We investigated associations among three parent socialization practices (racial/cultural socialization, adoptive communicative openness, LGBT family socialization) and related child outcomes (social competence, understanding of adoption) among 96 lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parent families with school-age children (Mage = 8 years). No socialization practices differed as functions of child sex or parental sexual orientation. Parents in transracial (versus same-race) adoptive families reported higher racial/cultural socialization and lower adoptive communicative openness. Higher racial/cultural socialization was associated with higher LGBT family socialization; the latter was also associated with higher adoptive communicative openness. Although no parent-reported socialization practices were associated with children’s understanding of adoption, child-reported LGBT family socialization was correlated with greater understanding. Moreover, when simultaneously considering parent-reported socialization, higher child-reported LGBT family socialization statistically predicted greater social competence. These findings provide insights about how socialization practices relate to one another and to preadolescent child outcomes among adoptive families representing diverse identities.

This study sought to identify profiles of positive youth development (PYD) integrating racial–ethnic factors, specifically racial–ethnic pride and perceived racial–ethnic barriers in a sample of African American (77%) and Latino (23%) children (N = 234, Mean age = 8). Using a latent profile analysis, we found three profiles: The High PYD, Proud, & Optimistic (High PYD, racial–ethnic pride, and low perceived racial–ethnic barriers), the High PYD, Proud, & Aware (high PYD, pride, and perceived barriers), and the Low PYD and Disconnected (low PYD, pride, and high barriers). The Optimistic profile exhibited fewer overall adjustment problems and higher standardized achievement at Time 2 than both the Aware and the Disconnected profiles. The Aware and the Disconnected showed similar adjustments. This study highlights the critical role of helping youth to feel competent, caring, connected, and proud, which further supports the role of sociocultural factors in the PYD of African American and Latino children.

Peers are common recipients of disclosures about negative events, but the transmission of peer disclosures to adults is not well understood. We explored children’s (N = 352; aged 6–11 years) disclosures of a negative event to peer and adult interviewers. Some children witnessed an adult transgression and were asked to keep the transgression a secret (witnesses). Some of these witnesses (peer-interviewed witnesses) were then interviewed by peer who had not witnessed the event (peer interviewers) and then by an adult. The remainder of the witnesses (control) were only interviewed by an adult. Peer interviewers who received a disclosure were likely to share the disclosure with an adult and were significantly more likely to do so than children in either witness condition. Although the probability of disclosure transmission likely depends on context, this study provides the first evidence of peer recipients’ willingness to disclose to adults at a high rate.

Civic engagement has been predominantly studied in adolescents, and models tested have included different skills, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors oftentimes without a clear theoretical foundation. Driven by theory and extensive review of empirical studies, this study empirically identifies core dimensions of the construct in young adults. Findings from confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 421 young adults, provided support for a 4-factor second order model (CFI = .924; RMSEA = .044) that included civic skills, civic duty, internal political efficacy, and civic behaviors. An alternative 7-second order model had a less acceptable fit to the data, indicating that social trust and external political efficacy are not core dimensions of civic engagement. Post hoc analysis suggest that civic attention is also part of the construct, but results from invariance indicate the need for further evidence. Core dimensions of the construct are discussed, and valid indicators of civic engagement are provided.

ABSTRACTThe study looked at the stratified math and language arts trajectories of foreign-born adolescents (aged 14–19) in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and identified social position factors that predicted this variation. Leveraging data from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the study looked longitudinally at a population-based cohort of foreign-born adolescents in BC (N = 9,113), in comparison to a Canadian-born random sample (N = 22,845). Utilizing Group-based Trajectory Modeling, the study found that foreign-born adolescents were stratified into a range of math and language arts trajectory groups over high school (grade 10 to 12), and group membership was predicted by key social position factors. The results supported moving away from a one-size-fits-all understanding of the impact of migration on adolescent development and identified key factors that predicted math and language arts outcomes for foreign-born Canadian adolescents.

ABSTRACTUnderstanding relationships and contexts as “drivers” of development requires a fuller explication of the ecological contextual relational developmental systems framework along with the specificity principle of development. This commentary undertakes to meet that requirement.

ABSTRACTThis article synthesizes foundational knowledge from multiple scientific disciplines regarding how humans develop in context. Major constructs that define human development are integrated into a developmental system framework, this includes—epigenetics, neural malleability and plasticity, integrated complex skill development and learning, human variability, relationships and attachment, self-regulation, science of learning, and dynamics of stress, adversity and resilience. Specific attention is given to relational patterns, attunement, cognitive flexibility, executive function, working memory, sociocultural context, constructive development, self-organization, dynamic skill development, neural integration, relational pattern making, and adverse childhood experiences. A companion article focuses on individual-context relations, including the role of human relationships as key drivers of development, how social and cultural contexts support and/or undermine individual development, and the dynamic, idiographic developmental pathways that result from mutually influential individual-context relations across the life span. An understanding of the holistic, self-constructive character of development and interconnectedness between individuals and their physical, social, and cultural contexts offers a transformational opportunity to study and influence the children’s trajectories. Woven throughout is the convergence of the science of learning – constructive developmental web, foundational skills, mindsets (sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and growth mindset), prior knowledge and experience, motivational systems (intrinsic motivation, achievement motivation, and the Belief-Control-Expectancy Framework), metacognition, conditions for learning , cultural responsiveness and competence, and instructional and curricular design- and its importance in supporting in integrative framework for children’s development. This scientific understanding of development opens pathways for new, creative approaches that have the potential to solve seemingly intractable learning and social problems.

ABSTRACTMany scholars posit that engaging in civic actions enhances mental health, yet existing evidence is limited. To address gaps in the literature and advance understanding of benefits of civic engagement from adolescence to young adulthood, we estimated a longitudinal structural model to test bidirectional associations between civic engagement (i.e., voting, community engagement, political behaviors) and depressive symptoms using nationally representative longitudinal U.S. data. Adolescent and early young adulthood (EYA) depressive symptoms predicted decreases in later voting. Adolescent and EYA community engagement predicted decreases in later depressive symptoms. Analyses suggested that findings generalized across gender, age, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and EYA social roles. Despite key limitations in measurement of civic engagement over time, results provide some support the notion that community engagement may have mental health benefits for youth, and that depression may reduce later civic engagement.