Social
and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents
Knowledge
Path
Knowledge Path Table of Contents
- General Resources
- Infants and Young Children
- School-Age Children
- Adolescents
- Databases: Data, Literature and Research, and Programs
- Bullying
- Community Services Locator
- Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Challenges
- Home Visiting
- Life Course and Social Determinants
- Screening
- Sleep
Please provide feedback on this knowledge path.
This knowledge path directs readers to a selection of current, high-quality resources about promoting healthy social and emotional development in children and adolescents. Resources tap into the health, education, and social services literature. Separate sections present resources by age group and cover topics such as developmental stages; factors that impact social and emotional development; policies and programs to promote social and emotional well-being in homes and community settings; and strategies for integrating health, developmental, and educational services. This knowledge path is aimed at health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, and community advocates. Separate briefs present resources for families and schools. This knowledge path has been developed by the MCH Library at Georgetown University and will be updated periodically.
See the Bright Futures materials, What to Expect and When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (2006). This set of four tools in English and Spanish aims to help professionals and families begin important conversations together on how best to support the social and emotional development of infants, children, and adolescents.
- Websites
- American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Policy statements, guidelines,
schedules, health-education materials,
and other resources for health
professionals about healthy development in children and adolescents.
Tools and initiatives include
Bright Futures. Practice guides, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, implementation materials, and family resources for this national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that addresses children's health needs in the context of family and community. Promoting child development is a key theme. Materials include
- Bright
Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants,
Children, and Adolescents, 3rd ed. (2007).
- Performing Preventive Services: A Bright Futures Handbook. (2010).
Also see the Healthy Child Care America Resource Library and the Community Pediatrics Grants Database.
- Bright
Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants,
Children, and Adolescents, 3rd ed. (2007).
- Bright Futures at Georgetown University. Guidelines, distance-education resources, and training tools for a practical developmental approach to providing health supervision for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs. Topics include general health and development, mental health, nutrition, oral health, and physical activity. Some materials are available in Spanish. Bright Futures is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
Also see What to Expect and When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (2006).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Development. Background information, screening tools, and recommendations for developmental screening. Includes information about and resources to support the role of primary care health professionals in children's developmental health.
Also see CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early, Legacy for Children, Healthy Youth!, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and the Prevention Research Centers (PRC).
- Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Webinars, issue briefs, reports, articles, and research news about the well-being
of children and adolescents, particularly the most
vulnerable, with the goal of helping policymakers and health, education,
and social services professionals create policies
and programs that will help children and adolescents develop into healthy,
educated, and productive adults. Research areas are
child welfare and foster care systems, community
change,
early childhood initiatives, economic supports for
families, home visitation and maltreatment prevention,
schools, work force development, adolescent crime and justice,
and adolescent development and after-school initiatives.
Chapin Hall is an independent policy research center.
- Child Trends. Research briefs, fact sheets, and other publications for health and social
services professionals and policymakers on topics that include early childhood,
positive development, school readiness, and adolescent development. Includes
a series of briefs on evaluation methods and measuring program outcomes for adolescent development,
child welfare, early childhood, education, adolescent pregnancy prevention, parenting,
and fatherhood programs. Child Trends presents research and data using a holistic,
ecological, and developmental
framework to monitor the well-being of children to inform decision-making
that affects families. Recent publications include
What Works for Acting-Out (Externalizing) Behavior: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions. (2011). [Fact sheet].
What Works for Promoting and Enhancing Positive Social Skills: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions. (2011). [Fact sheet].
Also see the Child Trends DataBank and the LINKS Database.
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD):
Child Development and Behavior Branch. Research and grant information, publications, and other resources for health
professionals, educators, and researchers about psychological, psychobiological, and educational
development from conception through adolescence.
- Georgetown
University Center for Child and
Human Development (GUCCHD).
Program, conference, and
training information; publications;
and other resources to improve quality of life for all children
and adolescents, especially those
with special health care needs
and those at risk for poor outcomes. Promoting
early childhood development and
school readiness; building culturally
and linguistically competent service
delivery systems; and enhancing
partnerships between primary health
care and mental health practices
to identify children at risk for
poor outcomes are among the issues
addressed. GUCCHD is a division
of Georgetown University's Department
of Pediatrics. Recent resources include
Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children. (2009). [Practice brief].
Also see the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC).
- Healthy People
2020. Information about this national health-promotion and disease-prevention
initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services. View the overview, objectives, and recommended interventions and resources for early and middle childhood, adolescent health, and the social determinants of health.
- Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Information about MCHB's projects and initiatives on behalf of America's women,
infants, children, adolescents, and their families. Resources and initiatives include
Child Health USA. This annual report presents graphical and textual summaries of data and addresses long-term trends on the health status and service needs of infants, children, and adolescents.
Court-Involved Children. (2009). [Webcast].
Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. (2010). [Chartbook].
Maternal and Child Health Training Program. Information about and resources to support university-based centers funded to train the next generation of leaders in maternal and child health (MCH) with an emphasis on interdisciplinary, family-centered, culturally competent care with a population-focused, public health approach. Disciplines include developmental-behavioral pediatrics and adolescent health.
Mental and Emotional Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. (2010). [Chartbook].
Social Determinants of MCH: Data, Policy Implications, and Opportunities. (2010). [Webinar].
Also see the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative, the MCH Library, and the Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS). - MDRC:
Families and Children.
Program information and
reports about how the life chances
of children and adolescents from
families with low incomes are influenced
by policies that affect their families'
economic circumstances, family
relationships, or the opportunities
available for child and adolescent
development in settings such as
child care, preschool, and after-school
programs.
- Promising
Practices Network (PPN) on Children,
Families, and Communities.
Information about programs and practices that research
indicates are effective in improving outcomes for
children, adolescents, and families on topics that
include healthy and safe children, school readiness
and success, and strong families. Also contains resources
for strengthening service delivery. PPN is operated
by the RAND Corporation.
- Urban Institute (UI): Children and Youth. Research and analysis about issues affecting the well-being of children and
adolescents, including child care and child development, child health, child
welfare, juvenile justice, economic well-being, and neighborhoods and adolescents.
UI is a nonpartisan economic
and social
policy research organization.
- California Endowment. 2010. Healthy Communities Matter: The Importance of Place to the Health of Boys of Color. Los Angeles, CA: California Endowment. [Report].
- Children's Defense Fund (CDF). 2010. The State of America's Children 2010. Washington, DC: Children's Defense Fund (CDF). [Data report].
- Land KC. 2010. Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI). New York, NY: Foundation for Child Development. [Data report].
- Olson S, ed. 2011. Toward an Integrated Science of Research on Families: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (NAP).
- Rich J, Corbin T, Bloom S, Rich L, Evans S, and Wilson A. 2009. Healing the Hurt: Trauma-Informed Approaches to the Health of Boys and Young Men of Color. Los Angeles, CA: California Endowment. [Report].
- Wizeman TM, Anderson KM, eds. 2009. Focusing on Children's Health: Community Approaches to Addressing Health Disparities—Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (NAP). [Report].
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution.
2008. Children and Electronic Media. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 18, no. 1; Spring 2008). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article
summaries].
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution.
2010. Fragile Families. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 20, no. 2; fall 2010). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries].
This section presents resources that address scientific research about early child development; early childhood social, emotional, and communication milestones; developmental screening; early literacy and school readiness; strategies for integrating health, developmental, and educational services for young children and families; and state policy approaches for promoting early childhood care and education.
- Websites
- Brazelton Touchpoints Center®. Information about training workshops for professionals that serve children from birth to age 3 in health, education, child care, and social services settings to help them build strong family-child relationships and optimize children's development.
- Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC). Online tutorials, webinars, teaching tools, and guides to finding screening tools, curricula,
and programs about healthy mental development for Head Start administrators,
staff, training and technical assistance providers, mental health consultants,
and families. Includes evidence-based strategies to promote mental wellness
in the classroom, ideas for promoting social and emotional development in the
classroom and at home, and audio clips of relaxation exercises in English and
Spanish to promote staff wellness. CECMHC was created through a grant from
the Office of Head Start (OHS) and is part of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). Recent resources include
- Center on the Developing Child. Reports, working papers, research briefs, and video clips that translate and
communicate the science of early childhood and early brain development to help
inform policies that promote successful learning, adaptive
behavior, and sound physical and mental health for all young children. Initiatives
include the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (NSCDC), a multidisciplinary collaboration of leading scholars in neuroscience, early
child development, pediatrics, and economics from universities across the United
States and Canada, and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, which complements the Council’s work by explaining why public investments should
be made in the early childhood years. The Center is part of Harvard University.
Resources include
Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development. (2010). [Working paper].
Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. (2010). [Paper, Summary, Brief].
How Early Experiences Get into the Body: A Biodevelopmental Framework. (2010). [Flip chart].
Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development. (2009). [Brief].
Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do (2007). [Working paper].
- Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). Training modules, research briefs, video clips, and practical strategies for teachers and child care professionals for promoting children's social and emotional development. With funding from the Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, CSEFEL aims to strengthen the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to promote social and emotional outcomes and enhance school readiness for children from birth to age 5 from families with low incomes.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Development.
