The relationship between substance use, mental health disorders, and delinquency among youth is well documented. What has received far less attention from researchers is the relationship between these issues among truant youth, in spite of studies that document truants are a population at risk for negative outcomes. This study bridges this gap by…

This study examined the extent of violence toward children and factors associated with child maltreatment in Florida using a cohort of children (N = 499,330) who were adjudged to be victims of maltreatment between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2003. To assess the extent of maltreatment, five indicators were proposed and examined. Multivariate…

Research indicates that lower levels of school commitment may be one potential outcome of policy initiatives such as high-stakes testing and exit exams. Such outcomes may lead these policy initiatives to have unintended consequences for students, particularly racial or ethnic minority students. This study examines whether race or ethnicity…

This report is designed to provide Florida's school personnel with assistance in working with students prenatally exposed to cocaine or other toxic substances. The report offers background data, practical strategies for teaching and learning, and resources for networking. The first chapter outlines statistics on the incidence of the problem of…

A companion to a January 1993 nationwide teleconference entitled "A Nation's Challenge: Educating Substance-Exposed Children" and organized by the Florida Department of Education, this booklet provides educators with information and research on effective strategies for working with children affected by alcohol and other drugs. It also…

Alcohol and drug use education and prevention continue to be core educational issues. In seeking to inform students at all levels about drug use, the present exploratory study highlights the potential educational use of interactive computer programs for this purpose. Seventy-three college students from two substance abuse classes interacted for at…