two hmw of community and service

Another sample paper

Relating Adults and Children:

A Significant Element in Community Development

This paper is a strong paper in terms of content, however, it is wordy and could have been more effective if it had been more concise and precise. It is not written in a strong, technical style. There are many words and phrases that to not strongly contribute to the argument the writer is making.

Can you see how a phrase intended to clarify or add information is actually distracting to the reader?

Introduction

The relationships that children have with their families are instrumental to a family’s well-being and the well-being of the community. However, parents’ work and family commitments avert most of family members from being physically present and involved in activities together that promote learning and development. At the extreme, child neglect is associated with poor outcomes for children, including the development of emotional and behavior disorders (Cicchetti, Lynch, 1995). American families are not following healthy relationship standards, not providing enough support and guidance to youth, leaving their communities distant and unsociable. Time spent with parents is important for socialization, development of relationships, and learning appropriate ‘life tasks’ for young children. Healthy family relationships fuel the health of all families, building strong communities and composing a future for ourselves one generation at a time. As a civilization, it is in our best interest to make a conscious choice: to make family life a priority and apply ourselves toward improving the quantity and quality of time families spend together, and increasing overall the happiness of today’s families and communities.

This paper intends to address this concern, bring attention to its presence shown in families across America, and discuss techniques on how to promote healthy change in the lives of a family using its external and internal developmental assets to enrich specific elements of the human experience.

Statement of the Problem

For reasons that significantly vary in nature and are difficult to verify, American families are not following a healthy design. YMCA of the USA polled 1,005 parents from across the United States, investigating how much support and success they experience in raising healthy, responsible, and caring children and teenagers. Among those surveyed, 46 percent feel overwhelmed by everything, 34 percent feel unsupported by family or friends, and a staggering 52 percent feel that they are unprepared for a situation that arises, overall feeling dissatisfied with their parenting. To further dismay, in the same study, a majority (53 percent) of parents surveyed said they don’t often seek support in the vital and challenging task of raising children and teenagers. This devastating combination of dissatisfactory parenting and inability to seek help lands American families in a terrible condition.

Review of Literature

Learning how adults and children relate is important in understanding the problems with today’s family. In a national study of more than 2,000 American children and adults, the primary finding was that most young people, as well as adults, feel it is important for the generations to connect. However, the study found that positive youth-adult relationships aren’t happening as often as they could (Griffen-Wiesner, 2003). When it comes to supporting and guiding young people, the study clearly illustrated that parent’s aren’t delivering.

Among those adults surveyed, well over half (59 percent) do not participate in guiding decision making with their children. Youth that were surveyed agreed and reported 54 percent of adults do not guide them in their decisions. The survey also showed that 42 percent of adults did not teach shared values, and youth agreed, saying 44 percent of adults do not teach them shared values. Teaching shared values and guiding decision making are two of the most important ways for adults to engage with youth (Griffen-Wiesner, 2003). As the study demonstrates, most or a good percent of American families are not acting in ways to develop strong relationships with children. This inopportune behavior is not acceptable because simply spending time together would provide the opportunities for these engagements to happen.

When the people closest to them expect adults to be involved in young people’s lives, those adults are more likely to report actual involvement (Griffen-Wiesner,2003). Among adults who were surveyed, a shocking 91 percent say they are not highly engaged in young people’s lives when expectations are weak. Even when considering expectations of them to be strong, only 48 percent of adults say they are highly engaged in young people’s lives.

During childhood a child learns the systems of life, and is exposed to ways of life through years of constant contact and communication with the world. This child then grows into a young adult with a number of experiences on which to draw information and base both small and major life decisions. These decisions this young adult makes, such as to go to college after high school, exercise regularly, buy recycled toilet paper, build an influential business, attend church, avoid drugs, work on a cure for a disease, or even whether or not to buy organic clothing, will forge a life for his generation and an example of life for the next.

As society has become more complex and demanding, family and community relationships have all too often fallen by the wayside. According to Comer and Haynes (1997) neither educators nor parents have enough time to get to know one another and establish working relationships on behalf of children. Yet children don't stop learning about values and relationships when they enter a classroom, nor do they cease learning academics −− and attitudes about learning −− when they are at home or elsewhere in their community. Children constantly observe how the significant adults in their lives treat one another, how decisions are made and executed, and how problems are solved.