Learn the Signs. Act Early. Materials in English and Spanish for health professionals, early childhood educators, and parents about child development and the warning signs of autism and other developmental delays. Includes fact sheets, a video clip, and a tracking tool on developmental milestones for infants and children from birth to age 5.
Legacy for Children. Information about this set of studies examining the potential for improving child developmental outcomes through parenting programs designed to promote self-efficacy and a sense of community.
- Commonwealth Fund. Program information and an extensive collection of reports about child health and development. The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation working to improve health coverage and quality. Recent publications include
Healthy Steps at 15: The Past and Future of an Innovative Preventive Care Model for Children. (2010). [Report].
International Comparison of Early Childhood Initiatives: From Services to Systems. (2009). [Issue brief].
Also see the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).
- Department of Education (ED): Early Learning Initiative. Information about ED's investments in early learning programs, resources and publications, technical assistance, and interagency work.
- Developmental Screening Toolkit for Primary Care Providers. Information for primary care health professionals who want to learn how to
implement effective, validated, developmental screening in their practices. Addresses the issues of time, resources, and budget, and includes a
video clip of health professionals at Children's Hospital Boston who describe
their experiences with implementing a screening program.
- Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative. Information about this grant
program to assist states and communities
in their efforts to build and integrate early childhood
service systems that address the critical components of access to comprehensive
health services and medical homes; social and emotional development and mental
health of young children; early care and education; parenting education; and
family support. Includes links to ECCS state plans and logic models and resources
to support each ECCS component area. EECS is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- Healthy Child Care America: Resource Library. Information about materials for health professionals and child care providers
on early education and child care. Under Topic, select Social & Emotional Health and click on Submit. Healthy Child Care America is administered
by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP): Assuring Better Child Health
and Development (ABCD) Resource Center. Program information to help states improve the delivery of early
child development services for children with low incomes and their families.
Includes resources for health and social services professionals to promote early
childhood health and development. ABCD is funded by the Commonwealth Fund. Resources include
Engaging Parents as Partners to Support Early Child Health and Development. (2010). [Issue brief].
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Teaching materials, online tutorials, position statements, and other resources
for early childhood professionals and families about child development, school
readiness, and social and emotional learning. Includes information about its
accreditation programs.
- National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). Program information and publications about NCCP's early childhood public policy
and education initiatives on topics that include healthy development and early care and learning. Includes data tools, state early childhood policy profiles, and a child care and early-education research database. Located at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, NCCP
works to identify and promote strategies that prevent child poverty and improve
the lives of children and families with low incomes in the United States. Recent publications include
Improving Supports for Parents of Young Children: State-Level Initiatives. (2010). [Report].
Key Readings on Children’s Development of Social Inclusion and Respect for Diversity. (2010). [Bibliography].
Promoting the Social-Emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs. (2010). [Report].
Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children: Toward a Responsive Early Childhood Policy Framework. (2008). [Issue brief].
State-Level Indicators for Social-Emotional Development: Building Better Systems. (2011). [Report].
- National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Policy briefs, fact sheets, reports, and working papers on early-education
issues including child development, school readiness, and the benefits and
costs of quality preschool education. Also offers an annual
report on
state preschool-education initiatives.
Publications include
Investing in Young Children: New Directions in Federal Preschool and Early Childhood Policy. (2010). [Report].
- Office of Head Start: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC). Information about Head Start, a national program
that serves the development needs of infants and children from birth through
age 5 and their families with low incomes through the provision of educational,
health, nutritional,
social, and other services. In
addition to policy, program, and
training information for Head Start
program staff, the site includes
resources and information about
early childhood development and health, including social
and emotional development, family and community partnerships,
and program design and management. View an online
directory of Head Start programs. Also see the Early Head Start National
Resource Center (EHSNRC) at Zero
to Three.
- Ounce of Prevention Fund. Program and training information, advocacy tools, and reports to help foster
the healthy development of children from birth through age 5 and their families
with low incomes. The Ounce serves children and families in its birth-to-5
programs in Chicago, through a network of home visiting and doula programs
in Illinois, and via partnerships with colleagues in 15 states
to build research-based programs and advocate for increased public investment
in the first years of life. Recent resources include
Learning Begins at Birth. (2010). [Research brief].
Parents Too Soon/Doula Annual Report. (2010). This report describes a home visiting program designed to maximize adolescent parents’ abilities to care for their children and to continue their own development.
Secure Attachment. (2008). [Research brief].
- Parents
as Teachers (PAT).
