This article discusses ways that racism affects child development, the historic racial experiences and reaction to them that has made it difficult for society to address racism, and the implications of racism and its history for the preparation and practice of early childhood professionals. (IAH)

Compared 15 lesbian couples, and the children born to them through donor insemination, with 15 heterosexual-parent families. Assessment measures evaluated the children's cognitive functioning and behavioral adjustment and the parents' relationship quality and parenting skills. Found no significant differences between the two groups of children.…

Offers a framework for the analysis and evaluation of actions taken on behalf of children upon their environment. Examines defining suitable child development outcomes for intervention programs. Discusses poverty and prejudice, two examples of environmental conditions that threaten children's development. Summarizes the characteristics of a…

This article reviews the changing structures and characteristics of the American family and discusses the increased influence of several societal concerns, including poverty, substance abuse, and exposure to violence. These issues are considered in light of their potentially deleterious effects on child and family development and functioning,…

Identified strengths and needs of Japanese grandparents as perceived by three generations. Grandparents reported more satisfaction, greater success, and more extensive involvement in teaching than was observed by parents and grandchildren. Significant main effects that influenced responses about grandparent performance included generation, gender…

Recent research has emphasized the importance of cognitive appraisal in understanding coping processes. This study attempts to assess Belfast children's perception of stressful familial, academic, social, and violent events with specific reference to the Northern Irish conflict environment. The perceptions of 689 8- to 11-year olds were rated. (LZ)

Semistructured interviews with 10 deaf and 10 hearing young adults found that instrumental writing occurred as frequently between deaf children and hearing parents as between deaf children and deaf parents. Deaf respondents did less personal or expressive writing than hearing peers. Implications for literacy instruction and further research are…

Examined the impact of day-care participation during the first 3 years of life on the cognitive functioning of 867 school age children who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Found that children from impoverished homes who started day care before age one had higher reading scores than children from similar homes who did not…

This article examines the risk and resilience literature, focusing on the protective factors in the lives of both gifted individuals and those with learning disabilities. Implications for gifted children with learning disabilities are discussed and recommendations are suggested for nurturing resilience in these students. (Contains references.)…

A study involving 72 Puerto Rican mothers with children with mental retardation living at home found better maternal well-being was predicted by larger social support networks, greater satisfaction with social support, and more minor children living in the household. Mothers faced many socioeconomic challenges and were in poor health. (Contains…

Research on parent risk factors, family environment, and familial involvement in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents is integrated, providing an update to prior reviews on the topic. First, the psychosocial parent and family factors associated with youth depression are examined. The literature indicates that a broad array of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among global self-worth (GSW), competencies in various domains, discrepancy between these perceptions of competence and their ratings of importance, and perceived social support of children who were exposed to marital violence using Harter's (1985a, 1985b) theoretical model. Participants…

Objective: To test for gene-environment interaction with depressive symptoms and family conflict. Specifically, to first examine whether the influence of family conflict in predicting depressive symptoms is increased in individuals at genetic risk of depression. Second, to test whether the genetic component of variance in depressive symptoms…

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder; however, the central nervous system (CNS) is one of the organs frequently affected by the disease. Brain disease can begin early in life and often leads to neurocognitive dysfunction. Approximately one-fourth to one-third of children with SCD have some form of CNS effects from the disease, which…

Children who live with chronic illness are confronted with challenges that frequently force them to cope in myriad ways. The ways in which children face chronic illness are summarized in this literature review. Also covered, are how the effects of family can influence coping strategies and how family members, especially parents, cope with their…