This article explores the historical evolution, sociocultural significance, and contemporary relevance of the Boys’ Brigade (BB), one of the world’s oldest uniformed Christian youth organizations, with a specific focus on its introduction and development in Ghana. Founded in 1883 in Glasgow, Scotland, by Sir William Alexander Smith, the Boys’ Brigade was conceived to instil Christian values, discipline, and leadership in boys through a structured quasi-military framework. The movement rapidly expanded across the British Empire and found fertile ground in colonial Africa as a tool for both missionary work and moral formation. The study traces the formal introduction of the Boys’ Brigade to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1911 by Reverend Herman Noah Annan at the Christiansborg Presbyterian Church, Osu. Through a qualitative historical-sociological methodology, including archivalrecords, church documents, and scholarly literature, the article reconstructs the Brigade’s institutional growth and examines its role in youth socialization and civic education. It further analyses how the BB in Ghana indigenized its practices while maintaining its Christian ethos, contributing significantly to moral development, leadership training, and national cohesion. The paper also highlights the contemporary challenges and adaptations facing the organization in the 21st century. These include declining youth engagement, resource constraints, and the need for greater inclusivity and mental health awareness. Notable alumni such as former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia exemplify the BB’s enduring influence on Ghana’s civic and leadership landscape. Additionally, the article discusses comparable youth organizations and outlines recent global initiatives within the BB movement aimed at addressing gender equity and emotional wellbeing. The study concludes that while the Boys’ Brigade faces modern pressures, its foundational principles remain vital. With strategic reforms and context-sensitive innovations, the BB can continue to be a cornerstone of youth development in Ghana and beyond.
To be effective, adolescents' parents must have basic knowledge about what their children do, who they spend their time with, and what they care about. There is broad consensus that parental monitoring facilitates adolescent information sharing and that information sharing is the most important factor predicting parents' knowledge of their adolescents' lives (Liu et al. 2020). Nonetheless, under some circumstances, vicious cycles can develop in which adolescents react to parents' attempts to gain information by becoming more secretive and parents, in turn, respond to adolescents' secrecy by becoming more intrusive (Hawk et al. 2013, 2016). Despite developmentalists' fundamental interest in the study of change, most current conceptual models of monitoring are static. Specifically, theories have little to say about what would initiate change in stable family systems. This paper integrates what we have learned about parental monitoring, adolescent information sharing, and parents' knowledge in the last decades (e.g., Gingo 2024; Liu et al. 2020) with older models of parenting practice, style, and adolescents' willingness to be socialized (Cumsille et al. 2010; Darling and Steinberg 1993). It then incorporates insights from a model of monitoring borrowed from criminology (Hardie 2021a, 2022, 2024). This integrated model focuses attention on parents' goals and their ability to assess the success of their efforts as a mechanism driving change. A series of deterministic dynamic systems models illustrates predictions from this model about how parental monitoring and knowledge, adolescent information sharing, and outcomes unfold over time under different circumstances.
This study investigates pre-primary education practices in Bangladesh, focusing on pedagogical approaches and the use of teaching materials. Although the government has recently implemented a mandatory two-year pre-primary program with an updated curriculum, teaching materials, and teacher guidelines, classroom practices often do not fully reflect these intended goals. Using qualitative methods, including classroom observations in four schools and interviews with eight teachers, the study explores the realities of early childhood learning environments. Findings revealed considerable variation in classroom conditions, teaching methods, and management strategies. While some teachers implemented child-centered approaches such as role-playing, storytelling, and interactive activities, others relied on teacher-centered methods. The use of teaching materials was often inconsistent, limiting students’ opportunities for independent exploration and active engagement. These insights offer empirical evidence on pedagogy and resource use, guiding policymakers and educators in enhancing pre-primary education strategies and improving educational outcomes for young children in Bangladesh. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, 50(2), 77-91
A number of U.S. states have enacted bans on tobacco use by students, staff, and visitors anywhere on the grounds of public elementary and secondary schools statewide. These laws are intended to reduce tobacco use, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, reinforce anti-tobacco curricula taught in schools, and prevent children from viewing their teachers and fellow students using tobacco products. We examine the impact that the laws have on the smoking behavior of students, teachers, and other school staff by using stacked difference-in-differences estimators that exploit the time variation in adoption of the laws across states. The results presented in this paper suggest that statewide school smoking bans have little impact on smoking behavior.
Objective: The main objective of this investigation was to study temperament among children of employed and unemployed mothers. Sample: The sample consisted of 120 children of employed and 120 children of unemployed mothers of Varanasi city, in the age range of 9 to 16 years. Tools: (1) the Multidimensional Personality Inventory for preadolescents (aged 9 to 12 years) and (2) the Multidimensional Personality Inventory for late adolescents (aged 13 to 16 years), developed by the researcher and by Manju Agrawal, were used to collect data. Statistical analysis: The data obtained were analysed using the t-test. Result: The results revealed a significant difference in temperament between children of employed and unemployed mothers.