Information about this
parent-education and family-support
program that serves families throughout
pregnancy and until their child
enters kindergarten. The program
is designed to enhance child development
and school readiness. Program services include home visits; child health, hearing, vision, and developmental
screenings; parent group meetings; and a resource
network that links families with needed community
resources.
- Project LAUNCH. Program information and resources to plan, implement, and evaluate this initiative aimed at improving the systems that serve young children and address their physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and
behavioral growth. Project LAUNCH is a grant program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention administers the LAUNCH website and provides technical assistance to LAUNCH grantees.
- Reach Out and Read (ROR). Program information and materials for this national initiative to promote early literacy by making books and reading aloud part of pediatric primary care.
- Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Policy briefs, reports, and briefings about child development. Includes updates about federal funding opportunities, legislation, and programs that impact developmental science.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Building Blocks for a Healthy Future. Preschool lesson plans, teaching tools, and parent-education materials about helping young children make healthy decisions.
- Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI). Policy briefs, research syntheses, presentations, and training tools for early childhood professionals about evidence-based recommendations for improving social and emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities. TACSEI is funded by the Department of Education.
- Zero to Three. A wealth of research-based resources for professionals, policymakers, and parents
to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers. Select Promoting Social Emotional Development for tips, tools, and additional resources. See Early Care and Education for resources on topics such as school readiness.
See Public Policy for resources about broader policy issues that impact social and emotional development in early childhood.
Recent publications and initiatives include
Baby Matters: A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives. Information about state policies and initiatives that impact infants and toddlers and their families. Search by category (e.g. Social and Emotional Health), state, or keyword.
Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC). Program information, technical assistance papers, tip sheets, online training, and an electronic newsletter to support Early Head Start (EHS) programs in their efforts to design and implement high-quality services for pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers. Child development, infant mental health, early literacy, and social skills are addressed. Includes an EHS program locator. EHSNRC is funded by the Office of Head Start.
Early Language and Literacy Development. (2010). [Policy brief].
National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative. Program information, tools, and materials to support the child care system in each state and territory. Funded by the Office of Child Care, the initiative works collaboratively with Child Care and Development Fund administrators and other partners in their efforts to advance system initiatives to improve the quality and supply of infant and toddler child care.
Parenting Infants and Toddlers Today: Research Findings. (2009). A section of this report examines parents' perceptions of factors that influence young children's social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Putting the Pieces Together for Infants and Toddlers: Comprehensive, Coordinated Systems. (2009). [Policy brief].
Window to the World: Promoting Early Language and Literacy Development. (2010). [Video clip].
- Also see the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
- American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American
Public Health Association (APHA),
and National
Resource Center for Health and Safety
in Child Care.
2011. Caring
for Our Children: National Health
and Safety Performance Standards—Guidelines
for Out-of-Home Child Care, 3rd ed. Washington,
DC: American Public Health Association.
This manual provides health and safety
guidelines for planning and establishing
a high-quality child care program.
Panels of experts formulated these
health
and safety standards, which were
then reviewed nationally for content
and feasibility. Social and emotional development are addressed.
- Bruner C. 2009. Connecting Child Health and School Readiness. Denver, CO: Colorado Trust. [Issue brief].
- Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy and Oldham Innovative Research. 2009. Children at Risk in the Child Welfare System: Collaborations to Promote School
Readiness—Final Report. Portland, ME: Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy. [Report].
- Connecticut Birth to Three System. 2010. Early Intervention Home Visits. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Birth to Three System. [Video clip, Spanish version].
- Demma R. 2010. Building Ready States: A Governor's Guide to Supporting a Comprehensive, High-Quality Early Childhood State Systems. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. [Report].
- Dworkin P, Honigfeld L, Meyers J. 2009. Framework for Child Health Services: Supporting Healthy Child Development and
School Readiness of Connecticut's Children. Farmington, CT: Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. [Report].
- Grantmakers for Children, Youth, and Families. 2009. Abriendo Puertas: A Parent Leadership Training Program for Latino Parents. Silver Spring, MD: Grantmakers for Children, Youth, and Families. [Conference call video and audio clips, brochure, summary of program evaluation, speaker biographies, and conference call summary].
- Shonkoff J, Phillips D, eds. 2000. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Report].
- Szekely A. 2011. Maximizing the Impact of State Early Childhood Home Visitation Programs. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. [Issue brief, webinar].
- See the Child Trends report, Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) (2009), and the research briefs, Early Childhood Predictors of Early School Success: A Selective Review of the
Literature (2009), Early Head Start: Research Findings (2010), and Review of School Readiness Practices in the States: Early Learning Guidelines
and Assessments (2010).
