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The prevalence, etiology, and consequences of adolescent risk behavior have stimulated much research. The current study examined relationships among anger and depressive symptomatology (DS), risk perception, self-restraint, and adolescent risk behavior. Telephone surveys were conducted with 290 14- to 20-year-olds (173 females; M = 15.98 years). Anger and perceptions of risk directly predicted risk behavior. An indirect effect of depressive symptomatology on risk behavior through perceptions of risk was revealed. Anger predicted risk behavior, particularly for adolescents with low self-restraint. The association between risk perception and risk behavior was stronger for older than for younger adolescents. Findings offer insight into the affective influences of risk behavior and may be used to inform prevention and intervention programs aimed at adolescents.

Explores patterns of morbidity and comorbidity and their ability to predict functional disability among American Indian elders (N=409). Results show that age is a consistent predictor of functional disabilities. The Index of Comorbidity was more useful in predicting functional disability than was the simple summation of the number of chronic illnesses. (RJM)

Examined the links between children's relationships with their parents at one and three years and their relationships with a friend at five years. Positive and secure parent-child relationships were associated with children's positive friendships and negative family relationships with negative friendships. Several counterintuitive findings emerged. (BC)

COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL MODELS of adolescent problem behavior propose risk and promotive factors at multiple levels of the social environment, including the family, peer, school, and neighborhood contexts. (1-3) In addition, [...], OBJECTIVE. Emerging evidence about optimal youth development highlights the importance of both reducing negative behavior and promoting positive behavior. In our study we tested a contextual model derived from positive youth-development theory by examining the association of family, school, and community risk and promotive factors, with several outcome indices of both positive and negative adolescent development. METHODS: A sample of 42 305 adolescents aged 11 to 17 (51% girls) was drawn from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health. Survey item composites were formed representing promotive and risk factors in the family (eg, closeness, aggression) and school and community (eg, community connectedness, school violence). Outcome composites reflected positive (social competence, health-promoting behavior, self-esteem) and negative (externalizing, internalizing, academic problems) developmental outcomes. Ordinary least squares regression was used to test the overall model. RESULTS, Between 0.10 and 0.50 of the variance in each outcome was explained by the contextual model. Multiple positive family characteristics were related to adolescent social competence and self-esteem, as well as lowered levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior and academic problems. Family communication, rules about television, and parents' own healthy behavior were related to adolescent health-promoting behavior. School and community safety were associated with increased social competence and decreased externalizing behavior. School violence was related to adolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior, as well as academic problems and lower self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS. Our results support the proposition that healthy adolescent development has roots in multiple contexts, Youth who were involved in contexts that provided positive resources from important others (ie, parents, schools, and communities) not only were less likely to exhibit negative outcomes, but also were more likely to show evidence of positive development. These findings provide important implications for intervention and prevention efforts and, more generally, for the promotion of positive, competent, and healthy youth development. Key Words positive youth development, National Survey of Children's Health

This research review examines the link between etiology of child maltreatment and developmental outcomes. The review points to a strong association between child maltreatment and attachment insecurity in infant-parent relations, as well as child maltreatment and dysfunctional child-peer relations during toddlerhood. (Author/JDD)

