Understanding how families, systems, and public policies impact the social, emotional, and cognitive development of adolescents and young adults is at the heart of much of CCFP’s work. Our researchers engage in longitudinal studies, partnerships with state and local agencies serving youth and their families, and develop and evaluate innovative programs and services to understand and support youth development.
This study advances the understanding of risk and protective factors in trajectories of conduct problems in adolescence in seven countries that differ widely on a number of sociodemographic factors as well as norms related to adolescent behavior.
This report reviews and analyzes sources published from 2019 to 2024 to investigate the complex dynamics of the intersecting trends of urbanization, migration, and family. Six critical areas in need of policy recommendations have been identified: family-friendly policies, gender-responsive and child-sensitive legislation, affordable housing and inclusive infrastructure, comprehensive urban planning, sustainable urban growth through effective family planning,
and comprehensive healthcare services for immigrants.
This report describes six major demographic trends: declining fertility, changing partnering patterns, reductions in early childhood and maternal mortality, a burgeoning youth population, changes in child marriage rates, and a growing aging population.
This study suggests socially withdrawn children in the United States fare similarly to non-withdrawn peers in adulthood in their romantic relationships and parenting, but a subgroup of active-isolate children may be at risk of not entering adult relationships.
This project will produce research and policy reports on four megatrends identified by the United Nations related to families and (1) climate change, (2) technology, (3) migration and urbanization, and (4) demographic trends.
learn more about Megatrends and the FamilyThis research project will collect data from youth enrolled in universities across Ukraine during the winter of 2023. Data will include changes in adjustment, wellbeing, and optimism, along with substance use. Data will provide insights into how best to support the mental health of young people during a global crisis.
learn more about Risk and Resilience in Ukraine: Individual, Family, and Community Predictors of Adolescent and Young Adult AdjustmentThis project expands reach, builds capacity, and scales up evidence-based programs offering positive youth development and sexuality education to address health disparities in the most vulnerable areas across rural Eastern North Carolina.
learn more about Advancing Equity in Adolescent Health through Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs and ServicesThis project aims to advance research on the relationship between economic well-being, wealth, adolescent functioning and mental health.
learn more about STEPS: Study of Teen Experiences that Promote SuccessOur analyses showed that Fast Track’s improvements to interpersonal and intrapersonal skills in childhood served as catalysts for better life outcomes at age 31. Our findings inform understanding of how a childhood preventive intervention can improve adjustment and behaviors into established adulthood.
The current study seeks to explore caregiver–child attachment as an internal mental state in the calibration and modulation of life history strategies.
This article advances the use of mixed methods in higher education research to better understand the racialized experiences of African American college students and demonstrate how Critical Race Mixed Methodology can be used to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings.
Vaping is one of the most common forms of substance use among adolescents. Social influences play a key role in the decision to use substances and frequency of use during adolescence, and vaping is no exception. Using a sample of 891 adolescents, we explored whether the frequency of vaping nicotine and the frequency of vaping marijuana at age 17 were related to concurrent reports of resistance to peer influence, perceptions of friends vaping, and perceptions of classmates vaping.