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Childhood and adolescence

Photo of a girl swinging high above a cityscape with a cloudy sky in the background.

Mental health

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Why does early puberty pose a risk to girls’ mental health?

Girls who start puberty earlier are at greater risk of depression and anxiety. To know why, we must look beyond biology

by Marjolein E A Barendse & Michelle L Byrne

Photo of two people sitting on a rock by a stream surrounded by greenery, one with an arm around the other.

Nature and the environment

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Rewilding attachment theory by recognising Earth as a caregiver

We are raised by people, but we are also raised by the Earth – here’s what that means for our emotional development

by Vanessa Chakour

Photo of a young girl in a classroom holding a book with a calendar page, wearing a floral dress and hair accessories.

Compassion and empathy

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How do we start learning to ‘read’ other people’s minds?

Studies of young children give us insight into the building blocks of an ability that most of us use every day

by Josephine Ross & Martin Doherty

A photo of a child in a patterned blue coat and pink hat standing by railway tracks looking to the side.

Personality

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Childhood shyness can be advantageous – don’t pathologise it

Given their cautious vigilance, shy children are more likely to detect social threats and anticipate how events will unfold

by Raha Hassan & Kristie Poole

Photo of a child in green on a motorcycle with an adult’s tattooed arms holding the handlebars.

Personality

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How babies’ and children’s temperament varies around the world

International research reveals intriguing regional differences in temperament – the infant precursor to adult personality

by Matt Huston

Photo of a young girl doing homework at a table with adult guidance, holding a pencil over an open notebook.

Parenting and families

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Why are tiger parents willing to trade love for success?

Growing up under tiger parenting, I’ve seen that pushing a child to succeed often fails – and isn’t worth the emotional cost

by Louis Li

A close-up photo of a hand scrolling through a social media app on a smartphone in dim lighting.

Sex and sexuality

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Teenagers are going to sext, let’s teach them to do it safely

Preaching abstinence doesn’t work – in sex as in sexting. Instead, we should teach how to reduce risk and sext safely

by Joris Van Ouytsel

Black and white photo of a child watching large fish in an aquarium tank with rocks and smaller fish in the background.

Transcendent experience

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To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang