2003 Annual Reports for Boards and Committees

COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES 2003 ANNUAL REPORT

The Committee on Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) was established by a vote of Council in August 1985 to ensure “that children, youth, and families receive the full attention of the Association in order that all human resources are actualized.” The Committee consists of six members and reports to the Council of Representatives through the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI). The 2003 CYF Annual Report provides information on CYF’s goals and a summary of activities as they relate to the Committee’s goals.

The six members of the Committee on Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) for 2003 were Dale Kunkel, PhD (chair); Irwin Sandler, PhD; Susan Limber (chair-elect), PhD; Larke Huang PhD; Beth Doll, PhD; and Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD.

MEETINGS

The Committee held one formal meeting in the Washington, DC, area on May 2-3, 2003. The committee also conducted an extensive conference call meeting on September 18, 2003. All members participated at both meetings. In addition to these sessions, other committee business was accomplished by e-mail exchange.

LIAISON FUNCTIONS

CYF maintains active monitor and liaison relationships with APA divisions, boards, committees and task forces. Division liaisons to CYF are active and involved in the work of the Committee. Liaisons who participated in one or more meetings during 2003 included Kathy S. Katz, PhD, Division 7; Margaret Feerick, PhD, Division 37, Section 1; Karen Saywitz, PhD, Division 37; and Randi Streisand, PhD, Division 54.

Each CYF member is a monitor or liaison to several APA boards and committees. They review pertinent material and bring relevant issues to CYF's attention. In addition, CYF strives to comment appropriately on all crosscutting agenda items that have some pertinence to children, youth, and families to insure that adequate and accurate consideration is devoted to those issues.

MISSION AND GOALS

The mission of CYF is to further the central purpose of APA -- to advance psychology as a science and a profession and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare -- by specifically ensuring that children, youth, and families receive the full attention of the Association in order that all human resources are actualized. CYF's goals are to:

• Identify and disseminate information concerning the psychological status of children, youth, and families for psychologists, other professionals, policy makers, and the public;

• Offer consultation to relevant APA boards and committees responsible for psychologists who conduct research and provide services for children, youth, and families;

• Encourage psychological research on the factors that promote or inhibit the development of individual and family competence;

• Contribute to the formulation and support of policies that facilitate the optimal development of children and youth within families;

• Designate priorities for APA involvement in the issues affecting children, youth, and families including issues related to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability.

SUMMARY OF CYF 2003 ACTIVITIES

The Committee continued ongoing activities and initiated new efforts in 2003 to fulfill its mission. Major activities are summarized below as they relate to each of the Committee’s five goals.

I. Identify and Disseminate Information

Convention Activity

Due to changes in the APA convention format, CYF no longer receives program time. BAPPI organized an overarching Public Interest convention session that addressed “Impact of Poverty on Mental Health.” CYF nominated candidates for this session to represent expertise in the area of child poverty.

Newsletter

CYF NEWS is the primary vehicle for communication of information about CYF activities and issues of concern. Two members of the Committee edit the newsletter. Drs. Doll and Kline Pruett shared that responsibility in 2003. Copies of the newsletter are available on the Internet at http://www.apa.org/pi/cyf/cyfnews.html.

Other Activities

The Committee reviewed and discussed t he activities of the Interdivisional Task Force on Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families. CYF commended the task force for their efforts to date and will seek future opportunities to promote their work.

The committee discussed two topics under consideration for possible future initiatives: (1) fathers’ involvement with their children and families, and (2) children of incarcerated parents. The committee may seek to pursue efforts in these topic areas in subsequent years.

II. Provide Consultation:

Consultation was provided to a variety of APA boards, committees, task forces, and divisions through CYF liaison and monitor relationships to these groups.

Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI)

The committee provided comments on the impact of the APA budget shortfall on the committee's work. The committee noted that the cancellation of the fall meetings and other cost saving measures had a significant negative effect on CYF efficiency and productivity. The committee was also concerned that the new meeting format (i.e. cancellation of consolidated meetings) will hinder their ability to work in a timely manner with other APA boards and committees on issues of mutual concern.

The committee recommended topics and speakers for the 2003 BAPPI convention symposium.

Other Consultations

The committee provided supportive comments to the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives on discretionary funding for the Task Force on Psychology’s Agenda for Child and mental Health (TFPACAMH).

The committee considered but declined to endorse or otherwise comment on the report of the North American Task Force on Intersexuality (NATFI). The Committee on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns (CLGBC) and the Society of Pediatric Psychology (Division 54) also discussed the issue and declined to endorse NAFTI at this time. CYF concurred with CLGBC and Division 54.

