The broad array of data presented each year in the "KIDS COUNT Data Book" is intended to illuminate the status of America's children and to assess trends in their well-being. By updating the assessment every year, KIDS COUNT provides ongoing benchmarks that can be used to see how states have advanced or regressed over time. Readers can…

In recent years the problem of sexually abusive youth has been increasingly recognized as a significant issue in our community. This paper provides a brief overview of the literature that shows sexually abusive youth to be a heterogeneous population. We argue for the development of typologies of adolescent sexual offenders to assist in the guiding…

This paper profiles an educational reform program targeting academically and socially at-risk and underachieving students. The project began as a district-wide training program for school psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, and elementary-level instructional consultants. The program focuses on helping schools to plan for and…

These 12 monthly newsletters from 1995 explore the myriad problems encountered by children and adolescents as they grow up. Regular departments in the newsletter issues include "Keep Your Eye On...," which briefly presents results of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "New Research," summarizing research from recent publications and…

This Kids Count report presents a brief demographic analysis of preventable child deaths in Texas. The analysis integrates quantitative and qualitative information on accidents, homicides, and suicides, with data on deaths from disease and other causes to compare different age groupings, ethnic groups, and time periods. Texas Department of Health…

Children of prison inmates are the hidden victims of their parents' crimes. Like children of divorced or deceased parents, they often show signs of distress caused by the lack of a stable home life and parental separation. Many times they follow their parents' criminal behavior patterns. To keep mothers and daughters connected and to enhance…

This guide describes the status of selected family resource programs in the United States and Canada. The first chapter provides detailed descriptions of 13 programs that offer collaborative and comprehensive services. These programs, which are often large and innovative, foster coalitions of service providers in order to offer an extensive range…

A study on family structure and values among the poorest of all welfare recipients, homeless families found that not only has the traditional family structure broken down, but that there are stark contradictions between the reality of the lives of homeless women and the values they hold. The traditional family may actually be obsolete for this…

Programs that attempt to keep children from turning to crime are described following an introduction by Senator Joseph Biden that considers the scope of the problem of juvenile crime and possible solutions to the problems of youth violence. Catalogued are 192 ways in which communities are reaching out to children. The programs listed vary in size,…

This report on the state of children in the United States begins with a call to action that points out the destructive effects of poverty, violence, and drug use on America's children while outlining 10 needed steps that should be followed to help alleviate these problems. The greater part of the report focuses on: (1) health; (2) child care; (3)…

For more than 80 years, Boys Town's mission has been to change the way America cares for its at-risk children. This collection of articles describes how Boys Town carries out its mission via the Boys Town Teaching Model. The essence of the Boys Town teaching model is two-fold: building relationships with children and teaching skills to youth. To…

This study investigated the way in which parental beliefs moderate affective reactions to children at risk for abuse. A sample of 40 unrelated mothers was drawn from a larger research project. At-risk and not-at-risk children were recruited from 40 families participating in counseling at a local child abuse agency. At-risk status was determined…

This hearing focused on: (1) what data States collect to monitor the care and supervision of children in foster care and children for whom adoption subsidies are paid; (2) how that data is used today; and (3) what additional data or applications of these data might better ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children. Testimony was…

Based on McLoyd's (1990) model of African American children's development, this study examined the linkages between poverty, maternal psychological distress, marital conflict, the home environment, and children's outcomes among a sample of 805 African American 4- to 9-year-olds whose families were interviewed in 1992 as part of the National…

This bulletin describes how parenting patterns are learned and how the Nurturing Parenting Programs, a group- and home-based intervention effort begun with the support of the National Institute of Mental Health, help stop generational cycles of abuse and neglect by building nurturing parenting skills. Section 1 examines the need for effective…