Reviews an action research project undertaken by an EFL teacher with her Japanese students in a residential course in England. The study consisted of teacher-student interviews on differences between the British and Japanese ways of life. The article discusses the Japanese notion of "amae" and presents pedagogical implications for…

This article identifies the components of school programs necessary for preventing physical or emotional "bullying." The need for a systems approach that places power with the "caring majority" and encourages the assertive use of prosocial interventions is stressed, along with the importance of training all school staff and non-bullying students.…

This study, involving 1544 Navy recruit trainees, analyzed the relationships between conflict resolution tactics experienced during childhood, intimate partner conflict resolution tactics, alcohol problems, and adult child physical abuse risk. Findings provide partial support for the social learning perspective that the childhood experience of…

One-hundred-nineteen educators and school administrators responded to a social suitability scale used with preservice special education teachers. Preliminary validity analysis supported the use of the scale. Factors such as showing enthusiasm for the field, respecting others, interpersonal responsiveness, and communication skills were rated the…

A 20-year follow-up study of 41 individuals with learning disabilities revealed attributes that differentiated the successful from the unsuccessful group. Some themes discussed include the critical influence of the learning disability across the entire lifespan, differences in participants' family functioning, and differences in participants'…

In a Canadian program, adult volunteer mentors meet with elementary student mentees for an hour each week during school. An evaluation of five such school-based mentoring programs found that mentored students developed a more positive attitude towards school, achieved higher grades, and improved relationships with adults and peers. Mentors report…

This study used data from the Australian Temperament Project to examine how child temperament characteristics and the "fit" between parent and child from early in life might influence social competence when children were 11 and 12 years old. Findings indicated that problematic child functioning, poor fit, or both, had negative…

Provides a case study in support of inclusion of autistic children in regular school classrooms. Argues that special needs children must experience an environment that resembles the typical outside world. Examines the role of special education, experience in the classroom, and preparation for life. Reiterates that skills acquired to manage life…

This study evaluated the use of information technology (IT) communication tools with five British students (ages 3.5 to 17) having severe physical and learning disabilities. Four of the five students made progress in IT and social interaction skills. Discussion raises issues of strategies for effective use of IT by this population, teacher…

Focuses on the relationship between family climate and personality structure, as well as the relationship between family of origin and self-esteem. Results indicate that sociability was positively and moderately related to healthy family functioning. Life satisfaction and self-esteem were much more strongly associated with perceived family…

The factor structure and scale characteristics of a shortened version of the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale (SCBE) are presented for a Quebec (Canada) sample of 910 preschoolers and three U.S. samples totaling 1,736. Also presented are age and gender differences in preschool emotional and behavioral problems. (SLD)

This article describes the Dina Dinosaur Social, Emotional and Problem Solving Child Training Program for young children with conduct problems. The program emphasizes training children in skills such as emotional literacy, empathy or perspective taking, friendship and communication skills, anger management, interpersonal problem solving, and…

This review provides an updated synthesis on peer tutoring research focusing on school-age students with mental retardation serving as tutors and/or tutees. The focus included peer tutoring implementations in the areas of academic, social, and daily living/self-help skills. Results of the 52 studies were categorized and discussed according to…

A study evaluated a 7-month cognitive behavioral intervention for facilitating social-emotional understanding and social interaction of 15 high-functioning children (ages 8-17) with autism. Intervention focused on interpersonal problem solving, affective knowledge, and social interaction. After treatment, children were more likely to initiate…

Forty students with severe disabilities were evaluated across two years of either inclusive or self-contained educational programming. Comparison of child development and social competence found the inclusive group made statistically significant gains on the developmental measure and realized higher social competence scores in comparison to the…