Many issues related to children and families make their way into today's headlines: violence in schools, child poverty, adolescent smoking, and the impact of violent television and movies on behavior, to name a few.

Children, Youth, and Family Background — an ongoing series of reports published by the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development — offers summaries of what research reveals about these and other issues. Reports include a narrative overview of the topic and references to key sources of information. The series, published as a research tool for journalists, is available free to anyone interested in learning about these complex issues.

Permission is granted to publish or otherwise reproduce the reports or any portion of a report for non-profit purposes only. The University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development appreciates being cited as a source, when appropriate.

# 135 November 2011: Sharing Data To Help Children. New insights gained – Sharing data leads to range of possibilities.

# 134 November 2011: Sharing Data To Help Children. Closing the knowledge gap – Sharing school and human services data.

# 133 November 2011: Shaping The Public Image Of Children – New strategies focus on promoting accuracy and hope.

# 132 November 2011: Trauma And Children. Dealing With Trauma – Simple acts done early help most children.s to traumatic events.

# 131 November 2011: Trauma And Children. A vulnerable population – Children not oblivious to traumatic events.

# 130 November 2011: School Readiness A Work In Progress – Despite progress, 15 Pennsylvania counties remain “high risk.”es depend on many factors.

# 129 November 2011: Children With A Parent In Prison. Contact has its benefits – But outcomes depend on many factors.

# 128 November 2011: Children With A Parent In Prison. Staying in touch – Visits are important, but can be difficult.-sex families fare as well as others.

# 127 November 2011: Developmentally, The Children Do Fine – Studies say children of same-sex families fare as well as others.

# 126 November 2011: Looking For Autism’s Early Markers – Researchers seek way to diagnose disorders in infancy.

# 125 November 2011: Teaching Children The Value Of Trying – Studies suggest ways to promote effort and persistence.