Journal of Adolescent Research

Adolesceents have only recently been identified as a risk group for human immunodeficiencv, virus inifectioni. Limited data suggest that the prevalence of HIV infection among selected adolescent populatiotns is considerable. These data, however, are not generalizable because of the unrepresentative nature of the adolescent populations studied. Surrogate epidemiologic markers for projecting the potential spread of HIV in the adolescent populationi are idenitified. These markers include the prevalence of contraceptive behavior, rate of untinttetided pregnancy, and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases. Adolescetits kniowledge, attitudes, atid clanges in AIDS-preventive behavior are described. Psychosocial factors that may influence the adoption and maintenance of AIDS-prev entitie behav iors are identified and discussed. To increase the potentialfor developing the most effective HIV prevention programs, there is a need for greater understanding of the psxychosocial determinants motivating behavior change among adolescents.

A subsample of814 sexually experienced adolescent females from the 1979 Un ited States National Survey of Younig W'omen was analyzed to assess the correlates of age at first sexual intercourse. Multiple regression procedures were used to examine sets of variables sequentiallv. In the hierarchical regression model, the control variables (responidenit's age, race, religion, and age at menarche), along with three independent l'ariables (houisehold income, ideal age for first marriage, and ideal age for first birth), predicted age at first sexual intercourse. The control variables accounted for a major portion of the variance in the model. Of the controls, chronological age and age at mettarche w-ere highly significant across all the models tested.

Coping behaviors were examined in a sample of pregnantt and parenting adolescent females (N = 133), currenthl enirolled in school-based programs for adolescent parents in Colorado, and comparisons were made between Mexican-American and Anglo partic ipants. Two themes emerged regarding the most frequently used coping behaviors: a tetndency for these adolescentts to use avoidant or passive types of behaviors, and the importance of close friends as slupport. Significant differences were found on only 7 of the 49 coping behaviors, su4ggesting more similarity than differences between the two groups. The differences reflected a greater religiolus orientation of Mexican-American adolescents. Some cultural and family characteristics influencing adolescent coping behav-ior are discussed, and implications for adolescent parent programs and future research are suggested.

Social support may buffer the potenttial stresses of childrearing, which may be most acute among adolescent mothers because of their increased likelihood of poverty and single motherhood. The present study examined amount, type. and sources of support, associations with living arrangements, and the qualitv of the child-rearing environment among 144 adolescents (age 5 18 years) and 139 adults (age a 20 years) matched for SES and ethnicity. Current living arrangements included liv ing with partner, own mother, other adults, or alone with children. Postpartum and 12 months later, adolescent mothers reported more of all types of support and received more supportfrom their own mothers than did the adult new mothers. Household composition affected all aspects of social support. regardless of maternal age. Finally, older mothers anid those living with partners prov ided more optimal home environments. The patterni for adolescent mothers, that of remaining with their own mothers following childbirth, provided increased support but mas not foster an optimal child-rearing environment.

The characteristics of two family structures in Colombia and their methods of childrearing were described from participant observational data. The data illustrated that street childrenz camefrompoorfamilies that were matrifocal and of indigenous orAfrican descentt. Tley raised children for early independence. The class-dominant, Spanish patrifocal families had methods of child-rearing that demanded strict obedience to paretntal authority and delaved adolescent independence. The present study illustrated that the street children's early independence in a rapidly changing and volatile society increased the presslure on the state to exert its waning authority. The children were then described usinig ethnographic standards. The study demonstrated the difficulty of getting accurate information about a largc social problem, and illustrated that adolescence was defined itn a historical and societal context.

This article describes the efficacy of two family-oriented, outpatient drug interventions for 84 adolescents who had used and abused drugs. Together, the two brief drug interventions appeared to significantly reduce the drug use of nearly one-half of the adolescentts who received the two family-focused drug interventions. It is surmised that this slccess was due partly to the fact that both outpatient interventions focus on the sxystemic treatment of entire familv groups rather than being given to the adolescents as inidiv iduals. WVheti comnpared, however the family therapy intervention appears to have been effectiv e itn reducing drug use for a greater percentage of the adolescents than did the familv education intervention.

According to Eriksoniani theory, the healthy formnulation of an identity requires a moratorium. Several decades of research reveal, however, that a majority of individuals from adolescence through aduilthood have addressed identity concerns through commitment without exploration of alternatives (foreclosure), or have simply lacked engagementt in identity activiy (diffusiont). In this article, subcategories of these two unsophisticated identity statuses are described. Diffusion is subdivided into precrisis, apathetic, alienated, pathological, marginally involved, and commitment-avoiding types. Subcategories of foreclosure include open, closed, premature, late developing, and appropriated types. Possible relationships between the postulated subcategories and the preadolescenit psychosocial stages discussed by Erikson, as well as the part-conflicts of the identity task are explored. These subcategories have the potential to expand one's untderstantding of the pathways of identity formation and may be useful in the development of educational and countselinig research strategies.

The focus of this study was to investigate adolescent self-concept and the reactions of 42 adolescents whose siblings had died. After completing the OfferSelf-Image Questionnaire for Adolescents (OSIQ), participants were interviewed about bereavement reactions, perceptions of their personal maturity, effects on school work; and relationships with peers. The adolescents' OSIQ scores fit the results for what Offer has termed "niormal adolescents." However, cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of adolescents clustered according to high, average, and low OSIQ scores. Discriminant analhsis was used to analyze the bereavement reactions of adolescents in these clusters. Perceptions of personal maturi ty, effects on school work and relationships with peers were also examined. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of developmental tasks facing adolescents and potential interventions to assist adolescents in coping successfully with grief.