- See the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) report, Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (2010).
- See the MDRC video clip, Investing in the Emotional and Behavioral Development of Preschoolers (2010), and the report, Making Preschool More Productive: How Classroom Management Training Can Help
Teachers (2009).
- See the Urban Institute policy brief, Using Data to Promote Collaboration in Local School Readiness Systems (2010).
This section presents resources about promoting the social and emotional development of school-age children and includes resources that address social and emotional learning as part of school and after-school programs. Several resources are applicable to adolescents, as well.
- Websites
- Afterschool.gov. Resources about how to finance, operate, and sustain an after-school program;
program activity ideas for children
and adolescents; websites and
reports about the after-school
field; and information about youth
development programs
that can inform after school programming.
- Afterschool Investments: State Afterschool Profiles.
Profiles of after-school initiatives in each
state including before-school, weekend, and summer programs. Search the
database by state or by type of
initiative, such as programs that
take place in a particular setting,
target a selected audience, highlight
a method of collaboration, or employ
a specific financing or policy
strategy. The profiles are maintained by The Finance Project.
- Collaborative
for Academic, Social and Emotional
Learning (CASEL). Information about and materials
to support evidence-based social,
emotional, and academic learning
as an essential part of education,
from preschool through high school.
Presents research demonstrating
the positive impacts of social
and emotional practices on students'
academic achievement, on reducing
high-risk behaviors, and on promoting
positive adolescent development.
Resources include issue briefs, reports,
program guides, PowerPoint presentations, and
tools for working with families.
- Harvard Family Research Project. Research information and publications to promote the well-being of children, adolescents, families, and their communities by supporting children’s learning and development. Research areas include complementary learning, family involvement, and out-of-school time. Recent publications include
Engaging Older Youth: Program and City-Level Strategies to Support Sustained Participation in Out-of-School Time. (2010). [Report].
Family Engagement as a Systemic, Sustained, and Integrated Strategy to Promote Student Achievement. (2010). [Paper].
- National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. Program
information, webinars, research briefs, evidence-based intervention fact sheets,
and other resources. The center provides technical assistance and training
to school districts and communities as they plan, implement, and sustain federally funded
initiatives to foster resilience, promote
mental health, and prevent adolescent violence and
mental health and behavioral challenges. Resources and initiatives include
Connecting Social and Emotional Learning with Mental Health. (2008). [Issue brief].
Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention. (2009). [Issue brief].
Also see Project LAUNCH.
- Several resources in the Adolescents section are applicable to school-age children.
- Berliner DC. 2009. Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success. Tempe, AZ: Education Policy Research Unit, Arizona State University; Boulder,
CO: Education and the Public Interest Center, University of Colorado [Issue
brief].
- Bridgman A. 2010. Making Schools Safe for Sexual-Minority and All Students. Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). [Policy brief].
- Leibbrand JA, Watson BH. 2010. The Road Less Traveled: How the Developmental Sciences Can Prepare Educators to Improve Student Achievement. Policy Recommendations. Washington, DC: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). [Report].
- Also view the Chapin Hall webinar, School's Out: Policy Implications of Quality Accountability and Assessment in Afterschool Programs (2010).
- Also see the Child Trends reports, How
Out-of-School Time Program Quality Is Related to Adolescent Outcomes (2010)
and Programs
for Children and Youth in a Community Context (2009), and the fact sheet, What
Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Children: Lessons from Experimental
Evaluations of Social Interventions (2009).
This section presents resources that address scientific research about adolescent development; interdisciplinary models of physical and behavioral health care for adolescents; and approaches for developing, supporting, and sustaining youth development programs. Several resources are applicable to school-age children, as well.
- Websites
- Building Partnerships for Youth. A framework that describes the 21 essential elements of child and adolescent development,
strategies for promoting positive child and adolescent development, a database of evaluated
child and adolescent development programs, a program assessment
tool, and training tools, fact sheets, and other resources. Building Partnerships
for Youth is a partnership between the National 4-H Council and the University
of Arizona.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Healthy Youth! Adolescent Health. Information about societal influences on adolescents and the critical types
of adolescent health behavior
that contribute markedly to the
leading causes of death, disability,
and social problems among adolescents
and adults in the United States. Publications include science-based strategies to improve adolescent health and well-being and
School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. (2009). [Guide, fact sheets].
Guide to Community Preventive Services: Adolescent Health. Recommendations for population-based interventions that focus on adolescent alcohol and drug use, violence, and sexual behaviors.
Also see the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).
- Finance
Project: Information Resource Center.
