High Schools Respond to Crises

Abstract

Schools across the nation have increasingly coordinated crisis intervention programs to minimize the impact felt by students as the result of a crisis, such as national events and school violence. Through the development of response plans and crisis teams, as well as the instrumental work of school counselors in promoting intervention plans and prevention programs, school systems have taken steps toward assisting students in recovery from crises. Theories of crisis intervention emerge from direct practice; however, minimal research has been conducted to examine how schools plan to respond to crises versus their actual response. This research investigated what high schools in one Massachusetts county have learned from actual response to crises. The study was conducted via written surveys of administrators and qualitative interviews with school counselors.     

Emerging Risks of Violence in the Digital Age

Abstract

This research focuses on the evolving area of cyberviolence and draws on a pioneering study to discuss benefits and risks of online interaction among adolescent girls. This new area of inquiry introduces educators to the social and cultural communities of the Internet, a virtual venue with unique perspectives on power, identity, and gender for children and youth.

This research focuses on the evolving area of cyberviolence and draws on a pioneering study to discuss benefits and risks of online interaction among adolescent girls. This new area of inquiry introduces educators to the social and cultural communities of the Internet, a virtual venue with unique perspectives on power, identity, and gender for children and youth.     

Violence Prevention

Abstract

Violence prevention requires a broad focus. Several multimedia-enhanced, psychological education courses that are capable of Internet delivery have been developed at Arizona State University and at KnowConfhct, LLC. These interactive interventions have evolved from earlier work on simulations and computer-based learning; however, they incorporate recent technological advances and current psychological research in areas such as differential diagnosis, observational learning, and cognitive restructuring. They specifically address changing the irrational beliefs that mediate low self-esteem and occupational stereotyping, educating parents on practices affecting the career outcomes of their children, and altering attributions relevant to academic motivation and performance. Although all of these psychological education curricula are relevant to violence prevention, and all have been subjected to continuing conceptual and empirical scrutiny, the most recent project deals directly with enhancing the conflict management skills of our nation's youth.     

The Effects of Feminist Mobilization and Women’s Status on Universities’ Reporting of Rape

ABSTRACT

When establishing the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, President Obama reminded universities of their obligation to report accurate rape statistics to the Department of Education. Research has not determined, on a national scale, what factors explain variation in (under)reporting. Using data from 413 top universities’ websites and institutional and archival data, we examine how state- and university-level factors shape universities’ rape reporting. Universities with a greater feminist presence and antiviolence activism, and those located in states where women have higher socioeconomic status and more American Association of University Women partnerships, report more rapes. We examine underreporting as an institutional rather than an individual-level phenomenon, connect campus reporting to the larger reporting literature, and provide practical policy and program implications.     

Quality Assurance of Self-Help Sites on the Internet

Abstract

One of the most common uses of the Internet is to access health and mental health information. While thousands of Websites have been developed to provide consumers with health and mental health information, little has been done regarding assuring the quality of the material provided. This article presents the quality assurance assessment findings of 80 Websites that provide consumers information on common DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. The results of this assessment found a number of concerns: (1) a lack of evidence of qualified authors; (2) a lack of any formal review, or existence of a review board; (3) a lack of timely updating of the Website material; (4) potential conflicts of interest with advertisements; (5) average readability indexes at the 11.2 grade reading level; and (6) a paucity of Websites that use any evidence of behavior change theories. The authors recommend a standards be established to assure quality of the self-help information provided on the Internet. Furthermore, the authors encourage future Web based self-help efforts to apply the embedded power of the Internet to offer interactive, theory-driven educational interventions to not only improve knowledge, but also behavior.     

Stepping Off the Sidewalk

Abstract

By using data collected via Web-based trend analysis regarding the identification of next-visited Internet sites, this article helps to identify the specific privacy issues children face while exploring child-oriented and adult-oriented Websites. As use of the Internet has escalated dramatically, the complexity, criticality, and pervasiveness of technological issues have also risen. The protection of personal privacy (especially for children) is a prime example of the new issues presented by the expansion of the information age.     

