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Gilles Saint-Paul

in The Tyranny of Utility: Behavioral Social Science and the Rise of Paternalism

This concluding chapter discusses two arguments that make the case that empirical relevance of behavioral biases cannot be used to justify an extension of government control over private lives. One ... More

This concluding chapter discusses two arguments that make the case that empirical relevance of behavioral biases cannot be used to justify an extension of government control over private lives. One general argument against paternalistic policies is that even though people have behavioral problems, they are mature enough to solve them on their own. This argument has two faces. One version is that current incarnations can control the behavior of future ones, specifically by using appropriate contracts that commit those incarnations. Another version is the so-called Coasian view, that incarnations that coexist within the same individual may achieve an efficient outcome by bargaining between themselves. Meanwhile, another class of arguments builds on the political economy critique. It states that while paternalism may help solve behavioral biases on paper, it ignores the actual working of governments.Less

Family-Based Interventions for Sleep Problems of Infants and Children

Courtney Johnson and Jodi and A. Mindell

in Sleep and Development: Familial and Socio-Cultural Considerations

Sleep problems are remarkably common in children of all ages, with 20–40% of children affected. This chapter discusses behaviorally based sleep problems in infants, children, and adolescents, as well ... More

Sleep problems are remarkably common in children of all ages, with 20–40% of children affected. This chapter discusses behaviorally based sleep problems in infants, children, and adolescents, as well as their treatment. Behavioral sleep problems include such issues as bedtime resistance, problematic night wakings, nighttime fears, and insufficient sleep. The chapter is organized by developmental age groups. For each age group discussed, it presents normative data on sleep habits, developmental issues, common sleep problems, and age-appropriate treatments, with family considerations discussed.Less

Paternal Incarceration and Mental Health and Behavioral Problems

Sara Wakefield and Christopher Wildeman

in Children of the Prison Boom: Mass Incarceration and the Future of American Inequality

This chapter estimates the consequences of paternal incarceration for childhood well-being, broadly defined as children’s internalizing, externalizing, physically aggressive, and total behavioral ... More

This chapter estimates the consequences of paternal incarceration for childhood well-being, broadly defined as children’s internalizing, externalizing, physically aggressive, and total behavioral problems. Especially at the extreme end of the continuum and for the most disadvantaged children, mental health and behavioral problems are strong predictors of crime and delinquency, educational and occupational attainment, and family formation later in the life course. By focusing on these types of problems, therefore, we provide indirect evidence concerning the long-term consequences of paternal incarceration for the children of the prison boom. The chapter also includes a lengthy discussion of the multiple ways to estimate incarceration effects, focusing on issues of selection bias and spuriousness. The estimates show that, even after substantial sample selectivity issues are accounted for, paternal incarceration increases all forms of children’s mental health and behavioral problems.Less

A Genetic Analysis of Extremes in Externalizing Behavioral Problems and Negative Family Environments

Kirby Deater-Deckard

in Nature, Nurture, and the Transition to Early Adolescence

This study explores whether the genetic etiology of individual differences in externalizing problems in an “unselected” sample (that is, variation in ... More

This study explores whether the genetic etiology of individual differences in externalizing problems in an “unselected” sample (that is, variation in the “normal” observed range) is similar to or different from the etiology for children selected as being extreme in aggressive and delinquent behavioral problems during the transition to adolescence. It is possible to analyze separately the individual differences in unselected populations and group differences in selected extreme groups using quantitative genetic analysis, as a means of answering this question. The study also examines selected extreme groups of children based on several dimensions of the family environment. Selecting more extreme groups assesses the extent to which family processes involved in child and adolescent adjustment problems in more negative family environments are due to child genetics and environmental factors as part of gene-environment correlational processes.Less

Effects of Prenatal Smoking on 12-Year-Old Children’s Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes

Michelle Ward and Laura A. Baker

in Nature, Nurture, and the Transition to Early Adolescence

This chapter explores the effect of prenatal smoking on cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children. These effects are examined in both adopted and ... More

This chapter explores the effect of prenatal smoking on cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children. These effects are examined in both adopted and non-adopted children in order to evaluate the extent to which smoking during pregnancy may affect general and specific cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, and childhood behavioral problems at twelve years of age. A comparison of effects between adopted children (separated from their birth mothers shortly after birth) and non-adopted children (raised by their birth mothers) is made, along with an investigation of characteristics of mothers who did and did not smoke during pregnancy. The chapter also examines the extent to which maternal characteristics (such as education and cognitive ability) may explain any adverse child outcomes in the smoking groups.Less

Mass Imprisonment and Childhood Inequality

Sara Wakefield and Christopher Wildeman

in Children of the Prison Boom: Mass Incarceration and the Future of American Inequality

This chapter brings together the demographic estimates on the cumulative risk of paternal imprisonment and the individual-level results on the effects of paternal incarceration on mental health and ... More

