Abstract This paper explains that 81 percent of parents and guardians polled favor sex education programs that teach all aspects of sex and sexuality, which include how to use birth control and how to protect against STDs, instead of the widespread abstinence-only and dangers of sex program. The author stresses that, even with most schools teaching abstinence-only programs, the approach isn?t working very well; teenagers are not abstaining from sex. The paper concludes that teaching teens about the dangers of STDs and the consequences and responsibility that surrounds sexual relationships may actually be reinforcing abstinence as the safest way.
From the Paper ?In 1996, a companion bill was put onto the Welfare Reform Act. This bill budgeted $440 million over the span of five years to support abstinence-only sex education. In order for school districts to receive funding, they are required to tell the kids that "sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects" and that ?a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity.? The kids are not to be told about condoms, birth control, or any other protection methods except to highlight their failure rates. Right now, every state except California accepts this funding. In recent news, the Bush administration is attempting to put forth an initiative to increase the funding for this abstinence-only policy."
Abstract When an adolescent experiences some sort of disruption of the family structure, due to either divorce or some other means of disorder, a distorted view of the marital structure sometimes arises. This paper examines the effects of broken families on adolescents, examining issues such as the child's own future relationships, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency.
From the Paper "Consequently, not every adolescent who lives in a dysfunctional home is taking their parents to court to try and milk them for everything they are worth. Yet, even if one looks at the extreme, a minute characteristic can be identified that can applied to many adolescents in that situation. The predominant cry heard is not one for money or power, rather it is merely an internalization of emotion caused by an adolescent feeling he or she is the victim."
Abstract Over the past two decades, parental use of physical punishment has become an increasingly controversial practice. The paper explains that the controversy has been further fueled by a growing body of evidence that suggests that physical punishment is associated with a number of negative developmental consequences for children, including higher levels of aggression, poorer mental health, lower levels of moral internalization, impaired parent-child relationships, and higher risk of abuse of the child. This paper provides an overview of the issues involved in spanking children as a means of punishment and instilling a sense of self-control, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "The proper objectives of a system of punishment administered by the state have been the subject of debate among philosophers, educators, lawyers, and legislators for centuries. A variety of different theories or objectives of punishment have been proposed, some differing only in minor ways depending on the age of the child involved. The research into how toddlers develop self-control indicates that most children exhibit the ability to control their behavior after age one year (Dworetzky), which becomes more refined after age six years. In his novel, Waldon Two, B. F. Skinner described a utopian society which was built on psychological principles. One of these principles involved a method by which children were taught to delay immediate gratification in favor of long-term advantage. According to Skinner, children would be able to "generalize this ability to new situations" (Dworetzky, 1990, p. 119). The world of young children is not quite this utopian, however, and practically all parents and teachers experience situations in which children exhibit little or no self-control. However, by applying some alternatives techniques, parents, teachers and other caregivers can help provide appropriate role models for behavior and communicate appropriate models of behavior to children as young as one year old without the need to resort to corporal punishment."
Abstract Researchers have begun to explore the effects on children of witnessing domestic violence and have noted that children who experience such events often show significant behavioral or emotional problems, either immediately afterwards or later on in life. This paper looks at the history of the issue, focusing on the United States. It then examines statistics, the effects on children, including PTSD and expected problems in later life. Finally, the paper looks at treatment and therapy options.
From the Paper "Some parents noted that their lives were already so complicated by the upheaval that they simply did not have the time to get the children into therapy. One mother noted that she had already missed so much time from work dealing with the legal aspects of the violence that she could take no more time off to take children to therapy. Other parents didn?t think their children needed any help, and in some cases the child did not want to participate. Many parents gave more than one reason (Peled & Edleson, 1999) suggesting that providing therapy for these children is a complex problem to solve. One subset of parents had shared custody of their children and thus incomplete control over their activities (Peled & Edleson, 1999)."
Abstract This paper examines how, in today's society, bullying can be defined much differently than in former decades; bullying today has become much more severe, and even life threatening. It looks at how, while school-aged children are being bullied daily, many parents, teachers, and counselors are unaware of the problem. In order to fully understand why bullying is harmful, it considers what bullying is, why some children more susceptible, and what the signs are that a child is being bullied. It also looks at how one can prevent bullying and help children deal with it and the importance of putting a stop to it.
