Peter B. Dews played a significant role in shaping the distinctive characteristics and defining the underlying principles of the discipline of behavioral pharmacology. His early and sophisticated use of schedules of reinforcement in the 1950s, incorporated from research in the experimental analysis of behavior and integrated into the discipline of…

In the United States today, there is a growing number of children exhibiting disruptive behavior. The rising rates of violence among youth in society parallel the increase in numbers of students who engage in severe problem behavior in schools. Schools are currently confronting a number of disturbing trends regarding school discipline, violence,…

Using data from grandparents (G1), parents (G2), and children (G3), this study examined continuity in parental monitoring, harsh discipline, and child externalizing behavior across generations, and the contribution of parenting practices and parental drug use to intergenerational continuity in child externalizing behavior. Structural equation and…

Behavior problems and parental expectations and practices were studied in a sample of 58 toddlers with developmental disabilities who were consecutively referred to a mental health clinic. The majority of children (70.7%) exceeded the clinical cut-off score for significant behavior problems including tantrums, aggression, defiance, and…

Reviewed are four reasons for misbehavior in children, and suggested are methods for adults to deal with the misbehavior. It is explained that motivation can be classified according to the following factors: attention getting mechanism (with passive/active and constructive/destructive patterns); power seeking; revenge seeking; and assumed or real…

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of two time-out (TO) procedures in reducing escape-maintained noncompliance of 4 children. Noncompliant behavioral function was established via a functional assessment (FA), including indirect and direct descriptive procedures and brief confirmatory experimental analyses. Following FA, parents were…

This paper examines the use of corporal punishment in public schools. It presents a brief history of corporal-punishment practices and explains why corporal punishment remains a legal means of control in the schools of 23 states in the United States. Opponents of corporal punishment argue that it should be abolished from schools because it models…

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature regarding some of the past practices of discipline and to explore the changes in discipline that have been made in our schools, the alternatives that have resulted, and a specific approach--in-school suspension--that has taken root in contemporary education as a result of this change. A review…

The purpose of this paper is to help school administrators look seriously at one of the biggest school problems--discipline. The author examines those factors that seem to cause student misbehavior--factors having their origin in both the home and the school. Believing that the best way to handle discipline problems is through prevention rather…

Intended for parenting classes of parents of young children having difficulty with discipline, this leader's guide and videotape paint a dramatic picture of the wrong way to discipline children and give clear practical ideas of how to talk to children using encouragement and effective reprimands to change behavior. The first part of the guide…

A motivational plan to reduce bus discipline referrals in a K-5 elementary school is presented in this practicum paper. Methodology involved observation of student behavior on 13 buses, pre- and post-tests administered to third- through fifth-graders, and document analysis of student misconduct citations and bus conduct reports. Referral…

Questions that can be posed concerning the present state of affairs in limiting or preventing disciplinary problems include: Have there been significant changes in disciplinary problems over the past three decades? Are problems more or less severe than reported in the recent past? Are there patterns of discipline problems related to demographic…

This handbook describes the use of corporal punishment, attitudes towards it, and alternatives to it. Topics covered include: (1) a definition of corporal punishment; (2) descriptions and examples of different types; (3) a brief history of its use in schools and society; (4) arguments in favor of its use; (5) arguments for abolition; (6)…

Part of a series of instructor training modules on related subjects instruction for apprentices, this booklet deals with controlling instructional settings. The first chapter consists of an outline of the scope and content of the instructor training modules as well as a self-assessment pretest. Covered in the module are establishing and explaining…