Transitions from primary to secondary school can heighten anxiety, unsettle relationships, and challenge pupils’ sense of belonging. Schools increasingly deploy pastoral systems and universal wellbeing programmes, yet implementation varies and practice often lacks a clearly articulated evidence base. This literature review synthesises qualitative and mixed-methods studies (2017–2025) and examines how education staff can support pupils’ emotional wellbeing during primary‑to‑secondary transitions, with a focus on strategies informed by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Using a PICo framework, searches of ERIC, Education Source, CINAHL, and Psychology & Behavioral Sciences were conducted, applying inclusion criteria relevant to school contexts and transition stages. Studies were appraised with CASP tools. Findings cluster around three interrelated themes: (1) the centrality of relationships (teacher empathy and consistency; peer support; family partnership); (2) school belonging and connectedness (inclusive climate, pupil voice, and relational safety); and (3) emotional skills and resilience (structured psychoeducation, low-intensity CBT techniques, and peer-led emotion work). Methodological limitations across the literature include over-reliance on self-report, limited longitudinal designs, and conceptual ambiguity between belonging, connectedness, climate, and culture. The review proposes a practical pastoral framework that integrates CBT-informed strategies within universal and targeted supports and highlights priorities for professional development, co-production, and evaluation. Implications for pastoral care emphasise relationally attuned practice, actionable classroom tools, and multi-agency collaboration to scaffold emotionally safe, equitable transitions. Implications for pastoral care include embedding CBT-informed strategies within universal and targeted supports, prioritising relational safety, and fostering inclusive school climates to ensure emotionally secure transitions.
Motherhood is inherently demanding, and some of these demands may be amplified for women with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The exacerbation of BPD symptoms from parenting-related stressors can have adverse impacts on mother-infant relationships and infant development. This qualitative study explores Australian mothers' views of the impacts of mother-infant dialectical therapy plus (MI-DBT+). MI-DBT+ is an innovative therapeutic intervention which integrates mother-infant dialectical behavior Therapy (MI-DBT), a known effective intervention for the mental health of mothers with BPD, with attachment and biobehavioral catch-up (ABC) therapy. Specifically, eight mothers completed semi-structured interviews about their experiences of intervention following completion of the MI-DBT+ program. A thematic analysis of this interview data found that mothers appreciated learning more skills to enhance their understanding of their infants' needs, behaviors and emotions. Mothers also reported improved reflective functioning and better control of their emotional responses. These skills assisted in managing emotional distress at both the individual and dyadic level. The study was limited due to available demographic data, with only maternal and child age available. Discussion also focuses on the fit between DBT and ABC, longer term developmental concerns and sustainability.
Jade Pryor, Alyssa C. P. Sawyer, Clemence Due et al.
This study aims to explore the narrative tension between authenticity and fictionality in The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by examining Roy’s formative experiences and writing process as described in Mother Mary Comes to Me. The theoretical framework employs Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of perception, supplemented by postmodern developments derived from phenomenological theory, to analyze the sensory experiences of key characters across childhood, youth, and adulthood. By focusing on core plot lines and pivotal events, the study investigates how Roy bridges sensory writing to transition from superficial personal memoir to collective allegory.
We aimed to assess the moderating role of context processing (i.e., context-encoding and -memory) in the association between maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and the changes in maternal sensitivity in reaction to a separation from their toddler. Thirty-one mothers and their toddlers participated in the study in Switzerland. Mothers reported their current PTSS and performed a context processing task where they had to recognize contexts that they had previously seen paired with emotional faces. Maternal sensitivity was assessed during free play with their child and following a 3-min separation and was coded using the CARE-Index. A ratio score was calculated to assess the change in maternal sensitivity. Although the recognition of contexts previously associated with angry faces did not significantly moderate the relationship between maternal PTSS and the changes in maternal sensitivity, the recognition of contexts previously associated with neutral faces did. More PTSS led to a greater improvement of maternal sensitivity for mothers who had a better recognition of such contexts. This may be due to the ambiguity of neutral faces, which individuals with PTSS tend to focus on more closely, potentially due to their hypervigilance. Enhancing context processing may therefore help mothers use vigilance to improve sensitive caregiving.
Purpose: Each year, over one million children in the United States experience homelessness. Homelessness can occur at any stage in life in the absence of adequate prevention or intervention measures. The Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) offers an evidence-based model to help understand the significant threats to childhood development. Our objective was to determine whether the five NCF components predict ever experiencing homelessness in one’s lifetime. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health in-home interviews with adolescents at Waves I and III (N = 15,197). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to test associations between self-reported experiences of homelessness and the NCF components, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Being thrown out by a caregiver had the strongest association, with over six times the odds of experiencing homelessness (p≤ .001). Experiencing child neglect nearly doubled the odds (p≤ .001), and those left home alone by 6th grade had 42% higher odds (p< .05). Failing to follow instructions or finish tasks early in childhood increased homelessness odds by 77% (p≤ .001). Receiving food stamps more than doubled the odds (p≤ .01). Needing but not getting medical care had 52% higher odds, while having insurance lowered odds by 33% (p≤ .01). Discussion: Findings demonstrate that all NCF components are associated with experiencing homelessness, and adversities can increase the odds of homelessness during the life course. This study highlights that these components are key targets for prevention efforts.
Diana Margot Rosenthal, Sarah de Godoy, Kate Guastaferro
