Psychology Research Guide
Child & Adolescent Development
“Child development”, or “child and adolescent development” refers to the process of growth and maturation of the human individual from conception to adulthood. The term “adolescence” has particular connotations in particular cultural and social contexts. Child & Adolescent Psychology focuses on understanding the physical, social, psychological, and cognitive needs of young human beings. You can read more about the focus of Child & Adolescent Development on the American Psychological Association's Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology website This link opens in a new window. To find ideas for paper/research topics within child & adolescent development, visit these sites:
APA Psychology Topics This link opens in a new window (Try Bullying; Children; Education; Kids & the Media; Learning & Memory; Parenting; Teens)
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood Studies by Call Number: Available Online (Click Title)ISBN: 9781473942929Publication Date: 2020-06-04
Lifespan Human Development by Call Number: Available Online (Click Title)ISBN: 9781506307657Publication Date: 2018-04-12
Child & Adolescent Development Databases
Research in child & adolescent psychology utilizes core psychology resources, as well as resources in child & family development and sociology. You may find it helpful to search the following databases for your child & adolescent development topics or research questions, in addition to the core resources listed on the home page.
- Child Development & Adolescent Studies - EBSCO This link opens in a new windowIndex to magazines and scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals on growth and development of children through the age of 21
- Family & Society Studies Worldwide - EBSCO This link opens in a new windowCoverage of research, policy, and practice literature in the fields of Family Science, Human Ecology, Human Development, and Social Welfare
- Social Science Database - ProQuest This link opens in a new windowSearch full-text periodicals covering the social sciences
- SAGE Journals This link opens in a new windowThe SAGE Journals platform includes full text of scholarly journals from SAGE publications in many disciplines, such as, education, sociology, women's studies, criminal justice and business.
Child & Adolescent Development Subject Headings
You may find it helpful to take advantage of predefined subjects or subject headings in Shapiro Databases. These subjects are applied to articles and books by expert catalogers to help you find materials on your topic.
Consider using databases to perform subject searches, or incorporating words from applicable subjects into your keyword searches. Here are some social psychology subjects to consider:
- adopted children
- Attachment Theory
- bullying
- child abuse
- child behavior
- children of alcoholics
- cognitive development
- developmental stages
- early childhood development
- emotional development
- family relations
- middle school/junior high school/high school students
- parent child relations
- peer pressure
- personality
Child & Adolescent Development Organization Websites
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) This link opens in a new windowA national professional medical association dedicated to treating and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families affected by mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders.
- Child & Adolescent Development course module (UNHCR) This link opens in a new windowThis Resource Pack published by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees' Action for the Rights of Children (ARC) is a training module for those working with children and teen refugees. It covers major areas of child development acknowledging that " the concept of childhood is understood differently in different cultural and social contexts."
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) This link opens in a new windowNICHD’s mission is to lead research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all.
- Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology (APA Division) This link opens in a new windowThe Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology is Division 53 of the American Psychological Association. Its purpose is to encourage the development and advancement of clinical child and adolescent psychology through integration of its scientific and professional aspects.
- Child Welfare Information Gateway - Understanding Adolescent Development This link opens in a new windowUnited States Health & Human Services Children's Bureau Child Welfare Information Gateway has extensive resources on child & adolescent development. This link leads to their "Understanding Adolescent Development" resources page.