Examines how family composition, size, and atmosphere; parental control; and the level of parental education and socioeconomic status are associated with children's problems at school. Shows that underachievers came from families with absent natural fathers, lower parental control, and negative atmosphere; overachievers came from intact families…

The case of an indigent library patron recovering a judgment against a public library is used as a backdrop for discussing patron behavior policies in the public library. Highlights include First Amendment rights, the public library as an expressive forum, government rules, policy lessons from the case, and acceptable policies. (AEF)

Concordance between mothers' and teachers' perceptions of behavior problems and competencies of 74 children (mean age 131.6 months) with nonspecific developmental delays was assessed with standardized and study-developed scales. Correlations between raters averaged .43. There were minimal differences in ratings of boys and girls, and few…

Describes one elementary school's school-wide effort to design and implement strategies for school improvement in discipline, community relations, and academic performance. Children are taught a simple three-step method for dealing with conflict. Referrals to the timeout room and discipline referrals for serious behavior infractions have been…

Describes the use of functional assessment for behavior-support planning with students having chronic behavior problems. Focus is on a functional assessment method that includes the student as an important information source. Following a definition of functional assessment, six steps for developing a comprehensive behavior support plan are…

Presents the legal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in disciplining students with disabilities, describes IDEA's requirement that school officials address student problem behavior in the Individualized Education Program, and offers recommendations regarding the formation of school district policies and…

Results of a functional analysis indicted that the hand mouthing of a woman with profound mental retardation was maintained by multiple sources of control (sensory stimulation and access to a leisure item). Hand mouthing, though maintained by automatic reinforcement, was also susceptible to social contingencies when exposed to them during…

A case study illustrates how the ongoing data-based monitoring of timeout use by parents enhanced the treatment of an 8-year-old boy, referred because of noncompliance in the home. Maintaining the timeout record enabled rapid refinements in the timeout procedure by providing a feedback mechanism to the therapist, identification of the need for…

Explores the causal nature of the association between grade repetition and later adolescent problem behaviors for 197 retained and 204 promoted African-American sixth and seventh graders in two urban middle schools. Regression analyses imply that retention reduced rebellious behavior in school and increased attachment to school. (SLD)

Notes that caregivers, parents, and teachers struggle with discipline; suggests that examination of possible causes of unacceptable behaviors may lead to understanding. Contends that reflection rather than reaction can promote positive outcomes as five basic issues contribute to child behavior: (1) developmental stage; (2) individual difference;…

Students with a history of behavioral problems helped produce a videotape program on best practices for teaching this challenging population. In a series of interviews, these students from an alternative junior high school provided range of viewpoints on issues related to inclusion, time-out, and prevailing discipline practices. Results show…

This study examined predictability of inappropriate behavior in a random sample of 452 adolescents. Behaviors examined included dropping out, teen pregnancy, criminal activities and conviction, antisocial personality disorder, and alcohol abuse. Found that academic achievement and aspirations, and learning-focused school settings related to…

Examined correlates of aggression in highly stressed urban children in second and third grade and again in third through fifth grade. Found that difficult temperament and lack of parental warmth related to aggression in early grades; learning problems and poor social skills related to aggression at both times. Early aggression predicted later…

A Problem Task Force from the Fairfax County Public Library worked with other county agencies such as the police and social services to redesign a "Problem Behavior Manual" and present a training module for staff to better prepare them to deal with socially ill patrons. (Author/AEF)

Assessed attachment/indiscriminate friendliness in children who spent at least eight months in Romanian orphanages (RO); a nonadopted, never-institutionalized Canadian group; and an early-adopted Romanian group. Found that RO children showed more insecure attachment and indiscriminate friendliness than others. Insecure RO children had more…