In a study by Folbre, Fuligni, Yoon, and Finnoff (2005), current trends reflect a reduction in the time mothers spend with their children. Overall hours of parental child care are as much or less than that of hired child caregivers, and give a poor impression of the quantity and quality of family time spent together. Part of the cause could be that more and more families are earning two incomes. In the media, dual-earner couples are often depicted as time-crazed and their children are portrayed as desperate for parental love because they are being “raised” by childcare providers. For instance, the cover of the May 2001 issue of National Review shows crying and angry children in daycare—one of whom is angrily “flipping off” his unseen mother. The cover is captioned, “Thanks, Mom! The Case Against Working Mothers” (Barnett, Rivers, 1996; Galinsky, 1999; Holcomb, 1998).

Family quality time is too often limited for a number of reasons in a family, and the consequences of not taking time with a family are devastating. Adults face obstacles and challenges during parenthood. Job demands, sibling rivalry, overscheduling, and the family’s financial situation are the factors parents most often relate to parenting hardships (Roehlkepartain, Scales, Roehlkepartain, & Rude, 2002). Because of these and other various reasons, many serious complications arise in a family. Depression can affect the entire family without realization and treatment, drug and alcohol abuse can ensue as a result in both parents and children from lack of communication and values. A number of behavioral problems and difficulty communicating can also result inside a family that doesn’t get enough quality time together.

Parent-child problems can create distress within a family. Poor communication and discipline problems are very common. Sometimes there are constant battles between siblings, and the parents cannot seem to resolve the conflicts. Divorce, and the creation of stepfamilies, can create difficulties in a family, sometimes for all members of the family. Sometimes the couple relationship itself is the problem (Franklin, 2003). A key—but often lacking—resource for parents is a strong relationship with their spouse or partner. The parents that experience an excellent partner relationship—regardless of whether they are married—are more likely to feel successful and up to the challenges of parenting. The YMCA poll showed that parents with a strong partner relationship were more likely to say they do things to help their kids grow up strong and healthy, feel successful and confident as parents, experience fewer challenges as parents, and be open to other support and learning. Despite the importance of this relationship for parenting success, only half of the parents interviewed (54 percent) said their relationship with their partner was excellent (Roehlkepartain, Scales, Roehlkepartain, & Rude, 2002).

Poor parent relationships coupled with poor communication, constant conflict, lack of closeness, sexual problems, or in-law problems are all to be considered possible concerns. When parents spend time communicating with their families they will develop meaningful and comfortable conversation very easily. Being able to communicate comfortably is very important. Otherwise a family may communicate by shouting at each other when necessary and saying things that are improvised and untrue. Quality time is important to minimize these conflicts and consequences of poor relations between adults and children.

Techniques

What exactly is quality time? What determines if the time spent with your family is of a good quality? Quality time has a degree of emotional or social quality which other aspects of personal life may lack. Time spent with important information, intensity, priorities, organization, and any distribution of values make normal time with family enjoyable and beneficial (Quality time, 2006). Dinner time is an uncomplicated and enjoyable time to spend with your family, and an opportunity to sit down together after a long day to exchange stories or ideas.

Many families may feel restricted by simply not knowing exactly how to spend quality time and integrate time with work and school into their schedules. Taking this into consideration, research has been done on what needs to be established by parents in order for them to create healthy children and youth, as well as healthy communities around the world.

Search Institute is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities. According to extensive research over several years, there are several developmental assets that have been identified to support the experience of elements in the human experience that have long-term, positive consequences for young people (Benson, Leffert 2001). These assets, divided into external and internal categories, are the building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.

External assets include support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, and constructive use of time. Family life needs to provide high levels of love and support, positive communication, and support from a caring neighborhood as well as other adult relationships in and out of school. Empowerment comes from perceiving that adults in the community value youth and give young people important roles in the community. Service to others also empowers children. It is also important that a child feels safe at home, school, and in the neighborhood to feel empowerment in his/her life.

Boundaries and expectations is an important developmental asset for growth. Family boundaries, school boundaries, and neighborhood boundaries need to provide clear rules and consequences for children as well as monitor children’s behavior. Boundaries and expectations also entail parents or other adults and the child’s peers to model positive, responsible behavior. Both parents and teachers should also encourage the young person to do well and set reasonably high expectations. The last of the external developmental assets is constructive use of time. A young person should participate in creative activities and youth programs in the community, as well as well as spend allotted time at home each week with family. By creating scheduled activities, the young person can learn skills such as art and music as well as plan out their time spent on these activities and at home, making time at home just as important and worthy of serious attention.