From the Paper "To help children cope with bullying, the parent should first reinforce what has been taught; if a child is being verbally abused, try to encourage him or her to ignore the bully. If ignoring the bully does not work, children should then be encouraged to speak with their teachers, guidance counselors, or other authority figures. Parents should remain calm and not overreact when children speak to them about being bullied. It may be a parent's first instinct to go to school and try to take care of it, but depending on the severity of the bullying, this may not be the best idea. However, if the bullying continues or gets physical, then a parent must intervene. Parents should first speak with their child's teacher, counselor, or principal, and if necessary, they should contact the bully's parents."
Abstract This paper relates that the General Affective Aggression Model (GAAM) is one of the leading theories in the field of aggression, which argues that exposure to violent video games can increase short-term aggression (20 minutes following exposure to a video game) over long periods of time. The author states that the experimental hypothesis is that children who play violent video games are more likely to be more aggressive on the playground. The paper describes a research design with three experimental groups consisting of randomly selected 8 to 10-year-old boys and girls. The experimental group plays a violent video game (e.g., Kung Fu), one control group plays a non-violent video game (e.g., Ms. Pac Man) and another control group will consist of children that did not play a video game.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Proposed Study
Methods and Statistical Analysis
Participation
Design and Procedures
Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "Certainly, the literature available notes several limitations on this type of study. One important constraint is that this experimental design does not allow researchers to determine the effect of video game violence in a 'real' or 'playful environment. Goldstein notes that voluntary exposure to violent video games may have a different effect than enforced exposure on aggression. In the lab, video games are not entered into in a playful frame of mind, as they are in the 'real' world. However, the need for a controlled, experimental situation in this experiment makes such a distinction difficult."
Abstract This paper argues that television viewing by children should be greatly restricted, not only because of the negative affects of watching television in general, but also because the advertising media is actively seeking ways to influence children. The paper examines various aspects of advertising aimed at children, including brand loyalty, in-school programming, and food advertising. It also touches on violence and sex-role stereotyping.
From the Paper "According to some research, while psychology often provides valuable insights about controlling obesity, psychologists are also often on the payroll of the junk food advertisers, informing those advertisers about the best way to reach a child's mind with the message they intend to get across. In addition to that, there is also the ?nag factor,? in which children are encouraged to bug their parents until they get what they have just been convinced they want, disrupting family dynamics in the process. (Cohn, 13) It could be argued that disrupted family dynamics would also lead to additional work for psychologists. And it could be argued that none of this serves the children very well at all. Of course, one might wonder who needs parents or psychologists when one has Ronald McDonald."
Abstract For more than two decades, researchers, clinicians, and juvenile justice program administrators have become increasingly concerned about the link between substance abuse and juvenile crime. This paper shows that, due to this connection, various programs are being implemented across the United States to treat the juvenile offenders in order to help deter substance abuse. In turn, this should also help deter future criminal actions.
From the Paper "By way of comparison, law enforcement authorities arrested just over four thousand teens for rape and two thousand one hundred and seventeen for homicide. In other words, the police arrest teens for liquor law violations, drunkenness and disorderly conduct at forty-five times the rate they arrest juveniles for murder and rape combined. Many of these juveniles could have avoided the system, but substance abuse has pulled them in. The worst part is, arrests of juveniles for liquor law violations are up sixteen percent, drunkenness arrests are up fourteen percent, and disorderly conduct arrests are up fifteen percent. The statistics for underage alcohol abuse keeps increasing, which means that more and more juveniles are being put into the system and many have not been receiving the correct treatment."
Abstract This paper explores the fact that parental involvement is considered by many educators and researchers to be one of the most significant factors contributing to academic achievement among students, especially during the elementary school years. The paper presents research that has revealed with overwhelming consistency that students with parents who are active in their education are more successful in school.
From the Paper "Researchers have found that nearly two-thirds of all students who will attend college first thought about college during the elementary school years, which means that supporting children's education during the early years will have a significant impact on their later academic achievement. Parents should become involved in their children's education and raising awareness of how important education is to their future. Parents should become familiar with academic programs that are geared towards college preparation and become an overall active partner in children's education. "Parents have a legal right to act as a partner with school professionals in making educational decisions about their children. In addition, research results tell us that children do better, enjoy school more, and cause fewer disciplinary problems when their parents are actively involved." (Beale & Ericksen-Radtke 2001) Children will be excited about school if their parents are excited about school."
