Objective: This study's aim was to examine variables associated with different short-term trajectories in multiply disadvantaged adolescent mothers by investigating antecedents and concomitants of parenting stress. Method: We followed 49 adolescent mothers (ages 14-18 at study outset) who were wards in Illinois foster care using a longitudinal…

Family process and peer relationships for boys who showed depressive symptoms with or without co-occurring conduct problems in early adolescence were analyzed in this study. Also examined were outcomes in late adolescence and young adulthood including the relationship with parents and peers and graduation from high school for these boys. The…

This report explores the circumstances and opinions of 71 parents from Baltimore, Maryland), Grand Rapids (Michigan), and New York City who were interviewed as part of a project aimed at increasing the employment opportunities and earnings of disadvantaged fathers, and the amount of the fathers' child support payments. This project, the Parents'…

This book presents groundbreaking strategies for psychotherapy with today's teens, for whom high-risk behavior, lack of adult guidance, and intense anxiety and stress increasingly come with the territory. Ron Taffel addresses the key challenge of building a therapeutic relationship that is strong enough to promote real behavioral and emotional…

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the reasons why girls and young women smoke, drink and use drugs, and what increases or lowers their risk of substance abuse. It demonstrates that certain key risk factors for substance abuse are unique to girls and young women and pose a greater threat to them than to boys and young men. This…

A meta-analysis of home visiting programs (K = 12, N = 2869) examined differences in the effects of home visitor programs for at-risk families on maternal behavior. Studies selected included only peer-reviewed publications and evaluations with a control group design. Although effect sizes varied, programs with more frequent visitation had higher…

Family support and parenting programs exist for parents who need help in acquiring the support, resources, and skills that encourage positive child development. Noting increasing demands for program accountability, this paper identifies 12 recommendations for the future of family support and parenting programs, based on the field's history of…

Cox regression was used to assess the relationships among parental drug use, drug treatment compliance, and reunification from substitute care. Findings indicated that drug treatment compliance was associated with faster reunification, even when accounting for ongoing drug use and three parenting measures. Findings were consistent with a…

Examined relations between parents, older siblings, peers, adolescents' individual characteristics, and adolescents' deviant attitudes and behaviors among inner-city families. Structural equation models showed that older deviant siblings had the strongest effect on adolescent deviance. Positive family relationships, parental support, and…

Discusses the growing use of mediation in U.S. juvenile justice. Identifies the goals of youth mediation programs. Describes prevention and intervention program models and school, parent-child, victim-juvenile offender, and youth corrections mediation efforts. Argues that communities must be proactive in building citizen participation and forming…

Nine adolescent mothers interacted with their infants in three interaction style conditions differing in terms of stimulation and responsiveness provided by the adult. Results support the position that, by interacting in a stimulating and contingently responsive manner, caregivers increase the likelihood of engagement states that are believed to…

Used longitudinal study with adopted children to examine genotype-environment correlations for behavioral problems. Found that children genetically at risk for antisocial behavior were more likely to receive negative parenting from adoptive parents than children not genetically at risk. Most of the association between negative parenting and…

Examined if and how differences in functioning of single-mother and two-parent families relate to occurrence of behavioral problems among inner-city boys ages 10-15. Findings included (1) multiple family risk factors contribute to occurrence of behavior problems; (2) most family risk factors were generalizable to both single-mother and two-parent…

Tested model of gender's moderating effects on behavior problems among early adolescents. Found that increasing girls' internalizing symptoms were partly explained by greater stability in girls' interpersonal vulnerabilities and greater magnitude in coefficients linking girls' relationships with parents and peers and internalizing problems. Boys'…

Healthy Families Alaska is a program that identifies families at risk of having children with poor health outcomes and provides intensive paraprofessional home visitation services specific to individual family needs and culturally relevant to Native families. Program goals, elements of effective home visitations, enrollment procedures, service…