Internal developmental assets include a commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and a positive identity. Being motivated, engaged, and caring about school and education takes commitment but is a very rewarding lifelong process. Having positive values will also help a child stay responsible, a child should be caring, have integrity and honesty, restraint from unhealthy impulses, as well as have a sense of equality and social justice. Being social competent means a child should learn how to plan ahead and make choices, resisting negative peer pressure and dangerous situations. Interpersonal and cultural competences are important here as well, as the young person should have empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills as well as comfort with people of different backgrounds.

The last of the internal developmental assets, according to the Search Institute, is positive identity. A young person feels personal power when he or she has control over things that happen to him/her. A young person develops good self-esteem and a sense of purpose with a positive view of their personal future. All of these developmental assets work together as building blocks to provide parents, teachers, and caregivers a view of what should be important for a child’s development. When spending time with children, these assets can be established and reinforced with time and effort to give children a chance to achieve their full potential in a community and make a difference in the world.

Young children learn qualities such as these best through play. Parents are their children’s first and best playmates. Parents have a role in being involved in their children’s play. Children tend to be more creative when their parents are involved in their play. The best play occurs when the adult plays alongside the child, rather than just providing the toys or supervising. Becoming part of a child’s play may take practice. Some parents feel that they need to give up “childish” things and “grow up.” However, this is not true for parents. Gavin (2006) in her work in pediatrics suggests that parents should observe, follow, and be creative when it comes to playing with children. Watch and observe your child closely to learn what he can do and what he has problems doing. Take note of his favorite activities and times to play them. Secondly, join in and play with your child so that he knows you are interested in what he is doing. You can add to the complexity of the play; however, let your child be in control and determine the direction of play. Finally, be creative. Let go of the adult idea that there is only one way to play with a toy. Use toys in different ways, and you will be amazed at how many different ways you can play with one toy. Being creative will make playing more fun for you and your child.

The importance of play in the learning and development in children is and has been a significant factor in child care techniques. Trish Konzack has taught preschoolers for twenty-three years. According to her, this is because when children are playing with blocks, they are learning math and science. When they play with dolls, they are practicing nurturing. When they are dressing up, they are learning buttoning. When they play with play dough, they are exercising the small muscles of their fingers. When they paint, they are using small and large muscles and learning about color. When they cut, color, and draw, they are enhancing the small-motor development needed for writing. When they interact with each other, they are learning to share, take turns, and negotiate. Children learn while they play. If parents are concerned about reading and writing, they can read and sing to their children every day; they can let their children watch them write -- letters, bills, grocery lists. They can swap stories and tell jokes.

Playful activities and everyday learning opportunities are of high quality to a child’s relationship with parents and family, development, and overall self-image. All the experiences children have, both in and out of school, help shape their sense that someone cares about them, their feelings of self worth and competency, their understanding of the world around them, and their beliefs about where they fit into the scheme of things (Comer, Haynes 1997). This is how, through play, important developmental concepts listed above can be incorporated.

Findings

America is breaking important promises to its children and youth. Promises to provide safe places, caring adults, healthy development, effective education, and opportunities to make a difference, are commissioned by The Alliance for Youth in America and are promoted, along with all of the developmental assets to encourage families to participate together to build a healthy community. However, recent research by Benson and Leffert (2001) leading The Search Institute, shows that millions of young people, ages 6 to 17, experience very few, if any, of the important elements of this alliance. This gap sets them up for higher levels of negative outcomes, including drug and alcohol abuse, depression, poor academic achievement, and violence.

The Alliance for Youth commissioned a study to conduct national polls of more than 2,000 (ages 12-17) teenagers and their parents, and more than 2,000 parents of children ages 6-11. The study, designed by the Search Institute and Child Trends, found the following: only one in four adolescents (25 percent) and one in three children (37 percent) experience all of the five promises listed above. Thirty percent of 12-17-year-olds and 13 percent of 6-11-year-olds experience none or one of these promises. Young people experiencing more of these promises are more likely to have positive outcomes. Experiencing the promises is more strongly related to most outcomes than are demographics such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, or family income or education (Roehlkepartain, Scales, Roehlkepartain, & Rude, 2002).

