Children & Families

"After scouring several large surveys of teens for clues," researcher Jean Twenge writes, "I found that all of the possibilities traced back to a major change in teens’ lives: the sudden ascendance of the smartphone."

For a reporter who found signs of hopelessness in one Kern County community after another, childhood trauma turned out to be the unifying theme, handed down from one generation to the next.

Earlier this year, the EPA rejected a long-running petition to ban chlorpyrifos, which poses serious health risks to young children. But the health threats go way beyond chlorpyrifos, a leading researcher says.

In recent months, Fresno School Board President Brooke Ashjian has launched a series of attacks on Fresno Bee reporter Mackenzie Mays over her reporting on the district's failure to provide basic sex ed to students.

According to one recent report, Alabama ranks highest when in scores for American Indian children, while Maine is tops for Latinos. What’s going on here?

Why are so many young children in California not being screened for developmental issues, despite clear guidelines that they should be?

Mike Berens of The Chicago Tribune offers a master-level introduction to what can be achieved with an open mind and a deep committment to quantifying the stories he pursues.

Does watching mom struggle at certain tasks carry benefits for her kids? A new study offers some intriguing evidence that children might work harder when parents do. It's an area of research "ripe for exploration," one expert says.

While scores of public agencies are working to develop resources and programs to address childhood trauma and toxic stress in their communities, San Joaquin County in California has been turning itself into a model for how to address the issue.

Stress is a powerful force. It can help us survive, but in some cases, lead to a lifetime of medical issues. A kid can only endure so many stressful traumatic experiences before it impacts his health.