This chapter brings together the demographic estimates on the cumulative risk of paternal imprisonment and the individual-level results on the effects of paternal incarceration on mental health and behavioral problems, infant mortality, and child homelessness to estimate the impact of paternal incarceration on black-white inequality in childhood well-being. The results are striking and often larger than those estimated for adult men in other studies. Our analyses suggest fairly small effects on some outcomes, such as total behavioral problems, where mass incarceration is associated with a five to ten percent increase in black-white inequality. For other outcomes, such as child homelessness, we see much more pronounced effects, as mass incarceration is associated with about a sixty-five percent increase in the already large black-white disparities in the risk of child homelessness. Effects on inequalities on infant mortality, internalizing, externalizing, and aggression fall somewhere in between. In each case, paternal incarceration harms children and results in measurable differences in the childhood circumstances of black and white children in the United States.Less

Nature, Nurture, and Adolescent Development: An Introduction

Stephen A. Petrill, Robert Plomin, John C. Defries, and John K. Hewitt

in Nature, Nurture, and the Transition to Early Adolescence

This book presents new findings on several key aspects of adolescent development. First, it describes research that examines cognitive development in ... More

This book presents new findings on several key aspects of adolescent development. First, it describes research that examines cognitive development in early adolescence on the following topics: developmental analyses of general cognitive ability; parent-offspring analyses of specific cognitive abilities; stability and change in reading performance; and memory ability in middle childhood and early adolescence. It also explores adjustment and behavioral problems in adolescence in the following topics: somatic complaints from early childhood to early adolescence, attention problems, and adolescent adjustment. Then it discusses the development of mood and temperament in adolescence. Topics include change in depressive symptoms; loneliness; temperament; the relationship between temperament and behavioral problems; and humor use, temperament, and well-being. Finally, the book looks at the relationship between prenatal smoking and behavioral problems in adolescence, the relationship between negative family environments and externalizing behavioral problems, maternal differential treatment, life events, and the developmental trajectory of gene-environment processes.Less

Community-Based Prevention of Youth Behavioral Health Problems

Abigail A. Fagan, J. David Hawkins, Richard F. Catalano, and David P. Farrington

in Communities that Care: Building Community Engagement and Capacity to Prevent Youth Behavior Problems

Preventing childhood and adolescent behavioral health problems such as substance use, delinquency, violence, school drop-out, and mental health problems can reduce the social and financial costs that ... More

Preventing childhood and adolescent behavioral health problems such as substance use, delinquency, violence, school drop-out, and mental health problems can reduce the social and financial costs that can occur following these behaviors. Using a public health approach, prevention scientists from diverse fields have created and tested a variety of interventions to reduce the risk factors and increase the protective factors related to these problems. A growing number of these interventions have been demonstrated as effective—that is, they prevent the onset and/or reduce the frequency of multiple behavioral health problems. However, these evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are not widely used by community-based organizations. This chapter discusses how community-based prevention systems, particularly the Communities That Care (CTC) system, can help build the capacity of local communities to implement EBIs. The core components and effectiveness of CTC are reviewed and compared to other community-based prevention systems.Less

Parenting Stress and the Child

Kirby Deater-Deckard

in Parenting Stress

This chapter discusses the ways in which parenting stress affects children's behavior and development. It provides an overview of child illness, disabilities, and disorders that are linked to ... More

This chapter discusses the ways in which parenting stress affects children's behavior and development. It provides an overview of child illness, disabilities, and disorders that are linked to parenting stress. Developmental disabilities and disorders include cognitive deficits and delays, autism, and pervasive developmental disorder. The chapter also examines some of the behavioral and emotional problems in children.Less

The Assessment of Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents

Christopher T. Barry and Mallory L. Malkin

in The Origins of Antisocial Behavior: A Developmental Perspective

This chapter discusses the basic foundation of evidence-based assessment of youth behavioral problems. It provides an overview of the developmental, intrapersonal, contextual, maintaining, and ... More

This chapter discusses the basic foundation of evidence-based assessment of youth behavioral problems. It provides an overview of the developmental, intrapersonal, contextual, maintaining, and protective factors considered in the assessment of child and adolescent antisocial behavior (ASB). Included in this discussion are the many challenges that have emerged concerning evidence-based assessment of youth ASB and potential future directions for related research. The primary focus on intervention is aimed at ASB, which considers the potential of such behavioral problems to develop into criminality and its effect on society.Less

Mental Health Treatment and Criminal Justice Outcomes

Richard G. Frank and Thomas G. McGuire

in Controlling Crime: Strategies and Tradeoffs

This chapter examines the evidence on the potential expansion of mental health services for reducing crime, first reviewing research on the link between mental illness and crime. It then studies ... More

