A survey of 2,216 low-SES Mexican American students in grades 4-6 investigated family, social, and psychological risk factors related to substance abuse. Use of major and minor substances was related to respondent score on an index of 11 risk factors. Relationship between major substance use and risk index was significantly greater for females…

A longitudinal study of family patterns of moral reasoning compared relationships between parent and offspring reasoning from early adolescence to adulthood. Consistent patterns were found. During adolescence, parental judgment correlated to offspring reasoning but more so for girls than boys; among young adults, fathers' judgment and education…

Dialogue journals written by middle school students and preservice teacher education students provide an opportunity for the preservice teachers to learn about the intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development of middle school students and how these aspects of the students' lives affect learning. (IAH)

Subcultural differences in the types of stressors, coping strategies, and control beliefs reported by 32 10- to 14-year-old Egyptian Moslem girls from middle-class, country, and innercity backgrounds were investigated. Implications of findings for the study of stress and coping from a cross-cultural perspective are discussed. (SLD)

Studied sex and acculturation differences in occupational values among 177 Chinese-American fifth and sixth graders. Found money and task satisfaction were very important values, whereas object orientation and solitude were quite unimportant; that the high-acculturation children valued self-realization more than the low-acculturation children; and…

Discusses the intertwined emotional and intellectual needs of early adolescents, characteristics of developmentally responsive middle schools, family and school factors that increase the likelihood of dropping out, problems of delinquency and school discipline, protective factors related to student resilience, and school and community…

Most psychosocial research on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has focused on deficits in school, family, or behavioral functioning without incorporating perceived quality of life (QoL) or the adolescents' perspective. The Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version (YQOL-R), was used to assess self-perceived QoL in a…

Purpose: To determine (1) the prevalence of use, (2) risk and protective factors for use of inhalants in Florida youth. Methods: The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey 2004 is a comprehensive assessment of youth substance abuse attitudes and practices obtained by sampling youth from sixty-five counties. Results: The sample consisted of 60,345…

This article is the final report on a study of adolescent girls which explored the relationship between physical activity and self-esteem. Two earlier phases of the study collected data on girls aged 9 to 12 years (n=76) and aged 12 to 17 years (n=67). A questionnaire explored: (1) confidence and perceived competence; (2) sports and activity…

This booklet focuses on self-esteem, especially as to how reading at home can affect reading and school performance and how poor reading attainment can affect self-esteem. Specific steps to help middle school children gain self-esteem are discussed. Practical questions from parents are answered and activities are described which can be used at…

This study examined selected characteristics and behaviors among fifth grade pupils who ranged in age from 11 to 12 years. The sample (N=975) constituted the entire fifth grade population of a moderate-sized city 45 miles from Atlanta, Georgia. The sample consisted of 160 black students and 815 white students, with 511 boys and 464 girls. A…

This study examined the preferences of middle grade students in selecting traits for their own future infants. Sixth- and seventh-grade populations of two elementary schools (l73 males and 90 females) participated. A simulated activity entitled "Parenting l995" was developed to provide the future setting and the instrument through which to explore…

This document reports findings of two studies on relations between: (1) adolescents' peer relationships and their self-esteem; and (2) adolescents' social status and friendships. Participating in the first study were nearly 300 seventh- and eighth-graders who completed Harter's (1985) Self-Perception Profile for Children. This measure includes…

A study of 55 growth-disturbed children, aged 8-17, was conducted to assess how rate of physical maturation and pubertal development influences cognitive and neuropsychological functioning. The sample included 27 boys with short stature and delayed pubertal development (SSB), 15 girls with delayed puberty (DPG), and 13 girls with precocious…

School achievement attributions for success and failure were examined for American and Polish preadolescents between the ages of 12 and 13 years. The American sample included 115 preadolescents (53 males and 62 females), and the Polish sample included 64 children (34 males and 30 females). The American subjects came from a suburban racially…