Presents interviews with three children who offer firsthand accounts of their depression. Interviews 7-year-old boy referred for evaluation resulting from behavior problems; 12-year-old boy with major depressive episode, dysthymia, and learning disabilities, who was experiencing severe behavior and learning problems in school; and 13-year-old girl…

Explains a conceptual model for a comprehensive, multilevel, school-wide discipline program and describes its implementation in one elementary school. Key elements of the program include teaching social norms, a seven-step school-wide classroom management strategy, and targeted, intensive, and comprehensive interventions. (DB)

A middle-school French teacher describes her frustrated efforts to discipline students and plow through the curriculum. She finally realized her job was not to dominate her classroom, turn out French scholars, or win a popularity contest. She settled for helping a few kids "beyond this point." (MLH)

Examines the incidence of teasing/bullying in early childhood classrooms and how teachers' responses help determine the extent of teasing/bullying. Presents tips for addressing this behavior before it becomes ingrained, including talking about teasing/bullying, making classroom rules, offering noncompetitive games and quieting activities,…

Reviews the basic principles of behaviorology, beginning with the work of B.F. Skinner, examining how these principles can be applied in creating responsive learning environments and delineating a system of steps needed to transform an ineffective instructional situation, characterized by chronic failure, into a learning environment that is…

Parents' reports of their child-rearing expectations and intentions were measured for 184 low-income urban families when children were in the third and fifth grades. Parenting strategies were stable over time. Parenting strategies were related to measures of adjustment at school, behavior problems in the home, academic achievement, and…

Describes a solution-oriented approach to practice with middle and high school students who had been referred to the school social worker for academic or behavioral difficulties in the classroom. Similarities between the solution-focused model and social work and the importance of shaping individual behavior are discussed. Explains…

A study used the Questions about Behavior Function Scale to examine the functions of five severe problem behaviors (self-injurious behavior, aggression, stereotypies, pica, and rumination) in 417 institutionalized persons with mental retardation. The most common function for all behaviors except aggression was nonsocial. Aggression was maintained…

A survey of 404 parents of children with hearing impairments born in 1989 or 1990 found that parents favorably evaluated intervention programs and reported teachers to be helpful. Parents from minority groups and those with no college training reported their children showed more behavior problems and less language progress. (Author/CR)

Nineteen individuals with autism either listened to auditory integration training processed music or unprocessed music for 20 half-hour sessions. A significant decrease in Aberrant Behavior Checklist Scores was observed in the experimental group at the 30-month follow-up assessment. In addition, three experimental subjects but no controls showed a…

Analysis of National Survey of Families and Households data suggests that parental conflict is partly responsible for negative associations between divorce and child welfare (academic achievement, other school-related variables, delinquency, health, and psychological well-being). In some areas, marital relations prior to divorce apparently helps…

Reviews the DSM-IV criteria for conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), comparing their counterparts in DSM-III-R. Results from DSM-IV field trials indicate interrater and test-retest reliability were only marginally improved compared to prior criteria. Although overlooked in DSM-IV, community factors, gender differences,…

Dr. Mitchell Yell, an expert in special-education law, is interviewed on the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will affect the discipline of students with disabilities. He addresses suspension and expulsion of students with disabilities, the required manifestation determination hearing, and…

Explored whether teacher feedback modified first and second graders' preferences and perceptions concerning a target child with behavior problems. Found that feedback had at least minimal effects at each level (liked, average, disliked) of the target's reputation. When combined with a liked reputation, positive and neutral-salient feedback…

Examined the relationship between anger, violence, and academic performance among troubled adolescents participating in a risk reduction intervention that stressed emotional confrontation and behavior change support. Surveys indicated that anger management was unrelated to violence or academic performance. Loss of control over time, concentration,…