Child & Adolescent Development

Adolescent Mixed-Ancestry Identity: A Measurement Pilot
Self-Identity of Youth of Mixed Ancestry

Racial/ethnic self-identification can vary over time and place, in other words, some adolescents of mixed ancestry report different single-race or mixed-race identifications at different times and in different situations. This report seeks to explore whether adolescents of mixed-ancestry have particular strengths or weaknesses compared within their single-race-reporting peers.


Community Dialogue and Needs Assessment for Addressing Traumatic Stress among Resettled Refugee ...
Assessing Refugee Youth Mental Health in NH

The project involves a needs assessment of child and adolescent refugee mental health services in New Hampshire and utilizes community dialogue strategies for integrating youth, family, provider, school and community knowledge and expertise towards addressing refugee mental health needs especially as it relates to trauma and in the context of resettlement.


Decriminalizing Consensual Teen Sex
Law and Consensual Teen Sex

This project explores the ways in which states attempt to regulate consensual adolescent sexual behavior through criminal law. In the end, the researchers hope to encourage a close-in-age exemption for Massachusetts, which currently is one of a small number of states that do not have any such exemption.


Formative Evaluation of the Get Real Middle School Sexual Education Curriculum

This project is a multi-faceted engagement with Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts to conduct a formative assessment of the Get Real middle school sexual education curriculum. The project includes developing a student assessment tool; technical assistance and evaluation of the instructions for teachers and the teacher training program; technical assistance in the development of a high school sexual education curriculum, and; consultation with PPLM stakeholders to define the goals of an impact evaluation.


Learning Circles
Girl Scouts Mentoring

This was an evaluation project of Learning Circles, a group mentoring program designed to provide opportunities for girls and adult mentors to meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to their lives. The results showed that girls enjoyed the opportunity for discussing issues relevant to their lives with women who were attentive.


Mothers-Sons Project: A special project at the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute
Relationships Between Mothers and Sons

This study seeks to emphasize connection between mothers and sons by defining stages in development and countering the pressures faced in each one.


Normative Development of Puerto Rican Adolescents
Development of Young Puerto Ricans

This longitudinal study on Puerto Rican adolescents revealed new data that differed from previous examinations of Puerto Rican 'at risk' youth. In this study, these youths were found to be well-adjusted and close to their families, not prone (as previously assumed) to risky behavior.


Physical Activity over Time: Health Outcomes of Elementary School Children
Long-term health benefits of physical activity

The is a secondary analysis of data collected over the long-term to determine how physical activity benefits the overall health and well-being of children over time. This study will focus on the NICHD’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data.

Prevention of Depression in At-Risk Adolescents Project - Boston

This national, multi-site research study aims to test the effectiveness and generalizability of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for preventing depressive disorders in at-risk adolescent offspring of parents with depression.


Puerto Rican Young Fathers' Involvement with Their Children
Puerto Rican Fathers and Their Children

This study utilized the data from interviews to determine what factors permeated the experiences of young Puerto Rican fathers.


Raising Confident and Competent Girls: How Schools Can Support Girls
Raising Confident and Competent Girls

This project examined the lives of middle-school aged girls from various social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Researchers focused on issues such as self-confidence, bridging the home-school culture gap, and student and teacher resources.


Sibling Relationships in Children of Depressed Parents

This project aims to explicate the relation between parental depression, parenting styles, parent/child relationships, sibling relationship quality and internalizing and externalizing outcomes in children.


Social Context Of Puerto Rican Children's Health And Growth
Puerto Rican Children's Health and Development

This study sought to determine levels of healthy development of Puerto Rican children living in the U.S. mainland, and took into account family variables, perceived discrimination, and geographic location.


Sports as Protective of Girls' High-Risk Sexual Behavior
Sports' Influence on Sexual Behavior

This study sought to clarify the links and benefits between sports and high-risk sexual behavior among high-school girls.


Television Consumption and Adolescent Sexual Activity
Television's Influence on Adolescent Sex

Conclusions from this five-year project focused on relationships between personal ethnic identification and television consumption, as well as levels of sexual content in varying shows.


WILL: A Unique Model for Higher Education in the 21st-Century
Female College Students, Roles and Relationships

This project studied the impact of an undergraduate program that enables female college students to earn a minor in women's studies through comprehensive examination of gender roles and relationships and through mentorships.