In order to understand the psychological meaning of menarche it is necessary to examine cultural beliefs, socialization, and actual experience. A sample of 641 fifth to twelfth grade girls, 40% of whom were premenarcheal, completed a modified version of the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). Half of the sample completed the MDQ according…

This is the second of a two-volume collection of research-based readings dealing with the New Zealand adolescent. This volume considers the areas of drugs and delinquency, as well as the world of work and Maori-pakeha differences. The following topics are included: marihuana use; vocational aspiration; alcohol and tobacco use; Maori-pakeha…

This paper describes a collaborative approach toward preventing and intervening in abusive behaviors among youth. Outdoor leaders may be caught off guard by abusive behavior during outdoor courses and may be uncertain how to work with groups in which such behavior is the norm. The concept of "dominant discourse" is useful for…

Controversies continue regarding the effects of corporal punishment on children. Research has demonstrated an association between levels of corporal punishment and negative outcome behaviors such as aggression and other mental health problems. However, most of these studies have been cross-sectional and correlational in design, thereby precluding…

Studies two determinants of male puberty rites: communitywide exclusive male work groups and polygyny which act as an extension of male subculture; and sexual integration in the division of labor and distant father-child relationship which act to reduce the distance between the sexes. (Author/RC)

A questionnaire of 500 pupils (ages 16-17)in Zimbabwe investigated their attitudes toward being integrated with students with disabilities. Results showed the students had more positive attitudes towards integration of students with disabilities than negative ones. No significant differences were found in attitudes of female and male students.…

Examined 100 adolescents over a three-year period to study their characteristics following an episode of deliberate self-harm (DSH). Findings show that the referral rate for black adolescents reflected the community's composition. The characteristics of black, and white adolescents who were referred following DSH possessed similar background…

Interlinks crucial cultural themes emerging from preceding chapters, highlighting the contextual constraints in adolescents' use of free time. Draws parallels across the nations discussed on issues related to how school molds leisure time, the balance of passive versus active leisure, timing of leisure pursuits, and the cumulative effect of…

The extent of U.S. influence on Australian education is being recognized. The differences between the U.S. and the British models of vocational guidance posed dilemmas for Australian educators. Research should be conducted in the context of political and socioeconomic factors, including the British tradition and the impact of American ideas. (SK)

Examines impact on adolescence of major cultural changes brought about by advent of television, combined threat of nuclear war and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and changes in social values and family structures. Main thesis is that volume and pace of contemporary changes have an unsettling effect on internal experience and create…

Currently, theoretical approaches to studying minority adolescence involve implicit links among ethnicity and pathology, cultural difference, and cultural deviance. This paper discusses theoretical approaches for exploring the interactive relationship among ethnicity, identity, and competence for minority youth to reconceptualize their…

Article discusses two adolescent peer-led interventions in New Zealand designed to offer support to young people dealing with important issues - sex, drugs, and alcohol. The relevance of the unique cultural environment of New Zealand is discussed, and a description of the two interventions is provided. Suggestions for possible future directions…

Concepts of human differences were studied among 5th and 11th graders in the United States, Japan, and China. Relative to their peers, more American students noted differences in appearance/attractiveness and material resources; more Japanese noted various physical features, and more Chinese noted specific behaviors. With increasing age, Americans…

Examined whether parent-child conflict and cohesion during adolescence vary among families characterized as having different cultural traditions regarding parental authority and individual autonomy. Despite holding different beliefs about parental authority and individual autonomy, Mexican-, Chinese-, Filipino-, and European-American adolescents…

Examines specific sociocultural factors influencing homosexual identity expression for gay and lesbian adolescents. Using the Negotiated Identity Model on a sample of 172 self-identified homosexual adolescents reveals that variables for gay males included political ideology, socioeconomic status, heterosexual friends, and gender nonconformity.…