III. Encourage Psychological Research and

IV. Formulate Policy:

CYF’s primary initiatives, listed below, encompass activities that concurrently address both of these important aspects of the committee’s responsibilities.

The committee reviewed and discussed comments from the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, the Board of Educational Affairs, the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA), the Board of Scientific Affairs, the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA), the Committee on Legal Issues, and the Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology. Two committee members (Sandler, Huang) substantially revised the resolution to accommodate comments and suggestions. The final revised resolution was approved by CYF, and forwarded to the Board of Directors (August 2003) and Council of Representatives (February 2004) with a request that both bodies adopt it as APA policy.

The committee reviewed and discussed comments from the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, the Board of Educational Affairs, the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA), the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) and the Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology. A working group member and current liaison to the committee (Katz) substantially revised the report to accommodate comments and suggestions. The final revised report was approved by CYF, and forwarded to the Board of Directors (August 2003) and Council of Representatives (February 2004) with a request that both bodies receive it.

Revised and Approved Resolution on Violence in Video Game and Interactive Media

The Committee reviewed and discussed at length a draft resolution and justification developed by the Division 46 (Media Psychology) Ad Hoc Committee on APA Resolution on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media. Members of the ad hoc committee included Elizabeth Carll, PhD; and Dorothy Singer, PhD; co-chairs; Craig Anderson, PhD; Brad Bushman, PhD; Karen Dill, PhD; and Lilli Friedland, PhD.

CYF recommended amendments to the resolution as submitted, and the ad hoc committee, under the leadership of Dr. Carll, accomplished revisions. The revised draft was circulated electronically to CYF for review and was approved. The resolution was forwarded to BAPPI with the recommendation that the Agenda Planning Group approve the inclusion of the Draft Resolution on Violence in Video Games and Interactive Media in the March 2004 cross cutting agenda for review by all APA boards and committees. That request was approved and the resolution will be circulated for comment in the March 2004 cross cutting agenda.

Revised and Approved Resolution on Bullying among Children and Youth

CYF member Dr. Sue Limber drafted a policy resolution to address the issue of bullying, basing recommendations on a comprehensive review of the relevant scientific research.

The committee reviewed and revised the initial draft, and approved a final version at its September meeting. The draft resolution was forwarded to BAPPI with a request that it be included in the spring 2004 cross cutting agenda for review by all APA boards and committees. That request was approved and the resolution will be circulated for comment in the March 2004 cross cutting agenda.

Approved Report and Recommendations of the Task Force on Advertising to Children (TFAC)

CYF member Dr. Kunkel presented the findings and recommendations of the TFAC. The committee reviewed and discussed the review of research as well as the specific policy proposals forwarded by the Task Force. CYF commended the Task Force for its work and endorsed the report and recommendations in comments conveyed to the Board of Directors. The Board subsequently accepted the report and recommendations and forwarded them to the Council of Representatives for consideration at their February 2004 meeting.

V. Designate APA Priorities for Children, Youth, and Families

This goal permeates every aspect of CYF's work and is evident through the variety of consultation efforts, working groups (Working Group on Children's Mental Health, Early Childhood Mental Health Interventions Working Group), and task forces (Task Force on Psychology's Agenda for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Task Force on Advertising and Children) described earlier. In recognition that CYF is particularly effective when its members have expertise to respond to contemporary events affecting children, youth, and families, the nominations statement for terms beginning in 2004 was revised to explicitly encourage applicants with such expertise.

After consultation with staff from the Public Policy Office (PPO), the committee revised the CYF legislative priorities to include the following:

• Advocate for research and dissemination of programs to prevent substance use and or mental health problems and promote positive mental health of children and youth.

• Advocate for support of evidence-based policies that promote the healthy development of children in all families (including married, unmarried, single parent, lesbian, gay, and grandparent headed households).

• Advocate for the promotion of comprehensive school mental health services for students of all ages and their families that are based on the best available science and that incorporate the services of school-employed providers and other providers who work in school sites.

• Advocate for policies that optimize the development of children in impoverished families.

Conclusion

Different from most APA committees, CYF advocates for and provides service to a population that is not represented among the membership, nor capable of promoting its best interests without the assistance of others. CYF's strives to use psychological knowledge and practice to improve and enhance the lives of young people both as individuals, as well as within the family structure. The notion of public service truly underlies all of CYF’s efforts.