Access to a wealth of information
on policies, programs, and financing
strategies for initiatives striving
to improve the lives of children,
families and communities. Resources
focus on promising practices, guides
to federal funding, out-of-school
time, supporting and sustaining
adolescent programs, and adolescents
who are transitioning out of foster
care. The Finance Project is a
nonprofit firm that helps leaders
make smart investment decisions,
develop sound financing strategies,
and build solid partnerships that
benefit children, families, and
communities.
- FindYouthInfo.gov. Program and funding information
and resources to help youth-serving organizations
and community partnerships plan, implement, and
participate in effective programs for children and adolescents. Topics include positive child and adolescent development, bullying, after-school programs, and transition-age adolescents. FindYouthInfo.gov
was created by the Interagency Working Group on
Youth Programs, which is composed of representatives
from 12 federal agencies that support programs
and services focusing on children and adolescents. See the FindYouthInfo.gov
directory of evidence-based programs.
- Forum
for Youth Investment.
Issue briefs, webinars, articles, and news about
efforts to improve education, out-of-school
time, adolescent development, and policy and planning
to ensure that adolescents have the supports, opportunities,
and services needed to prosper
and contribute where they live,
learn, work, and play. The forum is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping communities
and
the nation make sure all adolescents are ready for
college, work, and life. Initiatives
include
Ready by 21: All Youth Ready for College, Work, and Life. A framework for child and adolescent-focused planning and decision-making and tools to help change makers—from parents to program directors to policy makers—optimize resources and streamline strategies to improve outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents. - National
Adolescent Health Information Center
(NAHIC).
Fact sheets, policy briefs, reports, and other materials
about adolescent health on topics that include positive
adolescent development, particularly for adolescent males. NAHIC
is based at the University of California, San Francisco.
- National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health. Fact sheets, issue briefs, reports, and journal article citations about health care topics important to adolescents, such as health insurance and access to care; development of adolescent-friendly, interdisciplinary models of care; and assurance of confidential care. The alliance provides education, research, policy analysis, and technical assistance to support improvements in the way that adolescent health care is structured and financed.
Concern for Our Teens: Opinion Leaders Speak Out on Adolescent Health. (2010). [Report].
- National
Clearinghouse on Families and Youth
(NCFY): Positive Youth Development. Program development and funding information, publications, an online training
module, news, and podcasts about positive adolescent development.
NCFY is funded by the Family
and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).
Also see the NCFY Literature Database.
- Note: Several resources in the School-Age Children section are applicable to adolescents.
- Arbreton A, Bradshaw M, Sheldon J, Pepper S. 2009. Making Everyday Count: Boys and Girls Clubs' Role in Promoting Positive Outcomes
for Teens. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures; Atlanta, GA: Boy's and Girls Clubs of America. [Report, executive summary].
- Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). 2010. Making the Case—A Comprehensive Systems Approach for Adolescent Health and Well-Being. Washington, DC: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). [White paper].
- Cunha F, Heckman JJ. 2010. Investing in Our Young People. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). [Working paper].
- Diaz A, Bilchik S, Kreipe R, Brown J, English A. 2010. Creating Healthy Opportunities: Conversations with Adolescent Health Experts. Washington, DC: National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation. [Paper].
- Healthy Teen Network. 2009. A Policy Platform to Promote Health and Success Among Young Families. Baltimore, MD: Healthy Teen Network. [Report].
- Hirschhorn Donahue E, Haskins R, Nightingale M. 2008. Using the Media to Promote Adolescent Well-Being. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution. This policy brief is a companion piece to the Future of Children issue, Children and Electronic Media.
- Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2010. Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
- Lawrence, RS, Gootman JA, Sim LJ, eds. 2009. Adolescent Health Services: Missing Opportunities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Report].
- Maestas N, Gaillot S. 2010. An Outcome Evaluation of the Success for Kids Program. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. [Report, executive summary].
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution.
2009. America's High Schools. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 19, no. 1; spring 2009). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article
summaries].
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution.
2010. Transition to Adulthood. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 20, no. 1; spring 2010). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article
summaries].
- Also see the Child Trends research briefs, Adolescents and Electronic Media: Growing Up Plugged In (2009), Developmental Perspective on College and Workplace Readiness (2009), Developmental Perspective on Workplace Readiness: Preparing High School Students for Success (2009), and Exploring the Links Between Family Strengths and Adolescent Outcomes (2009), and the fact sheet, What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions (2009).
The databases listed below are excellent tools for identifying data, additional literature and research, and programs about promoting social and emotional development in children and adolescents. Many of the entries below contain tips on how to use the databases efficiently. Please note that databases vary in how terms should be entered; for example, some require quotation marks and others don't. Enter search phrases as shown in bold below.
