In this article, Alfred Tatum argues that the current framing of the adolescent literacy crisis fails to take into account the in-school and out-of-school challenges confronting many African American male adolescents today, particularly those growing up in high-poverty communities. Using the metaphor of literacy instruction as a human body, he…

Discusses findings of a study on resilience and protective factors among 131 urban African American adolescents. Identifies stressors related to environmental conditions that adolescents must overcome. Findings suggest that significant interaction does occur among stressors and protective factors in such a manner that they enhance educational…

Uses lifespan and ecological frameworks to investigate the factors associated with early adolescent sexual activity. Results from 803 African American and Hispanic adolescents suggest a high prevalence of early sexual activity, corresponding to higher rates of childbearing and risky sexual behavior when compared to sexual activity initiated in…

Boys & Girls Clubs in New York City and Boston participated in a 3-year initiative to provide and enhance services to underserved teens. Researchers collected data via surveys of club members and staff; cost surveys of club administrators; interviews, focus groups, and observations at each club; and attendance information. Results indicated…

Uses data from the Rochester Youth Development Study of urban youth (N=615) to identify early risk factors for the likelihood of becoming a teen father. Results show that teen fatherhood is related to a variety of risk factors, such as social class, educational performance, precocious sexual activity, and drug use. (RJM)

Examines the commitment to career choices process for at-risk urban high school students (N=189). Results indicate that students' level of commitment to their career choices was related to vocational identity, their need for occupational information, their perceived barriers to occupational goals, and the number of occupations they considered.…

This study explored the role of the media in the formation and preservation of optimistic bias. It also sought to link optimistic bias and third-person perception, bridging a gap between communication studies and health psychology. The intersection of the two literatures may be especially beneficial in understanding how adolescents process and…

This study is the first of its kind to study third-person perception within the context of school violence. Linkages to the health psychology literature (optimistic bias) provide the basis for further understanding of adolescents' perceptions of school violence and the influence of media violence in their lives. Results from a survey of 1,500…

This document analyzes patterns in the arrest, judicial management, and correctional placement of female offenders. Data are from several federal databases, including the Children in Custody Census. In 1993, U.S. law enforcement agencies made an estimated 570,100 arrests involving females under the age of 18. Although male offenders still account…

Discusses research on the influence of social resources, such as parent, teacher, and school support, on the resilient outcomes of children and adolescents. Findings from the studies considered show the importance of social resources and the need for effective programs of intervention. (SLD)

This article assesses the relation between health risk behaviors and varying levels of exposure to violence in an effort to inform assessment and intervention efforts of a school-based mental health program serving inner-city youth. Health risk behaviors such as involvement in violence, risky sexual behavior, and substance use are clearly…

This book offers practical principles and programs for establishing "youth-adult partnerships" to bridge the generation gap and prepare youth for a future free of unnecessary risk. Following an introduction titled "Diversity as Strength in Partnerships: Collective Responses to Complex Problems" by Robert Warkentin and Dan Rea, the papers are: (1)…

On September 30, 1991, the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families convened to celebrate National Children's Day and hear the testimony of youth ambassadors, teachers, and congressional representatives. This record of the congressional hearing includes the spoken and prepared statements of Representatives Patricia Schroeder, Joseph…

This Bulletin describes the impact of the Youth Out of the Education Mainstream (YOEM) program and summarizes North Carolina's implementation of this initiative at 10 sites in the state. The YOEM initiative, a joint program of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of…

This ethnographic study of 50 male African-American gang members constructs a portrait of the culture in which these young men lived and points out factors that helped 11 of them begin to escape gang life, in contrast to the other 39 who lacked these supporting factors of families, teachers, and peers. (SLD)