The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a well-documented group contingency designed to reduce disruptive behavior in classroom settings. However, few studies have evaluated the GBG with students who engage in severe problem behavior in alternative schools, and there are few demonstrations of training teachers in those settings to implement the GBG. In…

Group contingencies have been indicated to be effective in reducing disruptive behavior and increasing academic engagement in school settings. Previous research has demonstrated their efficacy with a wide range of student ages, but there have been few studies with older students who engage in severe disruptive behavior. In the current study, we…

Alternative education programs (also called alternative schools) first appeared on the American landscape in the 1960s. Despite the proliferation of these programs, a generic description of what constitutes an alternative education program, historically, has been elusive. Most alternative education programs have the general criteria of serving…

We examined the immediate, short- and long-term effectiveness of the SNAP[TM] Under 12 Outreach Project (ORP)--a community-based program for children under the age of 12 at risk of having police contact. Sixteen pairs of children were matched on age, sex and severity of delinquency at admission, and randomly assigned to the ORP or to a control…

Describes the EQUIP Program, a new psychoeducational model that teaches antisocial youth to think and act responsibly through a peer-helping approach. Highlights the challenges presented by antisocial youth, reviews the development of earlier psychoeducational methods, and outlines basic program components. Initial research shows significant…

A total of 79 boys with behavior disorders were assigned to Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) or Group Care. Data at 1 year post-discharge showed that boys in MTFC had significantly fewer arrests, engaged in fewer delinquent activities, spent fewer days incarcerated, and ran away from their placements less often. (Contains references.)…

This study examined the effect of a specialized after-school program, the Services to Youth Program (STYP), as one method of preventing the reoccurrence of criminal activity among delinquent youth. Seven African American youth who actively participated in the structured, curriculum-based after-school program were compared with a matched group of…

States that a link exists between language disorders and emotional/behavioral disorders. Provides results of using Positive Peer Culture (PPC) treatment with 14- to 18-year-old males (N=130) incarcerated in a residential treatment center. Suggests that PPC may facilitate communication ability for incarcerated youth. (MKA)

A variety of approaches to preventing antisocial behavior in children have ranged from infant schools to residential treatment centers, from social training to psychological therapies, with evaluations that have typically been little more than testimonials to current fashions. By introducing experimental approaches to the study of intervention…

Describes Project Choices, a residential treatment program for drug-abusing adjudicated adolescents that employs the adventure-based counseling model to instill change. Describes Project Choices goals as being the reduction of conduct-disordered behavior associated with delinquency and drug use. Presents program evaluation results which suggest…

This article reviews teaching strategies expected to be effective in alternative education programs for students at risk for school failure, dropout, and delinquency. The need for alternative education programs for students in both special and general education is discussed, along with recommended alternative education strategies and program…

This study examined the effectiveness of a Positive Talk curriculum in promoting specific conversational social skills of nine incarcerated female adolescent juvenile delinquents. Sequential application of a multiple baseline across groups design demonstrated that the training was successful in promoting the participants' social skills.…

Alternatives is a project designed for youngsters, ages 11-15, who display serious conduct problems and severe learning deficiencies. The primary goal of the project is to prevent the development of a chronic antisocial orientation among youngsters who are at high risk for such an outcome. The interventions employed at Alternatives are based on…

Some behavior disordered children drift from agency to agency, with little continuity or communication among services. The price paid is a high one, not only in dollars, but also in terms of negative personal, family, professional, and community consequences. A sense of interagency collaboration needs to be revitalized. (JW)

A modified cooperative learning methodology was implemented with 12 boys at a residential treatment center for oppositional adolescents. Despite their volatile behavior, limited self-control, deficient prosocial skills, and lack of group experience, they responded positively to the experience. The model is felt to effectively enhance cooperation,…