This study, with an 11-year-old male with severe mental retardation, investigated the effectiveness of selectively implementing punishment for only the most severe topographies of aggression and property destruction, whereas less extreme behaviors were ignored. Results indicated that severe behaviors were reduced to near-zero levels only when both…

Points out the growing crisis among American adolescents, with approximately half of adolescents at moderate or greater risk for engaging in unsafe sexual behaviors, teenage pregnancy, and teenage child-bearing; drug and alcohol use and abuse; school underachievement, failure, and dropout; and delinquency and crime. Calls for increased research on…

Behavior problems reported by teachers for 359 Jamaican and 665 U.S. children ages 6 to 11 were compared. In conjunction with previous research, results suggest that Jamaican children find school exceptionally stressful, although overall findings demonstrate the considerable similarity of teacher-reported problems across cultures. (SLD)

The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC), which was designed to assess both children's and adolescents' emotional disorders, personality constructs, and behavior problems, is discussed. Discusses the BASC technical manual, and psychometric properties such as norms, reliability, and validity. Offers favorable commentary for the BASC. (KW)

This article provides a general description of the features and steps of the functional behavioral assessment (FBA) process. It is organized around frequently asked questions and provides information on who conducts an FBA, when an FBA should be done, the components of an FBA, and outcomes of an FBA. (Contains references.) (CR)

A first-year teacher recounts her action research project to address the misbehaviors occurring in her third-grade classroom. She reports on identification of four target behaviors and implementation of research-based intervention techniques such as eye contact, physical proximity, and "withitness," (constant awareness of the classroom). Analysis…

Investigated models relating coping efficacy, coping efforts, and psychological problems of children of divorce. Structural equation model supported coping efficacy as mediating between active coping, avoiding coping, and psychological problems. Prospective longitudinal model supported coping efficacy as mediating between active coping and…

Explored the relationship of family sociocultural resources to adjustment among low-income African American children. Parent surveys examined sociodemographic variables, child behavior, and parent religiosity. Results indicated that children of regular church attenders had fewer behavior problems than those who attended less frequently. The use of…

This commentary discusses study results that indicate the nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) clomipramine is more efficacious than the relatively selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine and placebo in treating repetitive or ritualized behaviors in children with autism. The need for concurrent genetic and biochemical…

A study examined cognitive and motor development in 56 toddlers prenatally exposed to cocaine (ages 12-27 months) and 56 typical toddlers. Infants prenatally exposed to cocaine experienced developmental problems in expressive and receptive language areas. In addition, there was a possible relationship between cocaine exposure and subsequent…

Four preschool children who exhibited aggressive methods for resolving social interaction conflicts were taught a problem-solving strategy. Results found that acquisition of the problem-solving strategy influenced the types of alternative solutions the children provided to social interaction conflicts. Students produced more prosocial resolutions…

Presents a study where classroom teachers used a five-point scale to rate the classroom conduct, behavior, and home background of 109 nine, ten, and eleven year old British primary school students. Investigates the relationship among cognitive style, gender, and behavior. Includes references. (CMK)

Surveys African American families (N=841) to test hypothesis that community context might influence the association between parent control and punishment on child conduct problems. Survey found the deterrent effect of caretaker control on conduct problems became smaller as deviant behavior became more widespread. Results suggest that a particular…

Identifies attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in Korean juvenile delinquents. Intelligence tests, Test of Variables of Attention, Teacher Report form, Youth Self-Report, and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale were administered to 98 incarcerated youth and 84 nondelinquent youth. In the delinquent youth, 42.2% of the adolescents were…

A study examined the socioemotional experiences of adolescents with and without learning disabilities (LD) in an Israeli kibbutz environment during school transition periods. Seventh- and ninth-graders with LD received more social peer rejection and were judged by teachers to exhibit lower social skills and higher behavioral problems. (Contains…