The decrease of interaction between family members is a concern. Children who grow up in homes where the TV is on most of all of the time or with TVs or game consoles in their bedrooms spend more time watching TV and playing video games, and less time interacting with other family members. Research finds that 51 percent of 8-18 year-old children live in homes where the TV is left on most of the time, whether anyone is watching it or not, and 68 percent of 8-18 year-old children have a TV in their bedroom (Keith 2006). A solution to this perception could be families playing video games together instead of kids playing alone in their rooms. Family movies together are a common way for everyone to be entertained, however, interaction and communication about movies is critical for this to be a positive element for development of healthy relationships.

Conclusions

The objectives of this paper are driven by the purpose to increase our understanding of the troubles individuals, families, communities, and society experience and find ways to assist in healthy transactions between members of families. Ecological theory suggests that the entities within a community environment are an essential component in the ecology of living systems that are constantly interacting. Life in a community is carried out through both direct and indirect exchanges that result in a change of both the individual and the environment. It is these transactions as well as the nature of community itself that affects the development of children and families in the community, and also relates to community social problems. A family is a part of a system that that have a direct connection and effect upon all other parts, such as other individuals, businesses, etc. This is the concept of interrelatedness and interconnectedness. When one part of a system is affected, because we are all joined, the entire system is affected in a variety of meaningful ways. Attachments within a family and between a family and the surrounding community, such as friendships and positive kin relationships are all part of a social network in which we are all interrelated and connected to one another. For example, a family formed by either biological or emotional relation is going to be allied and depend on each other in this manner. More specifically, a family system usually requires a source for money, household maintenance, food preparation, transportation, and other needs that must be met. A healthy family also provides to one another love and respect, emotional support, confidence, and advice. When these needs are not met for whatever reason, a family cannot function properly or efficiently within healthy standards. Time together, just being with one another talking, playing, and displaying attention and affection will promote the kind of relationships within a family that trusts one another and depends on each other to provide needs for the family and a whole.

There are other theories that could help explain the reasons for and the outcomes of the activities of living. Concepts of interrelatedness, interconnectedness, reciprocity, mutual interdependence and transactions are supported by these theories. These concepts explain that we are all dependant on each other, joined to one another, unable to exist without each other, while having individually unlimited potential to create healthy transactions between one another. The mutual reliance of each person on each other person is mutual interdependence. Being interdependent means we are unable to exist without each other and mutually dependent on elements to survive. People cannot exist without each other. Families are no exception by any means. Whether it is shelter, food, or affection, a family provides one another with needs in order to survive as individuals. In this social network, the provision of community resources such as schools, recreation facilities, medical facilities, employment, social opportunities, and agencies for assistance and support, etc., foster growth and well being among family individuals as well as all other individual citizens. This concept of reciprocity involves a relationship between people involving the exchange of any goods, services, favors, or obligations between entities in families, communities, and countries that connect in some way with each other. In a healthy family environment, for example, mutual exchanges are made by doing something in return for something else. Any kind of relationship involves this type of exchange, whether it is washing dishes for someone who cooked, or giving a hug and a kiss for a job well done, families should make mutual exchanges on a daily basis. Some families, however, unfortunately do not take the time to create a giving and receiving relationship with one another. When one family member feels that others are just taking from him or her, it can cause problems within the relationships. There should be a balance of generosity and receiving to promote a healthy atmosphere. Activities such as playing games together, learning the concepts of cause and affect through demonstrations and play, and getting to know one another’s needs are all ways to achieve an understanding of reciprocity within family members. This system of giving and accepting is crucial to develop in members of a family, especially children, and with quality time together, it can be achieved.

Transactions define the importance of family time together. A communication or activity between members of a family influences and affects all members of the family. It is through transactions families learn the necessities of life, learn to respect one another, depend on one another, and has a direct bearing on the behavior and quality of life for family members. Communicating and relating with one another affects the way we perceive ourselves and our value to others in the community. The way children are treated has a direct relation to the quality of their lives. Interaction, communication, collective cooperation, and response to one another will set a worthy foundation for development and overall happiness of a family. A parent who plays along side her child is doing more than supervising, he/she is interacting with his/her child as well. Having dinner together as a family puts all members together for foster communication.