Off-Campus,Harmful Online Student Speech

Abstract

This article discusses issues related to off-campus, harmful student speech on the Internet. The article explores the characteristics of this harmful speech, including (a) the speech originates off-campus. It has been created and disseminated without the use of school computers or Internet capabilities; (b) the speech has a school nexus. The speech relates to the district, the school, board members, administrators, teachers, or other students; (c) the speech is defamatory, constitutes bullying, harassment, or discrimination, discloses personal information, or contains offensive, vulgar, or derogatory comments; (d) the speech may occur in a variety of Internet locations. It may appear on a student-created Website, material posted to a Web log (“blogs”), or may be disseminated via some form of Internet communication, including e-mail, bulletin boards, chat, instant messaging and the like; and (e) the creator and disseminator of such speech is or appears to be a student.     

The Effect of Peer Victimization on Learning

Abstract

Incidents of school violence have prompted calls for school communities to create environments that encourage student by-standers to act responsibly and proactively when they confront a range of violent incidents, from bullying and fights to weapon carrying and other serious threats to school safety. It is not always clear, however, what bystanders would—or should—do when faced with violent or potentially violent situations. This article describes findings from focus groups conducted with 54 middle school students and 97 staff in an urban, predominantly African American school district with relatively high levels of community violence. Discussions addressed bystander norms, attitudes, and behaviors, and identified barriers that prevent youth as well as adult bystanders from taking positive action. Findings inform violence prevention strategies for building consensus and supporting positive bystander responses.     

Sources of Fear of Crime at School

Abstract

While policymakers have granted a substantial commitment of resources in order to reduce fear of crime among U.S. school students, the research literature on fear of crime at school is in its infancy. This study investigates whether school security techniques reduce or exacerbate fear of crime among students, net of community and school disorder and student characteristics. Ferraro's (1995) theory of incivilities suggests that students might perceive highly visible security as an incivility, which might increase their fear of crime. Using a nationally representative sample of American school children from the 1993 National Household Education Survey: School Safety and Discipline Component (NHES-SSD), we found that while school security efforts do not predict student fear as well as school disorder and individual student traits, many types of security correspond with a significantly greater likelihood that a student will be worried about crime while none reduce feelings of worry.     

Grooming Cybervictims

Abstract

The social and cultural communities of the Internet provide a virtual venue with unique perspectives on power, identity, and gender. This paper presents an overview of the benefits and risks of Web-based interactions for youth. As an illustrative example, the psychosocial effects of online grooming practices which are designed to lure and exploit children are discussed. Constructive solutions and a plan of action which foster protective and productive learning experiences are explored.     

Pupil Insights into Bullying,and Coping with Bullying

Abstract

We report a bi-national study of children's perceptions of bullying and coping with bullying in Japan and England. The study focused especially on the children's opinions about coping strategies for different types of bullying, why victims of bullying often do not/cannot tell others about their being bullied, and what bystanders might do and why bystanders might not help the victims. Two hundred and seven pupils aged 13-14 years from one junior high school in Tokyo and one secondary school in London completed a questionnaire. Bullying (ijime) in Japan was seen as relatively more often characterised by larger groups of bullies, mostly in the same grade and “friends” of the victim, compared to bullying in England which was more often by a smaller number of bullies, often from a higher grade, and often not friends of the victim. Children of both countries were found to have a certain idea of coping strategies for different types of bullying. Problem-focused coping skills were considered more useful than emotion-focused coping skills. Most victims were, however, thought not to be able to actually use these coping skills, but too often do nothing and put up with it because of the fear of the bullying getting worse or of having not enough support from others. Pupils seemed to think they should actively intervene to help victims; however, most bystanders were actually thought to try not to be involved because of the fear of getting attacked by the bullies or of becoming the new target of bullying. Some national and gender differences were also examined.     

Preparing Child Welfare Practitioners: Implications for Title IV-E Education and Training Partnerships

ABSTRACT

High rates of child welfare practitioner turnover remain a national problem with significant consequences. Title IV-E education and training programs prepare child welfare practitioners for this line of work with the intent that they will create long term careers. This study analyzed qualitative data from a 2016 statewide electronic survey launched to obtain frontline child welfare practitioner feedback about workforce turnover and assist the agency in retention efforts.

Practitioner insight resulted in 189 responses specifically related to improving the state’s Title IV-E supported education and training program–the “Academy.” A qualitative thematic analysis identified three main themes: making it more realistic and hands on (n = 104), needing additional training and specific content (n = 45), and feeling overwhelmed with the experience (n = 40). Practitioner feedback illustrated the existing tensions with using a blended model to educate and train the workforce. Implications for Title IV-E education and training partnerships are discussed.     

