The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT (USA) has brought the conversation about how to reduce violence, make schools safer, improve school climate, and increase access to mental health services to the forefront of the national conversation. Advocating for comprehensive initiatives to address school safety, school climate, and…

It has been estimated that up to 31.9% of children suffer from anxiety, some of whom are children suffering from separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can be a common experience for many children and doesn't always require professional interventions; however, up to 9% of anxious children experience severe impairment in their socio-emotional,…

With the changing demographics of the school population, the need for bilingually competent school psychologists has become increasingly important. The current study examined the influence of training and regional factors on Spanish-speaking, bilingual school psychologists' self-perceptions of competence regarding assessment of non-native…

Rural communities often contain unique features that separate them from more urban communities. Although a body of research is devoted to ethical considerations for psychologists working in rural communities as a whole, much less current research is focused on working in rural schools. This paper specifically highlights ethical considerations…

Studies on impairment in psychologists and other mental health practitioners began appearing in the literature 30-35 years ago. Since then, research and related scholarly writings have continued to be published to more fully understand this concept and its components. In school psychology, however, little has been written regarding school…

There are a number of important developments that have occurred in New Jersey recently surrounding brain injury that may serve as an inspiration for school psychologists in other states. In this article, the authors discuss what is happening in New Jersey to increase awareness among school psychologists, other educators, the public, and public…

This study reports the findings of an electronic exploratory survey of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Student Representatives. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the perspective of graduate students concerning problematic peers and their experiences with them in school psychology training programs.…

School psychologists are leaders in the most essential efforts to create a world in which all children and youth thrive in school, at home, and throughout life. Their leadership derives from their commitment to uphold the dignity and rights of all children, to doing so through evidence-based practice, and to recognizing the important role of…

Some side effects (SEs) of increasingly prescribed psychotropic medications can impact student performance in school. SE risk varies, even among drugs from the same class (e.g., antidepressants). Knowing which SEs occur significantly more often than others may enable school psychologists to enhance collaborative risk-benefit analysis, medication…

This exploratory study examined (a) Integrated Systems Model (ISM) implementation levels, and (b) the effect of implementation of the academic and behavioral components of ISM on student academic outcomes. Participants included 2,660 students attending six suburban elementary schools. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted using a control…

National and international organizations have identified schools as having an "unparalleled" potential to offer supportive services for children's mental health needs. This article reviews research and practice related to children's grief and specifies strategies for classroom-based interventions. In particular, school psychologists are encouraged…

A review of recent school psychology publications was conducted to discover the espoused theory of contemporary school psychology, as distinct from school psychology practice. We considered that identification of the espoused theory of school psychology, the story of school psychology, would support professional reflection and the identification…

This study investigates the mediating role of school victimization in the relationship between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young adults' feelings of high school belonging and current mental health (both depression and general psychological distress) outcomes. A total of 145 LGBT young adults were recruited from college LGBT…

In the past 10 years, gender-variant (GV) children (children who do not conform to traditional gender norms) have received increased attention from scholars, mental health practitioners, and popular media. In schools, these students have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to violence and harassment, leading to myriad negative…

Little empirical evidence is available on the professional characteristics and practices of school psychologists in Portugal. This study surveyed a total of 477 Portuguese school psychologists employed in public (80%) and private schools (20%). Portuguese school psychologists are described with regard to demographic, professional, and educational…