Girls' and Boys' Health and Development Project

In collaboration with pediatricians and endocrinologists at Columbia University, researchers at the Center studyied 400 African-American and White girls and boys as they reached adolescence. The study examined how physiological processes associated with puberty, and relationships with parents and peers, set girls and boys on various trajectories leading to more or less positive adjustment. The study followed girls from third through sixth grades, and boys from fourth through seventh grades, from integrated working- and middle-class communities. The data from this project addresses recent concerns about the effects of early puberty on girls' development and overall well-being. The data also helps fill a critical gap in our knowledge about the development of boys.

Funding Sources: NICHD; William T. Grant Foundation.

Contact: Julia Graber, Ph.D.

Current Social Context of Education Projects

Completed Social Context of Education Projects