Psychological research has demonstrated that violence is learned, and it has identified some factors that put children at risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence. Because aggression is often learned at an early age, prevention programs that start early in childhood and continue throughout adolescence have the best chance for success.…

The increasing percentage of children living apart from their natural fathers is an unpredicted, and not widely discussed, trend. Fatherlessness is a major force behind many disturbing U.S. social problems. The institution of marriage acts as culture's chief vehicle to bind men to their children. The absence of fathers from children's lives is one…

Noting that bullying among primary school-age children has become recognized as an antecedent to more violent behavior in later grades, the 3-year Maine Project Against Bullying examined currently available research on bullying and evaluated books, curricula, media materials, and programs to identify resources and strategies which can be applied…

This paper discusses the occurrence of challenging behaviors in adult men dually diagnosed with cerebral palsy and mental retardation, the dynamics that underlie problematic interactions with staff and peers, and strategies with which to address these behaviors. The vicious cycle that occurs when a client with cerebral palsy and mental retardation…

This memorandum from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services addresses student harassment based on disability. It begins by discussing why disability harassment is such an important issue and identifies federal laws that address disability harassment, including Section…

Evaluated the group treatment program Helping Encourage Affect Regulation (HEAR), developed for parents of children with symptoms of excessive aggression and noncompliance. Found significant improvements in measures of child symptoms, including level of aggression and parent-child interactions, especially parent sensitivity, intrusiveness, and…

Reports the results of a survey of school counselors in rural areas that was designed to determine: perceived seriousness of different types of aggressive and violent behavior among students, availability and the quality of referral sources for students who have problems with aggression or other serious problems, and training that school…

European- and African-American mothers reported their use of physical discipline with their children. Mothers, teachers, and peers rated the children's externalizing problems annually from kindergarten through grade 3. Found that physical discipline was associated with higher teacher- and peer-rated externalizing scores for European-American…

Secondary analysis of the 1993 Metlife survey of teachers' perceptions of and experiences with violence examined the issue in more detail. Most teachers felt safe and had not experienced violence. They perceived violence as more likely in secondary schools, urban schools, and schools with predominantly minority student populations. (SM)

Examined developmental trajectories toward violence over middle childhood and children's response to a universal school-based preventive intervention. Found that three growth patterns--positive linear, late acceleration, and gradual deceleration--characterized the children's trajectories, and these trajectories varied meaningfully by child…

Differences in social behavior of middle-class kindergartners with and without previous day care experience were compared through classroom observations and teacher ratings during the second semester of kindergarten. (BB)

Videotaped exemplars of social situations were successfully used to model, rehearse, and provide directed feedback of appropriate alternatives to aggressive behaviors by two male special education students (ages 13 and 14). Following a reduction in levels of aggressive behavior, peer willingness to interact with the students improved. (JW)

Asserts that school violence is a major educational problem and reflects the increased violence in society. Examines responses by administrators and boards of education to school violence. Categorizes school policies regarding violence into deterrence, prevention, and treatment and discusses their effectiveness. (CFR)

Rape victims' gaze behavior when identifying a defendant and the prior relationship between victim and defendant were examined for effects on rape culpability attributions. In comparison with victims who used gaze maintenance or natural gaze behavior, rape victims' gaze avoidance was perceived as indicative of less truthfulness rather than…

Reports on a study of the depiction of women in 54 college criminology textbooks published between 1956 and 1992. Finds that, although recent textbooks have made important strides about discussing women as victims, they say far less about women's ability to resist oppression by words and deeds. (CFR)