This chapter examines the evidence on the potential expansion of mental health services for reducing crime, first reviewing research on the link between mental illness and crime. It then studies mental health treatment in two high-risk groups who are candidates for mental health interventions targeted to reduce crime: children with serious behavioral problems; and adult criminals. This is followed by discussions of the effect of past illness and treatment on subsequent criminal justice contact in the case of children with conduct disorder; and current mental health interventions targeting criminals who are also mentally ill. Finally, the chapter returns to the question of the cost-effectiveness of expanding various forms of mental health treatment based on favorable effects on crime and criminal justice costs. A commentary is included at the end of the chapter.Less

Tim Gets His Start

Paul Gionfriddo

in Losing Tim: How Our Health and Education Systems Failed My Son with Schizophrenia

This chapter narrates Tim's inclusion into the family, from his adoption process to his relationship with his siblings. In school, Tim gradually developed behavioral problems, with one teacher ... More

This chapter narrates Tim's inclusion into the family, from his adoption process to his relationship with his siblings. In school, Tim gradually developed behavioral problems, with one teacher describing him as very distractible. He had a difficult time following directions, and often seemed disoriented. Tim's father was skeptical at first, who, after observing one of his classes, noted how Tim was as focused as the other children. The teacher however insisted that Tim was indeed having a hard time coping with classroom activities. The chapter stresses how the existence of behavioral health-screening tools at the time would have been helpful in explaining Tim's behavior. A major problem for parents is the lack of an immediate solution for mental health issues, such as special education services, due to the lack of funds for services needed to treat such conditions.Less

A New School, A New Crisis

Paul Gionfriddo

in Losing Tim: How Our Health and Education Systems Failed My Son with Schizophrenia

This chapter focuses on the events surrounding Tim's transfer to his new school. The school staff at the new school made adjustments based on Tim's Individualized Education Program (IEP), resulting ... More

This chapter focuses on the events surrounding Tim's transfer to his new school. The school staff at the new school made adjustments based on Tim's Individualized Education Program (IEP), resulting in his improved grades and performance. Fourth grade was a positive experience for Tim as a direct result of the school personnel's skilled, creative, and collaborative approach. However, despite their best efforts, Tim's mental illness continued to present itself dramatically. He was diagnosed with several neuro-behavioral problems including impulsivity and inattention, with an element of anger and depression. Tim's father suggested that they needed to be creative in developing new strategies, including a behavior support plan, to manage both Tim's mental health needs and educational program.Less

The Use of fMRI Technology in Understanding the Neurobiological Basis of Conduct Disorder and Psychopathy in Children and Adolescents

James Blair

Kayla Pope (ed.)

in The Origins of Antisocial Behavior: A Developmental Perspective

This chapter describes the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that examines the differences in brain function that may cause the behavioral problems observed in children. ... More

This chapter describes the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that examines the differences in brain function that may cause the behavioral problems observed in children. Unlike structural MRI, functional MRI determines which regions of the brain show a response to specific stimuli. The most significant limitation of fMRI is temporal resolution, which limits the ability to establish temporal sequencing between areas of the brain that are activated.Less

Separation and Inclusion

Jennifer L. Hochschild and Nathan Scovronick

in American Dream and Public Schools

IN LOS ANGELES HISPANIC PARENTS PICKET A SCHOOL, demanding that their children be taken out of bilingual education classes and put into regular, English-speaking ... More

IN LOS ANGELES HISPANIC PARENTS PICKET A SCHOOL, demanding that their children be taken out of bilingual education classes and put into regular, English-speaking classes; in Florida the state department of education officially chastises the schools in Orange County for not providing bilingual education classes. A mother hires attorneys and spends two years fighting to have her developmentally disabled teenage daughter placed in a full-time residential facility at public expense; another set of parents pays for neuropsychological testing for their five-year-old son with cerebral palsy so that they can do battle if the Wellesley, Massachusetts, school district tries to move him out of a regular kindergarten class. In Montclair, New Jersey, one parent opposes a plan to eliminate ability grouping in ninth-grade English because he “doesn’t want his daughter jeopardized by the possibility that the new plan isn’t going to work”; another supports the plan because “an end should be put to a [grouping] system that intentionally or unintentionally privileges a small minority and fails to do justice to the rest of the children.” It is extremely hard to figure out how best to educate children who are in some way distinctive in their physical, emotional, or academic capacity, or in their English language proficiency. These children may differ not only from the majority of students but also from those perceived to have the same characteristics. Their advocates sometimes disagree passionately about how the inclusion of students with distinctive characteristics affects their achievement and that of their peers. In addition, the placement of these students is often affected unfairly by the usual racial and class hierarchies. Everyone concurs that whether we help children with distinctive characteristics to achieve their dreams is an important test of our nation’s commitment to the American dream. But deep disagreements remain about how to do it. Most Americans believe, in principle, that interaction in the classroom and playground is the best way for children to learn to appreciate, or at least deal with, people different from themselves. Mixing in this way may even lead students to find new dreams, see new possibilities, invent new futures. This is the premise behind the view that the collective goals of education are best achieved when students are educated together regardless of variations in ethnicity or race, gender or religion, ability or disability, background or beliefs. Less