Social Networks and Social Support in Childhood and Adolescence (Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence).

This new work integrates emerging ideas on children's social networks and supports with developmental theory and research. Researchers and clinicians, armed with new methodological tools, synthesize theoretical and clinical work and suggest implications for supportive interventions for children. The periods from infancy to adolescence are covered, considering social networks inside and outside of the child's household, institutional connections, and even pets.

This thoroughly revised new edition looks at the nature of social networks, their changing configurations, and the forces of influence they unleash in shaping the life experiences of young people between the ages of 12 and 25 years. The author draws on both social and psychological research to apply network thinking to the social relations of youth across the domains of school, work and society. Network thinking examines the pattern and nature of social ties, and analyses how networks channel information, influence and support with effects on a wide range of life experiences. The book comprises eleven chapters, which contain discussion on key topics, such as youth transitions, network analysis, friendship, romantic ties, peer victimization, antisocial behaviour, youth risk-taking, school motivation, career influence, youth citizenship, and community organizations for young people. Chapters contain discussions of practical ways in which schools can provide support, and suggestions for youth organizations on how to assist young people to become effective citizens.

Research on adult personal-social networks has contributed greatly to an understanding of mental health, illness, and responses to stress. Fueled by this successful research and a growing concern for today's youth, the contributors to this volume have conducted investigations into the functioning and structures of the social networks of toddlers, school-age children, adolescents, and college students. The editors of this volume move beyond vague generalizations about characteristic and behavior acquisition through socialization in childhood by applying a longitudinal perspective to the sampling of child, adolescent, and young-adult network research. Social Networks of Children, Adolescents, and College Students unites several major empirical studies of children's social networks, investigating the acquisition of specific behaviors from particular groups of individuals under certain conditions. Topics covered include: * the effects of social networks on child development and disorder * the relationship between social networks and coping with stress the role of friends or groups in positive socialization * Of special interest to practitioners, researchers, and advanced students are: * comparative data on children from other cultural groups and non-mainstream American youths descriptions and evaluations of methodologies * introductory materials by the editors commenting on the field and the research extensive bibliographies

The key to preventing many adult diseases lies in childhood, when lifetime patterns of diet, exercise, and moderation are most often set. Authored by an interdisciplinary team including nurses, psychologists, nutritionists, and researchers, this book provides a research-based examination of the interplay between health and behavior in childhood and adolescence leading to either positive or negative health outcomes. It examines issues such as: What role does temperament play in at-risk behavior? How can we improve dietary choices? How can we reduce the cycle of physical inactivity leading to obesity? What makes some children more prone to substance abuse? This book provides a long-range perspective on health promotion, by examining its roots in the early years of life.

This selection of previously published research papers presents the empirical and theoretical work on the similarities and differences in adolescent development in the U.S. and other countries. Contributors are an international group of scholars assembled at the University of Bielefeld. Their studies are designed to provide a unified source for comparative research on adolescence, and to inform readers about adolescent phenomena and research in other parts of the world.