The present study builds on past research that has found support for a conceptual model in which poverty is linked with adolescent psychological symptoms through economic stressors and impaired parenting. The present study examined this model in a sample of urban African American mothers and their adolescent children. In addition, an alternative hypothesis was examined: that exposure to community violence mediates the relation between poverty and psychological symptoms in urban youth. Limited support was found for a model in which poverty is linked with internalizing symptoms through exposure to community violence and with externalizing symptoms through economic stressors and inconsistent discipline. Interpretations, limitations, and directions for future research are outlined.

This article examines associations among parenting, parent-child relationships, and children's exposure to sexual possibility situations. African American families (N = 310) with preadotescent children were interviewed regarding parenting, parent-child relations, and demographic history. Children were interviewed privately about their exposure to sexual possibility situations. Results revealed marginal effects of child gender as well as effects of parent education and parent employment on children's exposure to sexual possibility situations. An interaction effect indicated that parenting support may be a protective factor against exposure to sexual possibility situations, among children whose mothers were adolescents at the time of their 1st childbirth.Adolescent sexual risk taking (e.g., unprotected sexual intercourse) is of increasing concern as a result of the risk of HIV/AIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC; 1994), growing numbers of adolescents (i.e., 13-19 years of age) are contracting AIDS from heterosexual contact. These rates are higher for older youth (i.e., 20-24 years of age), and, because of the incubation period of 8 to 10 years for HIV, the rates indicate that risky sexual contact probably occurred at an earlier age (CDC, 1994). Closer examination of HTV/AIDS rates indicates that females are at higher risk for AIDS through heterosexual contact than males and that African Americans are at greater risk than other racial groups. Female African Americans experience the greatest risk for HIV/AIDS

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Background and purpose: Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are becoming increasingly popular, the application of MBIs with children and adolescents is still in its infancy. Mapping the existing literature is necessary to help guide pediatric mindfulness interventions. Our purpose is to synthesize the evidence of reported MBIs for children and adolescents with and without physical, mental, and cognitive disorders. Accordingly, we aim to identify trends and gaps in the literature, so that we can provide direction to researchers who seek to advance the evidence base for using MBIs in pediatric populations. Methods: Our search strategy will be conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. It will include a comprehensive search of published studies in 7 databases, the grey literature, conference proceedings, and citations of selected articles. Two independent reviewers will evaluate all abstracts and full articles that: i) have a pediatric sample (children 2-18 years), ii) use MBIs to promote development or to remediate underlying disorders, and iii) are written in English or French. We will identify the definitions and concepts from MBIs, categorize accepted studies according to etiology and rehabilitation type, describe intervention methodology, and report outcomes of selected studies. Discussion: Our review will provide a comprehensive overview of the pediatric mindfulness intervention literature to date, involving a range of mental, cognitive and physical outcomes for healthy children and adolescents and for those with a variety of disorders in clinical and institutional settings. We will disseminate results to mindfulness practitioners and provide guidance to future pediatric researchers in their development and application of mindfulness interventions, thereby contributing to the scientific understanding of mindfulness for the ultimate betterment of child and adolescent well-being and life-long functioning. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO does not accept scoping review protocols.