The Family Therapist in the Courts

SUMMARY

This article describes the Parent Education and Custody Effectiveness Program (P.E.A.C.E.), a series of interdisciplinary educational seminars for persons going through the divorce process; reports on the results of three P.E.A.C.E. Program pilot studies that occurred in New York State; and describes the crucial role of mental health professionals in this program.     

Stress containment through meditation

Summary

After demonstrating the effectiveness of meditation training for stress reduction in an occupational setting, the Medical Department at New York Telephone adopted a semi‐automated training program in this technique as part of the company's regular Employee Health Maintenance Program. The meditation training program has been implemented in all company branches throughout the state of New York and is presently available to all employees within the company who, in the opinion of the medical staff, are suffering from stress and are suitable candidates for meditation training. Over 3,500 individuals have been through the program.     

Written Discipline Policies Used by Administrators

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to draw on the findings of two related studies about school discipline. The first study, a national survey of school law issues, indicated that over 37% of administrators report handling discipline either frequently or daily. The results of the second study, a content analysis of 64 written codes of conduct commonly used to make discipline decisions, were that these documents were primarily punitive in nature with an emphasis on suspension and expulsion. Implications of the study are that administrators spend excessive time handling discipline issues using punitive policies. Suggestions are made for future research about discipline policies and the ways in which they are used in schools. Implications for the creation of more proactive policies will be made.     

Welcome baby programs

SUMMARY

Several successful prevention programs are recognized as exemplars of implementation. Complicated multidimensional interventions with different goals and directed at different target populations have been conducted with a high degree of fidelity using a common set of strategies. Future research priorities involve identifying the specific factors that promote implementation and determining what levels of implementation are necessary to achieve maximum program impact.     

How Does Professional Education Impact the Job Outlook of Public Child Welfare Workers?

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine how public child welfare employees perceive their graduate social work education, whether they use the knowledge and skills gained, their work satisfaction, and their future plans. It was designed to examine the experiences of the New York City Administration on Children's Services (ACS) employees who were participants in the Professional Development Program and received support to study for their master's degrees in social work. The total number of respondents surveyed was 153, the vast majority of whom were people of color. In considering their motives for attending graduate school, 96 percent emphasized their desire to serve children and families better. These graduates were very positive about their academic and field experiences, with almost all saying they would recommend MSW training to others. There was a constant progression in their perceived knowledge and skill level over time. They expressed a mid-level of satisfaction with their current jobs, but higher satisfaction with the nature of the work itself. It was striking to note the respondents' attitudes about remaining employed at ACS. Only 13 percent of those who responded said they planned to leave within the next two years Almost a third (32.6%) said they thought they'd stay at least 5-9 years, and 39.8 percent said they would probably stay 10 years or longer. Satisfaction with the nature of the work and pay were the two strongest predictors of the length of time respondents planned to stay at ACS. These are important findings because they demonstrate that public investment in MSW education can have significant pay-off by increasing the knowledge and skills of public child welfare workers and encouraging long-term commitment to the work.     

School Principals’ Perceptions of Crime Risk and Academic Climate: Links to School Safety Practices

ABSTRACT

Little is known about principals’ perceptions and their links to how school safety practices operate. Using data from School Survey on Crime and Safety from 2,009 public schools in the US, the current study examines the extent to which principals/administrators’ perceptions of academic climate and crime risk are related to school practices regarding safety and discipline. Results show that principals’ perceptions directly relate to school safety practices when controlling for school characteristics, and also explain how selected school characteristics relate to safety practices.Overall, the present study highlights the importance of principals’ perceptions of crime risk and academic climate in school safety practices. Policy implications and potential limitations of the study are discussed.     

Strategies for Empowering the Child Welfare Administrator Facing Class Action Litigation

ABSTRACT

Class action litigation is a current, or imminent, reality in many public child welfare agencies. Over the past three decades, advocates have increasingly used lawsuits to leverage reform in systems they viewed as ineffective in protecting and promoting the welfare of children. Too little guidance has been offered to administrators confronted with litigation. This paper proposes a set of strategies for administrators as they respond to actual or potential lawsuits. An overview of the litigation process is included, as well as a series of issues to be considered by the administrator and the consulting legal team when an agency or jurisdiction is anticipating or facing a suit.