Recent decades have seen a rise in mental health problems among children and adolescents. Despite a proliferation of studies describing effective school-based mental health programs, reviews of current research in this field suggest a strong lack of consensus concerning the definition of school mental health and its constructs. In the present…

Teachers and school leaders frequently make decisions about which strategies will best support students who struggle academically or behaviorally, but evidence-based information about the quality of these strategies is not always available. Resources as the What Works Clearinghouse and the Regional Education Laboratories can help educators…

Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community (Brookmeyer, Fanti, and Henrich 2006;…

We investigated children and families who were participating in a mentoring program targeting children with incarcerated parents. Using multiple methods and informants, we explored the development of the mentoring relationship, challenges and benefits of mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and match termination in 57 mentor-child dyads.…

This article examines various aspects of school physical characteristics relating to problem behavior among students. We hypothesize that an attractive physical environment will be associated with less truancy, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use, whereas a negative physical environment will be associated with higher levels of these behaviors.…

Changes in adaptive functioning of 32 older adults with mental retardation were assessed following deinstitutionalization. An overall increase in both adaptive and maladaptive behavior was found. Females and those with moderate mild levels of retardation had higher levels of adaptive functioning than did males and those severely retarded.…

Whilst the association of risk with schools is predominately a negative one, fostering images of potential dangers, this paper draws upon a socio-cultural counter-discourse to explore the perceived benefits of certain risk taking activities within educational establishments. Using research data on school Internet "misuse" it is argued…

Six steps are provided for addressing the problem of student misconduct: (1) developing a well-publicized districtwide program, (2) creating a task force to develop a misconduct management handbook for teachers, (3) soliciting reactions, (4) field testing the draft, (5) revising the handbook, and (6) followup. (TE)

A significant minority of teens and preteens suffer from anxiety disorders, depression and other mood disorders, behavior problems, and drug and alcohol addiction. Others have low self-esteem, difficulty coping, and feelings of insecurity. Given the harmful consequences of such disorders, policymakers and practitioners should be alert to teens…

For more than a decade, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has supported demonstration programs designed to identify interventions that work with populations at high risk to prevent substance abuse, delay its onset, and reduce substance abuse-related behaviors. Research now…

The article critiques interpretations purporting to distinguish between serious emotional disturbance (SED) and social maladjustment (which is excluded from the federal SED definition). An interpretation of social maladjustment based on social deviance is proposed to more clearly determine eligibility for services under provisions for the…

Ratings of 224 students with serious emotional disturbances by 40 teachers indicated that conduct disorders were very prevalent, were correlated with other problematic aspects of temperament and classroom competence, and co-occurred with other types of behavioral problems. Implications of the study for making eligibility decisions for special…

The article addresses the exclusion of social maladjustment from the federal definition of serious emotional disturbance and proposes a limited interpretation which would prevent the inappropriate exclusion of students with antisocial behavior from special education services. Briefly discussed are related issues of identification and programing.…

This paper analyzes a systems approach for dealing with the disruptive behavior of at-risk students based on the principle that there is a shared responsibility among all school staff and that the methods employed should respond to the emotional and skill needs of the students. The approach has the following key components: (1) support by school…

This guide provides information about various types of alternative education programs that address the educational and behavioral needs of disruptive students. The programs suggested are aimed at students whose behavior is so disruptive that they must be removed from classes or from the school for varying lengths of time. These programs provide…