How can middle school counselors identify bullies? This study compared two methods of identifying bullies in a sample of 386 middle school students. A peer nomination survey identified many more bullies than did student self-report. Moreover, self-reported and peer nominated bullies differed in their types of bullying behaviors, level of general…

This study examined the psychometric properties of performance measures for three novel, interactive virtual reality vignette exercises developed to assess social competency skills of at-risk adolescents. Performance data were collected from 117 African-American male 15-17 year olds. Data for 18 performance measures were obtained, based on…

Background: Using longitudinal data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we examined behavior problems and social and academic outcomes from ages 9 through 12 in children classified into five trajectories of physical aggression, on the basis of maternal ratings obtained from 24 months through 9 years (N = 1195). Methods:…

We sought to investigate the relationships between negative family factors such as insecure attachment and adverse parental rearing, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in a large sample of non-clinical children (N = 237) aged 9 to 12 years. All children completed a set of self-report questionnaires including a single-item measure of…

This study investigated the roles of relational and social aggression in the friendships of adolescent females. Using qualitative methodology, twenty-eight 8th grade female students from a predominantly white, rural, junior high school were invited to discuss how they respond to and cope with conflict in their friendships, identify and describe…

The peer group is an important developmental context for children. In this paper we present a method to operationalize a child's integration into the classroom by their informal social classroom roles, which we obtained using a blockmodel analysis based on role equivalence. This method differs in several respects from the common socio-metric…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between gender identity and relational aggression. Women's relationships are instrumental in the establishment and maintenance of a positive self-concept and identity, yet relational aggression is a common aspect of female friendships. The authors investigated this role conflict, focusing…

In this article, we briefly review conceptual, theoretical, and empirical knowledge about a rapidly developing topic of organizational research, workplace mistreatment (e.g., bullying, mobbing, abuse, aggression) as well as our research about principal mistreatment of teachers. Following this, we discuss the importance of preparing prospective and…

Two components of multimodal anger control training were compared in a randomized study. The first component, social problem-solving training, utilized the techniques of cognitive restructuring, attribution retraining, and solution generation that targeted social-cognitive deficits implicated in anger and aggression. The second component, social…

The main aim of this contribution is to describe an instrument devised to study some of the cognitive processes that occur when people interpret social events (Discrepant Story Task-DST; Smorti, 2004). In particular, this instrument analyses the narrative processes of interpretation used by an observer when witnessing progressive and…

Purpose: To examine smoking initiation in a group of adolescents at risk for developing substance abuse. Methods: Fifty-nine adolescents (25 control and 34 at risk adolescents) participated in a longitudinal study of behavioral and cognitive predictors of development of substance abuse. Aggression, conduct problems, hyperactivity, impulsivity,…

Objective: To explore the relationships of family and cognitive factors to aggression as reported by parents and teachers. Method: Data regarding different types of aggressive behavior were collected from parents and teachers of 165 school-age (7-11 years old) children referred to a study of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and disruptive…

This issue of the Canadian quarterly "Transitions," in French and English language versions, examines the prevention of youth crime, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canadian families. Major articles in this issue are: (1) "A Snowball's Chance? Communities and Families Working to Prevent Youth…

This study investigated neighborhood differences in perceptions of aggressive behavior from teachers and students' peers. Predominantly African American students (n=764) in grades 3 through 5 from 2 urban public schools (29 classrooms) in southern California participated in this study. The neighborhoods surrounding the schools differ substantially…

Developed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, this booklet is the second in a series that provides tips that parents can use to help their children grow. The booklet is divided into three sections. The first section, "Getting Along as a Person," discusses a child's self-esteem, self-concept, and self-control, and suggests ways for parents…