Colleges and universities throughout the country are attempting to grapple with large numbers of highly self-destructive students. These students pose not only a danger to themselves but to their peers and the college staff who are responsible for their care and welfare. Ordinarily, in the course of dealing with such students a myriad of rather…

Ethical guidelines for behavior analysts state that functional assessment should be used before implementing treatment plans. In this paper, we discuss the ethical implications of this position using self-injurious behavior in people with developmental disabilities as a focus. Evidence is reviewed that suggests that treatment based on results of a…

This article proposes a framework that can be used by college counselors to assist in the development and implementation of a campus wide intervention that is congruent with sound clinical and administrative practices. A view of self-injurious behavior (SIB) informed by trauma theory espouses clinical treatment and a community response that has a…

Self-injurious behaviors were compared with tattooing and piercing in a college population. Findings indicate a high prevalence of self-injury. Students who self-injured were motivated by a desire to alleviate emotional pain; students who tattooed and pierced by self-expression. Students who self-injured scored higher than students who tattooed…

Cognitive-behavioral models suggest that certain cognitions and beliefs are functionally related to hair pulling in persons with trichotillomania (TTM), but little empirical data have been collected to test such claims. This study assessed dysfunctional beliefs about appearance, shameful cognitions, and fear of negative evaluation and their…

A decade ago, Bechara et al. [Bechara, A., Damasio, A. R., Damasio, H., & Anderson, S. W. (1994). Insensitivity to future consequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex. "Cognition, 50," 7-15] published a paper in Cognition, introducing a Gambling Task which was designed to mimic everyday decision-making. Since then, the task has been…

Background: A comprehensive systematic review was performed to establish the current evidence base regarding the effectiveness of antidepressant medication for the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilities. Method: An electronic search of PsycInfo, Embase, Medline and Cinahl databases was conducted spanning the time…

Fatal and nonfatal injuries due to suicidal behavior among younger adolescents are of growing concern for many communities. We examined the incidence and patterns of these injuries among persons aged 10-14 years using three databases, two national and a third from Oregon. Suffocation and firearm gunshot were the leading external causes of suicide;…

This study explored clinical and nonclinical predictors of inpatient hospital admission decisions across a sample of children in foster care over 4 years (N = 13,245). Forty-eight percent of participants were female and the mean age was 13.4 (SD = 3.5 years). Optimal data analysis (Yarnold & Soltysik, 2005) was used to construct a nonlinear…

Voluntary survey responses of adolescents in corrections facilities (N=893) are compared to those of adolescents in public schools. Findings are highlighted in the following areas: (1) "Youth, Their Families and Their Environments," which includes sections on population description, family composition and relationships, family alcohol…

Using the psychoanalytic self-psychology of Heinz Kohut as the theoretical foundation, this article discusses the role of shame in adolescent suicidal behaviors. Shame is described as an essential aspect of adolescent suicidal behavior because of the significance of the stage of adolescence in the development of the healthy self. Normal…

This document is the third volume of special topics dealing with the behaviors of children and adolescents developed as a resource for school psychologists in Iowa. Each of the four chapters in this volume deals with a separate topic and typically includes background information concerning the topic, approaches regarding assessment of the behavior…

Claims that self-defeating behavior is a rational attempt to satisfy early, introjected messages about the type of person one is, arising from a desire for things perceived as good--sub specie boni. Examines the notion of the comfort zone, toxic shame, and therapists' responsibility to nourish acceptable joy. (RJM)

Describes and illustrates distinct types of dyadic death (where a second victim acts in consort with or is killed by a person who then commits suicide). Suggests an organizing dynamic of dyadic death and claims that levels of dominance, dependence-enmeshment, and the presence or absence of hostility influence the proposed typology. (RJM)

Qualifications are proposed in applying a diagnosis of psychopathic personality that considers impulsivity, feelings of remorse, and thrill seeking. Depth interviews with rock climbers and high-speed motorcyclists revealed that thrill seeking itself may not be a reliable indicator of psychopathy. (Author/TE)