- ChildStats.gov. Indicators of infant, child, and adolescent well-being, including family and
social environment, economic circumstances, health
care,
physical environment and safety, behavior, education,
and health. ChildStats.gov is a service of the Federal
Interagency
Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
The Forum's annual report, America's
Children in Brief: Key National Indicators
of Well-Being,
details the status of children and
families in the United States.
- Child
Trends DataBank. Over 100 key indicators of infant, child, and adolescent well-being on topics ranging from after-school activities to well-child visits.
The DataBank also contains information about the
types of
programs and interventions that
may influence particular outcomes
for child and adolescent well-being.
- Data
Resource Center for Child and Adolescent
Health (DRC). Data from the National Survey of Children's Health, 2003 and 2007, and the
National Survey of Children with Special Health Care
Needs,
2001 and 2005/2006. Users can search and compare
results
on over 100 indicators of child
health and well-being; view state
and regional profiles on key measures;
and compare findings at all levels
for children by age, race and ethnicity,
income, or health status. Emotional
and mental health, community and
school activities, family health
and activities, and neighborhood
safety and support are among the
health indicators addressed. DRC
is a project of the Child
and Adolescent Health Measurement
Initiative (CAHMI).
- KIDS COUNT Data Center. National, state, city, and community data on
more than 100 indicators of infant, child, and adolescent
well-being, including economic status, health, safety,
and risk factors. Generate custom graphs, maps,
ranked lists, and state-by-state
profiles. KIDS
COUNT is a project of the Annie
E. Casey Foundation.
- National
Center for Children in Poverty
(NCCP): Data Tools.
National- and state-level statistics about children
from families with low incomes on topics such
as parental education, parental employment, marital
status, and race/ethnicity. Information about state
and federal policies that assist families with low
incomes. A Basic
Needs Budget Calculator to determine how much a family
needs to make ends meet. A Family Resource
Simulator to determine the impact of federal and
state "work support" benefits on the budgets of low- to moderate-income families. An Income
Converter to convert values among federal poverty
guidelines, state median income, and annual income
(in dollars).
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): Youth Online. View national, state, and local data about health-risk
behaviors that contribute markedly
to the leading causes of death,
disability, and social problems
among adolescents and adults in
the United States. View data about high school and middle school students by location (United States,
state/territory, or local) and health topic (unintentional
injuries and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors,
dietary behaviors, physical activity, and asthma). Youth Online is a
service of CDC's Division
of Adolescent and School Health
(DASH).
- Also see the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) chartbooks, the State of America's Children 2010, the Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI), and Child Care and Early Education Research Connections.
- Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH). Online catalog of research articles examining the relationship between media exposure and health-risk behaviors. CMCH is a joint project of Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health.
- Child Care and Early Education Research
Connections.
Information about research and data resources from the many
disciplines related to child care
and early childhood education.
Topics include child development and school readiness.
Research Connections is a partnership
among the National
Center for Children in Poverty
(NCCP),
the Inter-University Consortium
for Political and Social Research,
and the Office of Child
Care.
- Children,
Youth and Families Education and
Research Network (CYFERnet). Information about program
and educational materials for professionals who work
with children, adolescents, and families. Materials
address child and adolescent
development, parenting, families, and community development.
CYFERnet is a national
network of land-grant university
faculty and county extension educators
working to support community-based
educational programs for children,
adolescents, and families.
- MCH Library at
the National
Center for Education in Maternal
and Child Health (NCEMCH),
Georgetown University. Databases to collect, manage,
and disseminate knowledge about
MCH, with special emphasis on knowledge
gained from initiatives and programs
supported by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
The library's bibliographic database
is
MCHLine®. An online catalog of materials in the MCH Library with several items about this topic. A selection of recent items is listed in a collection of bibliographies on topics that include child developmental screening, early childhood development, home visiting, mental health in primary care, and prematurity.
The MCH Library also offers organizations and programs databases.
- National
Clearinghouse on Families and Youth
(NCFY): Literature Database. Information about more
than 18,000 publications that focus
on child and adolescent development and family
issues.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool
(RePORT): RePORTER. Access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including
information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH-supported research.
To identify information, enter "social development" "emotional development" in the Term Search field and click
on Logic: Or. Click on Submit Query to get your results. Narrow your searches
by selecting a state or adding terms to other search fields.
- PubMed. Over 20 million citations
for biomedical articles from MEDLINE
and life science journals. Citations
include links to full-text articles
from PubMed Central or publisher websites when available.
