Aim: To report baseline findings and discuss their implications for the transferability of the predominantly American "Social Norms" approach to alcohol misuse prevention to a UK (Scottish) secondary school setting. Design, setting, participants and measurement: Baseline data from a 3-year control case study are reported here, and data…

This summary reports the findings from two cluster-randomised trials of Drinkaware's school-based In:tuition life skills and alcohol education intervention: one trial of the programme for 10-11 year olds in primary schools, and another for 12-13 year olds in secondary schools. The trials have been carried out by the National Foundation for…

Second evaluation of abstinence-only adolescent pregnancy prevention program included 528 subjects. None of desired changes in attitudes or behavior (premarital sexual attitudes, sexual behaviors, self-esteem, family communication) occurred for total sample or for virgins in sample. Findings question federal policy of relying exclusively on…

Pittsburgh Public Schools' student placement coordinator describes their program to help secondary students and school leavers with cooperative, part-time, and later full-time job placement, using behavior modification and cooperative education. Includes program organization, use of paraprofessionals, funding, and the importance of employer…

This review of recent studies on prevention of drug and alcohol abuse among adolescents analyzes components of various preventive programs including those emphasizing knowledge, attitude modification, and remediation of skill deficits to improve ability to resist peer pressures. Missing in most programs is direct manipulation of positive or…

This case study demonstrates the use of functional assessment with a 17-year-old student with severe intellectual disabilities. The case focuses on the importance of identifying setting events associated with problem behaviors and, when these events occur, making appropriate scheduling or programing changes to prevent difficult situations from…

This article gives findings from the first year of an evaluation of various behavior support programs in 21 secondary schools in Scotland. Focus is on analysis of exclusion data, school reports on the initiative, and case studies of 116 pupils receiving behavior support. Discussion notes difficulties reconciling the flexibility required for…

This focus paper contains reprints of 11 articles intended to provide an overview of the key issues in the area of adolescent behavior change as it relates to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) education. Included are: (1) "Preventing HIV Infection and AIDS in Children and Adolescents" (J.…

Recently, investigators in behavior and community disciplines have advocated the adoption of positive prevention approaches for life transition problem-solving. Techniques in physiological, cognitive, and behavioral modalities were incorporated into a broad-based intervention program focusing on the acquisition of coping responses to handle life…

This qualitative research project examined strategies taken at two secondary schools in Scotland to reduce exclusions. Emphasis was on keeping pupils "on track" and helping deviant pupils to modify their behavior within more flexible boundaries. Among successful strategies were identifying pupils "at risk" early, tailoring…

Based on research concerning school crime conducted at 600 public secondary schools, boards of education are advised to consider changes in school organization that would result in smaller schools; make school rules that are clear, firmly enforced, and equitably administered; and speak out against community conditions that perpetuate social…

Due to indiscriminate experimentation with drugs and sex, teens are increasingly at risk of contracting AIDS. Goals of prevention include reducing the panic and misinformation surrounding the disease, helping teenagers delay sexual intercourse, ensuring condom use, and preventing I.V. drug use. AIDS prevention as a shared responsibility includes…

Achievement testing indicates that the typical student who leaves high school prior to graduation has academic deficiencies considerably below expected grade placement. The need exists for identifying potential dropouts prior to their actual withdrawal. After a dropout-prone student has been identified, an analysis of his specific needs should be…

This study investigated the usefulness of a telephone-based intervention in circumventing participant biases in school-based tobacco use prevention programs. Researchers attempted to conduct telephone interventions with ninth graders and found it difficult to reach a large portion of targeted individuals. Results provided data on which adolescents…

A cohort of 29 students in a small rural New Mexico school completed a self-report measure of behavioral intention toward alcohol and drug use in 7th and 11th grades. During the four years between measures, students received intensive education about resisting pro-drug-use pressures. Students reported significantly better behavioral intention…