Early attempts to help children experiencing academic or behavorial problems were based on an eclectic mix of inconsistent and sometimes harsh and punitive strategies. Drawing from Indigenous cultures, the "Circle of Courage" embodies four key growth needs that are essential to human wellbeing in any culture: Belonging, Mastery,…

Empower your alienated students to cultivate a deep sense of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. This fully updated edition of "Reclaiming Youth at Risk" by Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern merges Native American knowledge and Western science to create a unique alternative for reaching disconnected…

Decades of studies show that children's behavior is shaped by relationships in the "social ecology" of family, peers, school, and community. But in recent decades the prevailing scientific dogma was that genes determine destiny. Now it is clear that experience changes genes. For better or worse, environmental experiences including nutrition,…

As World War II spread across Europe, many leaders in work with troubled children and youth moved to North America. Deeply committed to democratic ideals, they pioneered new methods for building restorative relationships and positive group cultures. Their vision gave rise to a reclaiming youth movement that is transforming education and youth…

Schools can become islands of stability or fields of battle for students with emotional and behavioral problems. Research on positive school climate and positive therapeutic outcomes points to the importance of replacing adversarial encounters with respectful relationships. This article discusses how this positive transformation can be achieved.…

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) was a pioneer in studying the behavior of children in their natural life space of family, school, peer group, and community. His concept of the ecology of human development is transforming practice for effective work with children and youth. Bronfenbrenner's research highlights the power of human relationships to…

Fixation on deviance and deficit in children with emotional/behavioral problems fosters greater alienation. Native American empowerment values show a better way: significance is nurtured in a community celebrating belonging; competence is ensured by giving all opportunities for mastery; power is available to all by cultivating independence; and…

This paper highlights the scientific rationale and research base for Life Space Crisis Intervention, a psychoeducational model used with aggressive children. The model draws from a broad theory base to meet the diverse needs of troubled children. The method necessitates forming an alliance with youth and sees problems as opportunities for teaching…

The Circle of Courage identifies four universal needs of all children: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. When these needs are met, children grow and thrive. But when these growth needs are frustrated, multiple problems follow. The Circle of Courage defines problems of youth in terms of strengths and developmental needs. These…

If schools are to respond effectively to the problems of youth at risk, they must build "reclaiming" environments that recover alienated youths by addressing both the students' needs and the needs of society. In the first of three sections, this document examines the alienation of children in a frequently inhospitable society. Destructive…

The content of this book integrates Native American child-rearing philosophies with Western psychology in an attempt to provide a different perspective on troubled youth. It focuses on the concept of "reclaiming," an environment that creates changes that meet the needs of both the young person and the society. To reclaim is to recover and redeem,…