In the United States each year the equivalent of an average-size medical school graduating class commits suicide, with the highest incidence occurring in the decade following the completion of training. Of these suicides, 20 percent to 30 percent are associated with drug abuse and 40 percent with alcoholism. Various problem areas are considered.…

This study examines the relationship between student causal attributions of student misconduct, their endorsement of university disciplinary actions, and acceptance of student misconduct as being justified. Students tended to endorse more punitive disciplinary action for behaviors they viewed as caused more by trait than by environmental factors.…

Boys (N=12), identified as constituting behavior problems in a class of underachievers, were given group human-relations training. Self-esteem was improved by training procedures including videotape as well as facilitative communication. Group experiences seemed to affect classroom behavior positively, as evidenced by a decrease in behavior…

A behavior therapy program based on a self-control model of depression was evaluated against a nonspecific group therapy condition and a waiting list control group. Depressed volunteer female subjects (N=36) were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions. Self-control subjects improved on specific measures of self-control…

To evaluate a parent training program for parents of children (4-12 years old) with behavior problems based on behavior modification principles, treatment termination outcome data were obtained for 22 families, and follow-up data were collected on 14 of these families 3 and 8 months after treatment. (Author)

Provides critical analysis of David T. Lykken's article "Psychopathy, Sociopathy, and Crime" (1996) and its correlation between unstable families and sociopathy and the use of parental licensing as a solution. Discusses reasons for the appeal of parental licensing as well as the issue of state control replacing social control. (GR)

Ongoing longitudinal study followed 110 students in western Canada from kindergarten through grade 7. In grades K-2, oral language skills were related to gender and problem behavior but not to age or school attendance. Seventh-grade achievement was related to early oral language skills and early problem behavior but not to age at school entry.…

A study of a woman with deaf-blindness and severe mental retardation examined the potential decrease of problem behaviors by using functional assessment-based interventions applied in multiple natural environments throughout the day. Results found that increasing the amount of attention the woman received from program staff immediately eliminated…

Differences in parent and teacher ratings of social-emotional behavior among 198 preschool-age children with developmental delays and 198 without significant developmental problems were examined. The children with developmental delays were rated by both groups as having significantly lower levels of social skills and significantly higher levels of…

Two experiments involving 143 and 1,480 individuals with severe and profound mental retardation found that persons with profound mental retardation were more likely to evince sterotypies or self-injury (SIB) compared to their severely impaired counterparts. Those with stereotypies were more likely to present with autism, organicity, and eating…

Maladaptive behavior of 43 children (ages 4-19) with Prader-Willi syndrome was compared to children with Down syndrome and nonspecific mental retardation. The children with Prader-Willi showed more frequent and severe internalizing, externalizing, and total problem behaviors. Certain maladaptive behaviors were distinctive to these children and…

A survey of exclusionary discipline practices with handicapped students revealed a national pattern of "de facto" differential treatment. In denying a school's unilateral authority to remove dangerous or disruptive students, the Supreme Court's judgment in "Honig v. Doe" (1988) took precedence over all earlier court decisions.…

This study examined the relationship between levels of risk and patterns of service intervention in child protective services with 239 cases in New Jersey. Analysis found three distinctive risk profiles: older children with behavior problems, children from disadvantaged households, and children with an unemployed parent. Each profile was linked to…

Administered a two-year prevention program to 121 boys and girls, ages 11-12 years. Results showed partial impact of the program on proximal measures, such as self-esteem, influenceability, and knowledge of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Problem children in the prevention program became more assertive. Discusses limits of child-centered…