Social Systems theory provides a conceptual perspective that can guide how we view the world. Its primary value is its focus on the process of organization within systems. Humans create systems that collectively assume a single system identity in society. Systems do not always operate efficiently and produce and maintain a functional whole comprised of orderly, interrelated elements that work together such as an engine or assembly line. However, to work toward a healthy community and society, we can take a close look at the nature of the relationships that exist within a specific system and the effect on members as well. Families who are poorly organized are rarely effective, they become dysfunctional and fail to perform what a family is organized to do for its members and society. Fortunately, this system works in a way we can help failing family systems using other parts of the system, such as programs, agencies, and support such as welfare, children’s after school activities, and organized institutions especially for families such as museums and nonprofit organizations focusing on community service. Several techniques were explained that work with family systems, such as the developmental assets and methods of play. These techniques promote the healthy of family entities and systems, therefore working toward a productive and efficient community.

Ecological theory also helps extend our understanding of the interacting of personal, environmental, and cultural factors involved in complicated personal or social situations or conditions. Principles derived from this theory are aimed at promoting individual and family health and growth. This theory focuses on the effects of the environment on the growth, development, and behavior of people and institutions within the environment. To improve the quality of life, transactions between entities are the primary focus for all who live with the ecological boundary. The ecological thought associated with this system offers a useful alternative to linear thinking. In a person to person interaction, A causes an effect that changes B, however, A changes as well. The ecological theory is useful in understanding human complexities by examination of the transactions or exchanges between A and B that shape, influence, or change both over time. Ecological thinking is less concerned with cause and more concerned with the consequences of exchanges between A and B and how to help modify maladaptive exchanges. A family’s “fit” with their environment is also an important concept when dealing with ecological theory. Families whose fits are unfavorable lack the state of relative “adaptedness” which promotes continued development that satisfies and maintains or enhances the environment. By putting to action concepts and certain techniques that support this theory, families would experience generally positive exchanges over time, resulting in a better relationship between a family and their environment.

Antedotal Data

At my now part-time job at the children’s museum where I had volunteered, I get to create positive transactions, hopefully affecting children, their parents, and their entire family by promoting a comfortable fit with their environment and a productive an efficient system. By creating one positive transaction in the day of a few members of a family, I am indirectly taking action to establish a healthy and productive community and society.

It was my first day of volunteering at a children’s museum in my community when I made an observation of two different families. My job was to escort the visitors through the activities in each exhibit. The first family didn’t interact with each other and the child obnoxious and loud. The middle-aged mother sat down and looked as if she were daydreaming or too preoccupied and paid no attention to the activities of her child. I noticed that the child didn’t seem to have a good understanding of the concepts of the toys he was playing with. Instead of taking toy food and dividing it into food groups, he just gathered as much as he could and ran around with it them. When I asked him if he would like to order the food, he quickly replied, “I’m just grabbing things,” and ran off without control. At this point I felt disappointed that the boy wasn’t getting what I was trying to offer, but at the same time, I had the realization of this apparent problem in the interaction skills between a parent and a child.

The next family that walked in the door later that day was completely opposite and led me to believe that the situation could be dramatically different. This family seemed to thoroughly enjoy interacting, and they communicated well with each other. The time they spent together was intense and exciting without being loud and rowdy. The middle-aged mother played along side of child, explaining the rules and concept while being entertaining and attentive. This visit was quality time used for learning and reflection of child’s world and understanding of others, and is the precise example of what my job volunteering was trying to accomplish.

Few experiences feel as rewarding as being able to impact the world around you so significantly than serving your community. If you have ever had the opportunity to serve your community, you know how it feels to have the sense that you made a choice and made a difference. In order to make an impact, however, you must create action. The family is the beginning of an individual’s social system and is a good place to start. It’s where our social community and our world begin. The key to a healthy family is in the concepts previously explained. A family’s health is in jeopardy when factors prohibit the actual time and opportunity to significantly interact within a family. Community families need to take advantage of the benefits of quality time together.

