The luxury of "slow change," so characteristic of schools over the years, may be giving way under the pressure of Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act. Primary headteachers have lived through two years of government-set agendas. Different groups' conflicting interests have created new priorities for headteachers and require new coping…

This article reviews the literature on the inadequacy and adequacy of parenting by persons with mental retardation and offers new foci for research. It examines issues in predicting parenting inadequacy based on parental knowledge and skill, health care and safety, decision making, interaction, and child outcomes in terms of cognitive delay and…

Uses findings of a national longitudinal study to examine the changing role of secondary principals in England and Wales. Explains the United Kingdom's education system, outlines the principal's role within the context of unprecedented educational change, and discusses strategies for coping with changes and balancing roles as educators and…

Makes linkage between violent incidents and more general school safety. Contends that, when school violence concerns are reframed to develop resiliency in youth to help them cope with stresses of violence, school psychologists will have much to offer. (Author/NB)

This article provides an overview of sociological perspectives and knowledge about social aspects of families coping with visual impairment. Special attention is given to the importance of the social structures and dynamics of families as social networks, the social construction of impairment experiences by families, family social support…

Identified several different patterns of adaptation over first 18 months of bereavement represented by levels of subjective stress and depression in 131 widowed men and women. Anticipatory grief, concurrent stressors, social support, and spiritual support correlated with single significant function which discriminated between different courses of…

Presents strategies to help teachers cope with personal tragedy. The workplace offers a valuable social network for sharing with colleagues, administrators, and students. Teachers may find the constant schoolday demands leave little time for worry. Specific coping strategies include asking for help, temporarily changing the curriculum, and…

Presents suggestions for helping stepfamilies cope with problems they may encounter: (1) helping the children move from loss to reconnection; (2) being patient with everyone in the new family; (3) cultivating communication and negotiation; and (4) sensitizing school personnel and society. (SM)

The article reviews elementary level books that help students deal with life's unpleasant moments. Stories focus on self-centeredness, making excuses, first day of school, bossiness, cultural differences, adjusting to seventh grade, completing assignments, and being different. Teaching tips for presenting the stories to the class are included. (SM)

This study of parents of 121 toddlers with disabilities found that fathers reported more stress related to their child's temperament and the father-child relationship, while mothers reported more stress from the personal consequences of parenting. Fathers were more sensitive to effects of the family environment, whereas mothers were more affected…

Discusses young children's conceptions of war, reviewing literature on children's attitudes and feelings about war and studies of parents' responses to children's feelings. Concludes that between ages four and seven, children develop a sense of war and peace. Considers implications for parents and teachers. (GLR)

Surveyed 90 children (aged 4-12) who called PhoneFriend child help-line to examine their coping strategies when home after school with no adults. Boredom was most frequent reason given for calling; watching television was most popular support activity reported. Children reported often having siblings or friends with them, and many regularly called…

This article discusses findings by pediatric psychologists studying destructive stress responses and other psychological costs of overdriven competitiveness in gifted students. Warning signs indicative of depression or antisocial withdrawal are described, as are contributing factors such as parental expectations. Suggestions for avoiding…

Examined role of close relationships during adolescence and their contribution to individual coping. Data from series of studies on early adolescents showed that availability of family and peers combined with support of adolescent's independence contributed to individual adaptive coping. Contribution of close relationships to coping differed for…

Examines the relationship of depressive symptoms to demographic factors, stressful life events, and psychological coping resources among 161 African-American men aged 56 years and older. Multivariate analyses demonstrate a significant association between depression and income, stressful events, illness, mastery of the immediate environment, and…