Behavioral and Social Sciences

Better Methods Needed to Assess Racial Discrimination

Racial disparities persist in US employment rates, housing and education opportunities, health care, and other areas, but no single approach allows researchers to discover all of the factors underlying the problem or to pinpoint how discrimination affects individuals overall, says a report from the National Academies' National Research Council. More comprehensive research methods are needed to expand knowledge about the scope of racial discrimination in American society.


Report Examines Children's Health

To ensure healthy children and create a healthy nation, policymakers should revise and prioritize children's health and surveillance monitoring systems to adopt a broader view of children's health and innovative research methodologies, says a new report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine.


MEETING: Committee on Adolescent Health and Development

This committee will meet October 21-22 at the Academies headquarters facility in Washington DC. The agenda will be posted at the accompanying site 10 days before the meeting. In the meantime, if you would like to attend the sessions of this meeting that are open to the public or need more information please contact Wendy Keenan, by email at wkeenan@nas.edu or by telephone at (202) 334-1759.


Report Examines Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Nations

In many developing countries, globalization has changed traditional expectations for young people navigating the passage to adulthood, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report discusses these changes and their possible impact on youth programs and policies.


Ethical Considerations on Housing Research Involving Children

Critics have questioned the propriety of recent studies regarding housing-related health risks and children. A new report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine outlines how to conduct such research in a way that supports improved child health, ensures that child participants do not face inappropriate risks, and fully informs their parents.


Investments in Education for US Hispanics Needed

Education and training are the linchpins that will give the nation's Hispanic workers and their children tools to contribute to and share in US prosperity, says a new National Research Council report. Targeted investments in these areas would benefit not only Hispanics but also the country as a whole by enhancing US productivity as baby boomers shift into retirement.


Prevention of Teen Motor Crashes

A new National Academies report summarizes presentations and discussions from a workshop where experts gathered to explore how the behavioral, cognitive, social, health, and biological sciences could inform prevention strategies to reduce motor-vehicle crash rates and promote responsible behavior among teenage drivers.


First Days and Weeks After Prison Release Are Crucial

Prison, parole, and community authorities should intensify services for prisoners immediately before and after their release, says a new report from the National Research Council. Deaths of ex-prisoners and the commission of new crimes are extremely high in the first days and weeks after release. Specific services -- especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, and drug treatment coupled with surveillance -- reduce recidivism significantly, the report notes.



MEETING: Workshop on Depression and Parenting

A Workshop at the Beckman Center, CA, The objective of Session I is to explore: the identification, screening, treatment, or referral for depression in parents in a variety of medical and other settings (OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Community Mental Health, Community Health Centers) that serve women, children, and families; the interface or integration of MH services for depression in primary care through county-government service structure; and capacity building to facilitate better access to quality services in these settings. The objective of Session II is to explore issues which create unique challenges to providing quality mental health services for depression for parents and their children, particularly for a diverse society and in care settings alternate to medical settings.


Understanding Crime Trends: Workshop Report

Changes over time in the levels and patterns of crime have significant consequences that affect not only the criminal justice system but also other critical policy sectors. Yet compared with such areas as health status, housing, and employment, the nation lacks timely information and comprehensive research on crime trends. Descriptive information and explanatory research on crime trends across the nation that are not only accurate, but also timely, are pressing needs in the nation's crime-control efforts.

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For additional information visit The National Academies Subject page.