An awareness of the empirical knowledge concerning school violence and programs that have been supported by research is essential for the successful adaptation of school violence prevention programs. Yet, knowledge of national trends and model programs is not sufficient. School social workers must also balance the importance of research-supported…

The Stafford Technical Center (STC) in Rutland, Vermont, operates with a mission statement that proudly touts its desire to "create a learning environment that promotes pride in work, a sense of self-worth and the ability to respect others by developing effective communication and life skills." Stafford acknowledges that these learning…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate developmental pathways to Erikson's (1959) construct of generativity, defined as care and concern for the next generation and traditionally viewed as important for midlife adults, in a late adolescent sample. A sample of 198 adolescents was followed three times over a 6-year period, from ages 17…

This article uses a case study of rural education in Ghana to investigate an important element of the decentralisation agenda--community participation in schooling. Drawing on a theoretical framework derived from Bourdieu, it argues that schooling and community life are two distinct and differently structured fields. The research demonstrates how…

This bulletin presents research on why youth join gangs and how a community can build gang prevention and intervention services. The author summarizes recent literature on gang formation and identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention. The following are some key findings: (1) Youth join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect,…

Foster High School, located in Richmond, Texas, is a school with a substantial enrollment of minority students (29 percent Hispanic students, 15 percent African American students) that has made noteworthy strides in improving the academic achievement and the college and career readiness of its students. Moreover, the gaps in academic achievement…

This paper examines four challenges facing residential treatment programs: Providing short-term treatment, increasing family involvement, preparing children for life in the community, and offering a "hospital level of care." It shows that past problems in these areas have arisen from the social conditions and historical circumstances in which…

Partnerships between schools, families, and communities provide a support net for each student and play a role in promoting academic success (Epstein, 1995; Shapiro, Ginsberg, & Brown, 2002) and moral development. This article is based on a qualitative study of a secondary school with numerous partnerships selected from a southern Ontario…

Participants included 106 infants and toddlers living in rural Paraguay and their primary caregiver. Children ranged in age from birth to 24 months and belonged to two distinct groups, including 46 children who had never participated in Pastoral del Nino, an early child development program, and 60 children who had participated in Pastoral for at…

Today's children may be exposed to violence in their environment, through the media, at home, and in school. Some children live in countries at war, while others survive in neighborhoods where street gangs prevail. Most parents and children used to assume they could depend upon schools to be safe places, free from abuse and violence. Now it seems…

Preventive measures that can help in the juvenile system to address HIV risk and psychiatric disorders among detained youths are discussed. Early holistic interventions concluded by incorporating relevant family, peer, school and community factors could decrease later HIV risk behavior is presented.

We examined the impact of neighborhood characteristics both directly and indirectly as mediated by parent coaching and the parent/child affective relationship on behavioral and school adjustment in a sample of urban dwelling first graders. We used structural equations modeling to assess model fit and estimate direct, indirect, and total effects of…

This article analyzes the challenges encountered in a first-year service-learning course in which students had high expectations for community involvement and a commitment to social responsibility, yet significant difficulty connecting their service orientation to the intellectual inquiry expected of them at the college level. This conflict…

All too often, a community undergoing a community development process is relegated to the role of audience to outsiders' expertise. Community members are asked to furnish token "representation" of the residents' point of view and once they have been represented are asked to approve what the outsiders say is in their best interest. This dynamic is…

Community involvement in the management of schools--community empowerment--is a growing phenomenon in the developing world. Many see it as a way to increase the relevance of schools, school attendance, and ultimately to improve learning outcomes. Increasingly, World Bank lending for basic education includes growing support for community…