A survey of school-counseling-association members concerning peer-helper programs examined the nature and prevalence of programs within Washington state. Results indicated that peer helper/counseling programs were widely used but were often supervised by non-counseling professionals. Significantly more completed suicides were at schools where…

Discusses psychological autopsies as a way of preventing suicide on college campuses. A review team develops a narrative of events leading up to incident, reviews actions taken within the campus emergency process, gathers information about the student, makes recommendations for prevention activities, and provides debriefing for those responsible…

The behavior-audit concept was developed in 1992 to help teachers organize their thoughts, beliefs, and concerns before a seriously disturbed student returned from an off-campus setting. Over 100 Minnesota schools and districts have conducted behavior audits to get fundamental agreement on what works or needs improvement in student behavior. (MLH)

Discusses research which suggested that building specific developmental assets among adolescents related to lowered risk-behavior patterns and increased patterns of thriving behavior among an aggregate sample of nearly 100,000 secondary school students in 213 U.S. communities. The paper discusses issues related to the scientific foundations,…

Belonging matters to adolescents. PSI Associates, a private consortium of psychologists, educators, and prevention specialists, has developed several prevention/intervention programs, including Positive Peer Groups, which has disengaged teens working alongside successful students on high-profile service projects. PSI's Teens Resisting Violence…

Surveyed undergraduate students nationwide concerning firearm possession. About 3.5% possessed working firearms. Students with guns were more likely to be male, White, or Native American; binge drink; live off-campus; and live with a spouse or significant other. Students with guns were more likely to engage in activities that put themselves and…

Describes seven myths regarding the role of genes in determining behavior and the modifiability of behavior that permeate the thinking of many educators and psychologists. Examines each myth, dispels it, and states what are believed to be correct conclusions from different kinds of behavior-genetic and related data, considering the implications…

Examines 15 common myths about adolescent suicide, presenting the actual facts corresponding to each. The myths relate to such issues as prevalence, warning signs, education about suicide, differences between males and females, common methods of adolescent suicide, mental illness and suicide, suicide prevention, genetic factors, poverty and…

Research investigated prevalence of bullies and victims, and types and places of bullying. A questionnaire was completed by 238 middle school students in Rome. Over half had bullied other in the previous three months, and nearly half had been bullied. Boys bullied more than girls, and were more likely to suffer direct bullying such as being…

Assessed college students' perceptions of campus norms for recent sexual activity, investigating whether personal behavior related to those perceptions. Student surveys indicated that students who estimated high levels of sexual activity among peers were more likely to have had sexual intercourse in the past month than were students who made lower…

Surveyed West Virginia middle- and high-school coaches' attitudes toward smokeless tobacco, actions toward athletes who used smokeless tobacco, intentions to provide interventions for users, and tobacco-use history. Results indicated that coaches had unfavorable attitudes toward smokeless tobacco, perceived it as a problem, and were willing to…

Following a preexperimental assessment of computer interactive math performance, four regular education students participated in an ABAB reversal of treatment design. Treatment entailed computer-displayed monetary reinforcement for correct self-assessments. Three of the four students demonstrated high rates of correct problems/minute during…

Compares guidelines on grading with actual practices, especially instances in which teachers use grades to control student behavior. Advocates classroom research and the development of consensus on fair grading practices. (SK)

Examines how first- and second-year undergraduate students manage their money, where they learned money management skills, how they rated on managing their finances, and to whom they turned when they needed financial advice. Results reveal developmental implications and suggest that campus services to assist students in managing financial…

Examines the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral self-control therapy on children with ADHD Explores whether the combination of training in self-control with training in anger management has better outcomes on two subgroups of hyperactive children, aggressive (n=16) and nonaggressive (n=16). Overall improvements were found, however improvements of…