Abstract This paper explains the rapid growth of obesity statistics among U.S. minority children and adolescents. The author points out the serious consequences including related diseases. The paper relates ethnic attitudes and suggests interventions.
From the Paper "In the ...st century, obesity has become an epidemic and obesity in non-white non-European ancestry in the United States is a major problem. It is estimated that more than ...million Americans are obese with three million morbidly obese and childhood obesity is on the rise especially among minorities. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reveals that ethnic minority children in the United States are at particular risk for development of cardiovascular disease due to their disproportionate levels of obesity. Obesity is the most frequent ..."
Abstract This paper describes the negative implications of divorce on children. The author explores issues such as growing up in a single parent or blended household, sharing holidays and living part time with each parent. Potential long-term effects and issues with adjustment are noted as well. In particular, the paper examines existing research that has shows how children are affected by the communicative aspects of divorce.
Outline:
Preview
Financial Support
Emotional Well-being
Communication Quality and Satisfaction with Parents and Peers
Adjustment in Adulthood
Discussion and Conclusions
References
From the Paper "The days of mom, dad, a dog, 2.5 children and a white picket fence have been replaced by an increasing number of single parent households due to the steadily increasing divorce rate since the 1970's (Price & McKenry, 1988). Divorce can be defined as the, "legal dissolution of a socially and legally recognized marital relationship that alters the obligations and privileges of the two persons involved" (Price & McKenry, 1988, p. 7). When two parents find it impossible to live together even for the sake of a child, they come out of the situation with a solution: divorce. Children are left to be divided and shared between the two parents who refuse to play nice. The parents are left with a solution; they no longer have obligations to each other. But the children are the ones left to suffer for they are then forced to live with one ill-equipped parent who now has to juggle raising a family, tending to the house, and to managing the financial responsibilities all alone. Some people see this as a growing concern, whereas others take the position that children are resilient and fully able to adapt to changing situations and lifestyles."
Tags: blended families, single parent, divorce, single mother, marriage, step parents, step siblings, delinquent
From the Paper "Certain high risk activities are red-flag indicators for potential suicidal behaviors. These include using drugs and alcohol to escape stress and painful situations; the result of substance abuse is that a situation is created that increases an individual's feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and self-destructive behavior."
Abstract This paper deals with suicide in young males. Tracing some of the causes, like depression, the author attempts to provide an in-depth account of suicide. Quoting many experts on the subject, the author is able to provide facts and figures on the subject as well as lending a personal subjective account.
From the Paper ?The etiology of suicide among young males is complex. Factors that contribute to suicide among the general population also are largely accountable for suicides of young males. However, some particular etiologies tend to be especially relevant in explaining suicide among both male teens and young adults. These include: untreated depression, substance abuse, and a connection with birth trauma, psychosocial factors and helplessness.?
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of divorce and examines the research methodologies used in order to provide accurate divorce rates. The author also discusses about related social and cultural matters.
From the Paper "While the decision to divorce one's marital partner seems as if it were an entirely personal one. But (as Emile Durkheim has shown us so conclusively as regards suicide) personal decisions are also social and cultural ones. Divorce rates have risen and fallen (but mostly risen) since the 18th century colonial era in America. Any investigation of such changes in the rate of divorce must be fundamentally grounded in the methods of historical research as well as social science research. How best to understand the reasons that divorce rates have fluctuated since the 18th century requires a close reading of a variety of historical and cultural texts that -- taken together -- will ground the personal reasons that obtain in each specific case of divorce with the larger social and cultural context of marriage and divorce. "
Abstract The following paper critically analyzes whether divorce is a devastating act that reverberates down the decades, inflicting permanent harm on adults and children or whether it is a healing act for the family torn by conflicts that are far worse than any divorce might be.
From the paper:
? Wallerstein's research is anecdotal, limited to a homogeneous, affluent, Caucasian sample, and was not contrasted with a control group. She did not track similar families torn by conflicts who nonetheless stayed together. Her work's most serious flaw, however, is her skewed sample: every family came to her because they were already experiencing serious problems. And thus her work has been criticized by some colleagues, because it does not take into account the complex tangle of emotions and difficulties that dysfunctional families suffer, whether they divorce or not.?