Siblings are influential on one another's romantic relationships and sexual behaviors, and examining mechanisms of this influence is important. Using a sample of 62 sister dyads, we examined the content of sisters' messages about dating and sexuality and correlates of these messages. Sisters shared messages with one another about dating logistics, dating partners, sex, and the importance of self. Using actor–partner interdependence models, we examined how both dyad members' romantic relationship status and sexual experiences, intentions, and attitudes were associated with sisters' messages. We found sisters' experiences—especially older sisters' experiences—were associated with the content of messages. Consistent with symbolic interactionism, the findings point to the importance of examining sibling communication about dating and sexuality as an important socialization mechanism through which sisters may influence one another's romantic relationships and sexuality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth mentoring can have a profound impact on the lives of high-risk youth. This study presents the Campus Corps program, a time-limited (12-week), structured mentoring program for high-risk youth (ages 11–18), and results from a quasi-experimental pilot evaluation. Baseline and post-intervention problem behavior data from 315 offending youth were used in multiple regression analyses. After accounting for baseline group differences, pre-intervention scores, and demographic covariates, Campus Corps participants (n = 187, 63.1% male) reported less engagement in problem behavior, lower acceptance of problem behavior, and a greater sense of autonomy from marijuana use post-intervention than participants in the comparison condition (n = 128, 66.4% male). Conversely, post-intervention group differences were not observed for peer refusal skills or autonomy from alcohol use. A description of the Campus Corps program design and supplemental preliminary findings contribute to the growing knowledge base of youth mentoring program designs and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined (a) relations between multiple interpersonal contexts and sustained risky and health-promoting behavior over a 2-year period and (b) health care outcomes of this behavior. Two hundred and ninety 13- to 19-year olds completed 2 phone surveys assessing negative and positive behavior and risk and protective factors in multiple interpersonal contexts. Across context, constructs related to resources, interpersonal connection, and control emerged to predict positive and negative behavior. Adolescents engaging in sustained risky behavior used more health care and had higher expenditures than those who were not; youth engaging in sustained health-promoting behavior had fewer encounters with the health care system and were less costly than those who were not. Findings are discussed relevant to current research on adolescent behavior and policy for intervention and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated agency and communion attributes in adults' spontaneous self-representations. The study sample consisted of 158 adults (80 men, 78 women) ranging in age from 20 to 88 years. Consistent with theorising, significant age and sex differences were found in terms of the number of agency and communion attributes. Young and middle-aged adults included significantly more agency attributes in their self-representations than older adults; men listed significantly more agency attributes than women. In contrast, older adults included significantly more communion attributes in their self-representations than young adults, and women listed significantly more communion attributes than men. Significant Age Group × Self-Portrait Display and Sex × Self-Portrait Display interactions were found for communion attributes, indicating that the importance of communion attributes differed across age groups and by sex. Correlational analyses showed significant associations of agency and communion attributes with personality traits and defence mechanisms. Communion attributes also showed significant correlations with four dimensions of psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare two independent dyadic assessments of children's close friendship and to examine the attachment correlates of both measures. A total of 73 5-year-olds, who had participated in a longitudinal study of child and family development with their parents and their close friend were observed in a 30 minute laboratory freeplay setting. Each friendship pair was: (1) rated every 30 seconds on eight dimensions of close relationships (e.g. connectedness, negativity, synchrony) using the Dyadic Coding System (DCS: Youngblade & Belsky, 1992); (2) sorted on seven similar dimensions of relationships (e.g. positive social orientation, harmony, cohesiveness) using the Dyadic Relationships Q-sort (DRQ: Park & Waters, 1989). Antecedent attachment data were collected at 12 (with mother) and 13 (with father) months in the Strange Situation; at this time each parent also completed the Attachment Q-sort (Waters & Deane, 1985). Each parent completed the Attachment Q-sort again at 36-37 months. The results revealed that both friendship measures captured similar variation in friendship quality. Analyses of the links between child-parent attachment and friendship suggested congruence between Q-sort attachment security and friendship quality measured with the DRQ, but only for the child-father relationship. Analyses using Strange Situation assessments of infant-father attachment revealed counterintuitive associations with friendship quality, as measured by both the DRQ and DCS. There were no statistically significant relations between child-mother attachment security and friendship quality. In general, the findings point to a number of complexities regarding the measurement and interpretation of links between social relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Behavioral observations were performed on three groups of preschool children: nonabused, physically abused and neglected, and sexually abused. Physically abused and neglected children were more antisocial, disruptive, and aggressive yet passive. Sexually abused children were relatively quiet and engaged in more female-type activities. Peer interaction in the two groups of clinically referred children was significantly less positive than in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reflects on the optimization of adolescent development through reduction of risky behavior and promoting favorable youth development. Focus on multiple contexts of development, the use of multidisciplinary approaches and mixed methods for understanding adolescent behavior, the inclusion of both positive and negative developmental outcomes, and attention to applied and policy implications are discussed. The topic was concentrated on applied developmental science.