hundred and three Jewish-Israeli seventh grade students responded to surveys asking them about their academic achievement goals and about characteristics of their friendships. Variable-centered…

Among preadolescents, use of "gateway" substances (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) is rare. By high school, most students have normally established habits of use or nonuse. Because the occurrence of first and experimental use is most frequent during the years around puberty, programs targeting sixth and seventh grades seem most promising.…

Describes and evaluates the effectiveness of an alcohol-prevention program. Results suggest that parents will read and use information mailed to them. Although parents and children talked more about alcohol-related topics, changes in other parenting behaviors and in student self-reported alcohol use were not observed. (RJM)

Examined effects of three abstinence sex education programs on student attitudes toward sexual activity. Administered programs to seventh and tenth graders in three school districts. Independent variables were program, grade level, gender, and pre/posttest. Dependent variable was combined and averaged response to 12 questions. Found four-way…

Intimacy in adolescent friendships was studied with 288 Israeli 7th, 9th, and 11th graders who completed questionnaires about perceived friendship intimacy and with 137 Israeli ninth graders who completed a questionnaire on individual differences in friendship intimacy. Results underscore the salience of intimacy for peer relationships during the…

A sample of 20 father-present and 20 father-absent middle school boys rated each other on peer adjustment and self-image. Results indicate that father-absent boys evidence a poorer sense of masculinity as well as poorer interpersonal relationships than do father-present boys. (JPS)