This study used data from 435 teacher-child dyads in early childhood classrooms to examine the extent to which teachers' use of behavior specific praise (BSP) with children screened for elevated rates of externalizing behaviors was influenced by the intensity of child challenging behavior and gender. Observational assessments indicated that…

Although behavioral threat assessment and management (often shortened to "threat assessment") has become widely used in US schools, no studies have systematically examined how frequently schools conduct threat assessments and how threat assessment rates vary as a function of student and school demographics. Of particular concern is that…

This study presents findings from an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) initiative in Arizona called Smart Support. The IECMHC used an early childhood mental health consultation model as an early childhood education intervention to address the needs of preschoolers with challenging behaviors. Disparities in…

This study explored the beliefs of early childhood educators about a child's current behavior and potential adult adjustment based on a description of the child's gender and play interests. There were 451 early childhood educators from a US sample who, after reading a brief vignette describing a child's play and behavior, responded to questions…

School dropout can be an ongoing process of academic failure and disengagement starting as early as elementary school. Given the importance of early identification of risk factors, the present study examines (a) whether early conduct problems and depressive symptoms predict a higher risk of school dropout, (b) whether depressive symptoms moderate…

In this research, structural equation modeling and TIMSS data were employed to examine the impact of school belonging on math achievement among secondary students in Japan, Korea, and the United States, with a focus on the roles of math attitude and disorderly behavior. Utilizing SmartPLS 4.0, the study delved into the reliability and validity of…

Much of the literature linking adversity to trauma fails to account for racialized experiences, including racial-ethnic discrimination, which is a highly prevalent form of adversity for youth of color in the U.S. Adversity and trauma often result in students experiencing elevated rule-breaking behaviors, exacerbating existing racial-ethnic…

The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence and factors associated with weapon carrying in Colombian high-school students. A cross-sectional study was designed to analyze this phenomenon among students aged between 13 and 17 years. A sample of 1462 students participated, 18.46% of which reported having planned suicide, 56.16% reported…

The unique residential context found within boarding schools may have important implications for students' perceptions of school climate and, in turn, may impact their social-emotional well-being. However, there is limited research on the relations between school climate and boarding students social-emotional well-being. This study intended to…

This study examined gender differences in the psychometric properties of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing behaviors (SRSS-IE) using item response theory methods among a sample of 2,122 middle school students. The SRSS-IE is a screening instrument used to identify students who are potentially at risk for…

Boys struggle academically and behaviorally more than girls and are more likely to have difficulty with social skills. It seems likely that boys and girls do not perceive social skills in the same light. Past research has not investigated this or its relationship to academic and behavioral performance. Using data from a cohort of 9th-grade…

Threat assessment is a violence prevention strategy used to investigate and respond to threats to harm others. In 2013, Virginia mandated the use of threat assessment teams for threats to self and to others, effectively subsuming suicide assessment with threat assessment and raising questions about the distinction between the two practices. In a…

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a systemic approach for implementing a proactive schoolwide discipline and for improving students' academic and behavioral outcomes by targeting the school's organizational and social culture. With a multilevel approach, the present study evaluates the relative effectiveness of SWPBS on teachers'…

Evidence suggests that higher order linguistic functioning such as text comprehension is particularly vulnerable to emotional modulation. Gender has been identified as an important moderating variable in emotional expression such that girls tend toward internalizing emotions (e.g., sadness, anxiety) whereas boys tend toward externalizing emotions…

Childhood exposure to traumatic experiences and subsequent psychological symptoms increase the risk for lifelong behavioral and mental health problems, including depression diagnoses, reduced adaptive coping strategies, substance abuse, and early death, with negative impacts on children's social development and academic achievement.…