Adolescent drug use in the United States remains higher than that of any other industrialized country. To explore this problem, demographic and psychosocial variables from a survey of 346 pre- and early adolescents were used to predict membership in clusters of students with varying substance use attitudes and expectancies. Cluster analysis…

This study compared the coping strategies used by children residing with single caregivers to those used by children residing with dual caregivers. Participating were 30 children in grades 4 through 6: 15 children living in families with 1 adult present and 15 children living in families with at least 2 adults present. Measures of anxiety,…

Developed measures of preoccupied and avoidant coping to determine whether the measures concurrently relate to adjustment problems. Subjects were 229 children from third through seventh grades. Results indicated that preoccupied and avoidant coping with the mother can contribute to maladjustment in other arenas. Children's adjustment with peers…

Examined the relative importance of ethnic identification, perceived parental attitudes, and peer victimization for Dutch and Turkish 10- to 12-year-olds' ethnic attitudes in the Netherlands. Found that for both groups, stronger ethnic identification related to more positive in-group evaluation, and peer victimization related to more negative…

Assesses the relative base rates of common forms of youth psychopathology among 1,400 children, preadolescent, and adolescent Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and rarer minorities across social classes as defined by parent education levels. Findings include data showing most psychopathology being distributed proportionately across race and…

Parental access to community-based assistance was investigated in 70 households with relation to occupational status and age of their intellectually disabled child/teenager. Lower-occupational-status parents were less likely to have received help with "information," while parents of children aged three-five were most likely to have…

Reports results from secondary school students in North Carolina which point to need for drug prevention programs in elementary and middle schools. Describes Drug Action prevention program, model cooperative program between urban public school system and community-based program which uses cognitive-behavioral approach to prevent drug use.…

Examines the effects of a stress inoculation program on the aggressive behavior of four behaviorally disordered preadolescent males. Finds that three of the four boys exhibited decreases in aggressive behavior and increases in coping behavior that generalized to nontreatment day school setting. (FMW)

Carefully reviewed Merton's writings on anomie theory to construct a more complete and rigorous test of the theory for respondents in early, middle, and late adolescence. Concluded that misspecified models of strain theory have underestimated the predictive power of strain theory in general and of anomie theory in particular. (JBJ)

Examined drug use, involvement in problem behavior, and family and peer predictors of these behaviors among Indian and white adolescents in a Canadian urban community. Found the groups had a similar rate for alcohol use; however, Indian adolescents showed higher rates and more frequent use of cigarettes, marijuana, solvents, and greater…

The middle school movement is not about being better able to meet the learning needs of preadolescents; middle schools are attractive mostly for administrative, not pedagogical reasons. Middle school advocates overlook the cultural context of rural schools and the violence done to communitarian precepts when middle school construction results in…

Presents results of a study developing an informal social skills teacher rating scale for use with early adolescents. Reports that the scale includes skill identification and situational analysis. Provides information on identifying and ranking responses and checking a content validity and reliability. Concludes that the matrix can generate…

Describes a study of nine year olds in Ireland, Australia, the United States, and Norway that investigated their attitudes to television advertising and the connection to buying patterns in their families. Highlights include enjoyment of television ads, parallels between television programs and ads, and perceived influence of ads on parents.…

This article describes the language abilities of 20 boys aged 10 to 13.5 years who were admitted to residential treatment because of their significant and persistent antisocial behavior. Primary diagnoses included oppositional/defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Eighty percent carried the additional diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity…

Examined 9-13 year olds' relationships with parents; teachers; siblings; close friends; other friends; and other peers. Used a social rules questionnaire to formulate a checklist of social rule themes. Found that themes that had previously been associated with one class of social relationships had much wider application. (MDM)