When action is taken to create positive exchanges between any entities within a community, collective results can make a big difference. Whether it’s promoting education in children, building a barn, working with the elderly, or stuffing envelopes for a fundraiser, service to a community will pay off in a variety of ways. Other problems such as child abuse and neglect, alcohol and drug abuse, or problems in foster care can exist within communities. These difficult and serious situations call for a significantly large amount of support and understanding from a community. Being a part of a community has its benefits but also its responsibilities and part of being a helpful part of a community means facing these tough issues with collective support and motivation. We are never alone; we are always part of the many systems of life that lead into the entity of our society. This study of families and their actions and exchanges between one another is supported by this idea and extensively researched theories.

Suggestions for Further Research

Further research can be taken on interactions between family members in different communities, ranging in income, ethnicity, history, traditions, etc. in order to better understand our collective society. Each family is wonderfully unique, and it is our contribution to others that determines whether a family’s assets are supportive to society. How did families and family members interact in the past? How did it affect the future we see today? Surely a dramatic influence is in place in each of our families, there always has been and there always will be for generations to come.

Works Cited

40 Developmental Assets. (1997, 2006). The Search Institute.

Barnett, R. C., & Rivers, C. (1996). She works, he works: How two-income families are

happy, healthy, and thriving. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Benson, P.L., & Leffert, N. (2001). Childhood and adolescence: Developmental Assets. In N.J. Smelser & P.G. Baltes (Eds.), International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences. (pp. 1690-1697). Oxford: Pergamon.

Comer, J.P., & Haynes, N., (1997). The home-school team. Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundation. 1-3.

Family Health and Society. (2006). National Statistics Online. Retrieved November 16, 2006, from: http://statistics.gov.uk/.

Folbre, N., Fuligni, A., Yoon, J., & Finnoff, K. (2005, May). By what measure? Family time devoted to children in the United States. Demography. 42(2), 173-390.

Franklin, D. (2003). Family Problems. Retrieved November 20,2006, from Pshychology Information Online Website: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/problems/family.html

Galinsky, E. (1999). Ask the children: What America’s children really think about

working parents. New York: William Morrow.

Gavin, M.L., (2006). Playing with your children. Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media. Retrieved November 20, 2006 from http://www.kidshealth.org.

Holcomb, B. (1998). Not guilty: The good news about working mothers. New York:

Scribner.

Keith, K.L., (2006). Children and media: Top 5 research reports on children and families. About, part of The New York Times company.

Konzack, T., (2006, July). Play time. Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundation.

Neil, S. (2003, October 17). Is the traditional family dead? BBC News Talking Point.

Roehlkepartain, E.,Scales, P., Roehlkepartain, J., & Rude S. (2002, November). Building strong families: An in-depth report. Global Strategy Group.

Scales, P. C., & Benson, P. L. (2006, December). Toward quality and equality: Fulfilling our promises to America’s children and youth. Search Institute Insights & Evidence, 3(2), 1–10.

Quality time. (2006, October). Retrieved November 19, 2006, from Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_time

Bibliography

Folbre, N., (2005 June). Family Time Study Examines "Quality Time," Multitasking, Single-Parent Families, and Grandparent Care. Population Reference Bureau. Retrieved November 10, 2006 from http://www.prb.org/cpipr/nr/cpiprnewsrelease34.html

Mannes, M., Lewis, S. Hintz, N., Foster, K., & Nakkula, M., (2002, May). Cultivating developmentally attentive communities: A report on the first wave of national asset-building case study project. Search Institute.

McClure, R., (2006). Plan quality family time: Make unscheduled fun with kids a priority. Retrieved November 10, 2006 from About Website: http://childcare.about.com/cs/enrichment/a/qualitytime.htm

Morrison, G., (2004). Time together: Spending quality time with your teen. Retrieved November 10, 2006 from Teenagers Today Website: http://teenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/qualitytime.htm

Ochocka, J., Janzen, R., Sundar, P., & Fuller, C., (2001, April). Study on parenting issues of newcomer families in Ontario. Centre for Research and Education in Human Services.

Roehlkepartain, E., Benson, P., & Sesma, A., (2003, May). Signs of progress in putting children first. Search Institute.

Scales, P., Benson, P., Bartig, K., Streit, K., Moore, K., Lippman, L., Brown, B., & Theokas, C., (2006, April). Keeping promises to America’s youth: A Search Institute-Child Trends report on the results of the America’s promise national telephone polls of children, teenagers, and parents. Search Instutute, Child Trends.