Using data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), this report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to promote school safety. SSOCS is managed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of…

In this article, we explore how researchers can more fully consider and conceptualize the role of race and ethnicity in studies of youth development programs, with an emphasis on positive youth development (PYD). Such a focus can be integrated in a more meaningful way through the application of a theoretical model that provides a framework for…

Arranging periods in which requests for reinforcement are denied in a multiple schedule may result in increased destructive behavior during these periods for individuals who receive functional communication training (FCT) as treatment for severe destructive behavior. Providing access to competing activities during periods of reinforcer…

Interest in institutional racism, White privilege, and microaggressions appears to be growing. We are living in times when the impact of race and racism are debated--when even the existence of racism is debated along with the appropriateness of examining the worst parts of U.S. history. This special-issue invited article includes a brief…

Promoting gender respect is essential to the development of both sexes and to gender equality. This article argues for the importance of moral education to support the struggle of girls and women to achieve respect within unequal and complex gender power relations, especially in poverty contexts. Evidence collected from a sequence of in-depth…

This paper presents a study that evaluated the efficacy of a video self-modeling intervention derived from a functional behavior assessment intervention on the aggressive behavior of two students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. A multiple baseline design across stimulus conditions with inter-subject…

In this era of accountability, evidenced-based practice, and response to intervention, it behooves school social workers to identify and implement theory-informed and research-supported interventions to address school-level struggles that negatively impact school success for at-risk students. To that end, school social workers need to develop the…

Second Step is a social-emotional, skill-based, violence-prevention programme, which has been adapted for several European countries. The various versions of the programme (for kindergarten/preschool, elementary school, middle school) have been evaluated in a series of research studies. The outcomes and study designs of these studies are reported…

This study examines the phenomenon of microaggressions as experienced by students and perpetrated by students and faculty in one of the most ethnically and racially diverse MSW programs in the nation. Microaggressions are the daily slights, insults, and invalidations experienced by minorities, which are, in essence, subtle forms of racism and…

Using data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), this report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to promote school safety. SSOCS collects data from public school principals about violent and nonviolent crimes in their schools. The survey also collects…

In this commentary, Cornell and Bradshaw report decades of research in school psychology have brought attention to the culture of peer bullying and harassment that was a largely neglected problem in most schools. At the same time, research on the school environment has brought recognition to the importance of a safe and supportive school climate.…

The purpose of this paper was to summarize the implementation of a schoolwide tiered intervention program in three Midwestern U.S. elementary schools over a period of three years. The program, Social Skills Training and Aggression Reduction Techniques plus Time-Away (START[superscript Plus]) includes components of social skills training at the…

This research examined deviant talk during summer residential treatment using peer nominations and extensive field observations. Participants were 239 youth (M age = 12.62, SD = 2.60; 67% male), nested in 26 treatment groups. Deviant talk was present in this setting, showed individual differences, and increased over time, especially for younger…

Despite recent research suggesting that relationally aggressive behaviors occur frequently and may lead to physically aggressive actions within urban school settings, there has been little prior research to develop and evaluate relational aggression prevention efforts within the urban schools. The current article describes the development and…

Bullying in elementary schools is a recognized and widespread occurrence that threatens to rob children of their childhood. Part I of this commentary describes existing scientifically-based research on the nature, extent and effects of the phenomenon on children in United States schools. Part II analyzes the effectiveness of bullying prevention…