To identify articles on the topic, enter the term child
development OR adolescent development in
the search box. Click on Limits
and make the following selections on
the page: select a date (e.g. Published
in the last 2 years); click on Languages:
English; click on Species: Humans;
click on Ages: All Child; and select
Search Field Tags: MeSH Major Topic.
Click on Search to get your results.
To narrow your search further or for
additional searches, use the MeSH
(Medical Subject Headings) database to identify
terms (e.g., (child
development OR adolescent development)
AND personality development or (child
development OR adolescent development)
AND social behavior). PubMed is a service
of the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
- Also see the Healthy Child Care America Resource Library.
- Building Partnerships for Youth: Locate a Program Model. Information about evaluated youth development programs. To identify programs, select one or more elements from a list of 21 essential elements of child and adolescent development (e.g., Emotional health and well-being). Click on Find a program to get your results.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Prevention Research Centers (PRC). Information about research projects conducted by PRCs, which work as an interdependent
network of community, academic, and public health partners to conduct prevention
research and promote the wide use of practices proven to promote good health.
To identify projects, click on Find research project descriptions that meet
specified criteria. Select Health Topics: Healthy youth, and select Age Group:
Infants, Children, Adolescents. Click on Search to get your results.
- Child Trends: LINKS (Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully) Database. Summaries of evaluations of out-of-school-time programs that work (or don't work) to enhance children's development. Social and emotional health are one of many search categories.
- Community Pediatrics Grants Database. Archive of community pediatrics grant projects. Identify projects by entering
the term child development in the Keyword Search
field. Make a selection under one or more categories under the Advanced Search section of the form to refine your search. Click on Advanced
Submit to get your results. The database is a service
of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
- Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS). Information about more than 900 grants issued by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Identify grants by selecting Abstracts. Type social emotional development in the search field. Click on All the words and Search to get your results. To find products and publications produced by MCHB training grantees, select Program Data, Training, and Search Products and Publications. Type social emotional development in the search field. Click on All the words and Search to get your results.
- FindYouthInfo.gov: Program Directory. Information about evidence-based, federally funded child and adolescent programs. Search by risk factor or protective factor (e.g., Social competencies
and problem solving skills). Click on Search to get your results.
- Health Services Research Projects in Progress (HSRProj). Information about ongoing health services research and public health projects. To identify projects, click on Advanced Search. Enter child development OR adolescent development in the search box. Select a year range, project status, or state or territory and click on Search to get your results. HSRProj is funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
- MCH Library at
the National
Center for Education in Maternal
and Child Health (NCEMCH),
Georgetown University. Two databases to identify
organizations and programs focusing on social
and emotional development in children
and adolescents:
MCH Organizations Database. Over 2,000 government, professional, and voluntary organizations involved in MCH activities, primarily at a national level. To identify organizations on the topic, type "child development" in the keyword field of the database search form. Conduct another search and type "adolescent development" in the keyword field. Also see the library's collection of organizations resource lists on topics that include parenting, adoption and foster care, and child care.
MCH Projects Database. An online catalog of projects funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) through October 1, 2002. To identify projects related to the topic, type "child development" in the abstract field of the database search form. Conduct a second search by typing "adolescent development" in the abstract field of the database search form. See MCHB's Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS) for information on projects funded after October 1, 2004.
- National
Association of State Boards of
Education (NASBE): State School
Health Policy Database.
A collection of state laws and policies in key areas
of school health. Click on View by Topic. Scan the
categories in the left sidebar and choose a topic (e.g., Emotional, Social, and Mental Health Education).
- National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP): Early Childhood Profiles. Profiles of state policies that promote health, education, and strong families to support early childhood development and school readiness. Profiles include other contextual data related to the well-being of young children.
- Also see the Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families, and Communities, Baby Matters: A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives, State Afterschool Profiles, and the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP): Data Tools.
- See the MCH Library family resource brief Social and Emotional Development in Kids and Teens.
Resources for Schools
- See the MCH Library school resource brief Social and Emotional Development.
- Bullying resource brief
- Community Services Locator: An Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families knowledge path
- Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Challenges in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
- Home Visiting resource brief
- Life Course and Social Determinants resource brief
- Screening resource brief
- Sleep in Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents: Knowledge
Path, 2nd ed. (May 2011). (Updated: October 2011).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library.
Reviewers: Lauren Agoratus, M.A., Family Voices and Family-to-Family Health Information Resource Center at the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of N.J.; Robin L. Harwood, Ph.D., Maternal and Child Health Bureau; Keri Linas, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development; Olivia Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., MCH Library; Judi Siegel, L.I.C.S.W., Children's Hospital Boston.
Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.
