Alternative education programs (also called alternative schools) first appeared on the American landscape in the 1960s. Despite the proliferation of these programs, a generic description of what constitutes an alternative education program, historically, has been elusive. Most alternative education programs have the general criteria of serving…

Trends in delinquency are summarized and principles for treating violent adolescents are considered. Four major trends are identified: (1) an increase in violent crimes committed by juveniles, (2) a decrease in intact nuclear families of delinquents, (3) an increase in voluntary separation (divorce or abandonment rather than death) of parents, and…

The paper considers the nature of support and counseling needed by parents of emotionally disturbed/behavior disordered adolescents. Seven potential areas of conflict for the adolescent are identified and explained with the intention of providing parents with greater understanding of their children's lives. Crises are explained to include conflict…

This article describes the use of structured interviews to obtain information on which to base hypotheses about the functions of students' behavior disorders and the effectiveness of alternative interventions to teach new behavior. Phases and purposes of the structured interview are illustrated with several examples. (DB)

Teenage depression and suicide are a growing problem across the nation. A New Jersey high school has developed a crisis management team to deal with such problems. Twelve steps to take in developing such a team are provided, along with guidelines on the referral process, student representation, and community support. (TE)

Originally developed to treat antisocial behavior, multisystemic therapy (MST) has emerged as a leading evidence-based treatment for serious emotional disturbance in children and adolescents. This manual presents the MST approach to working with this challenging population. Delineated are ways to develop and implement collaborative interventions…

Poetry writing is recommended in working with adolescent students both with and without emotional/behavioral disorders. Poetry writing is seen as having value in preventing emotional problems and in reaching depressed adolescents with language deficits. Examples are given from poems written by seventh graders. (DB)

This discussion addresses the use of self-management as a behavior change technology for adolescents with behavior disorders. The supporting literature is reviewed; reasons for considering self-management strategies are presented; and specific guidelines are provided for planning self-management interventions based on a self-management planning…

The paper reviews the literature regarding runaway children, defines runaway youth, and discusses predisposing factors. Suggestions are offered for further research on the etiology and treatment of runaway behavior. (JDD)

Adolescent psychiatric inpatients (48 with a history of sexual abuse and 48 without) were studied to probe the relationship between sexual abuse and substance abuse. Abuse group subjects indicated more regular and frequent use of addictive substances. (Author/PB)

Highly practical and accessible, this is an indispensable resource for any mental health practitioner working with adolescents at risk for violent behavior. Presented is a comprehensive framework for evaluating justice-involved youth or those whose behavior in school, therapy sessions, or other contexts raises concern about violence. Detailed case…

Forty-three percent of troubled youths in residential programs received weekly visits from their case managers in the welfare department or juvenile court. Following a procedure of writing post-visit thank-you letters to case managers and their immediate supervisors, weekly visitations increased to 78 percent of the youths. (Author/JDD)

Chemically dependent adolescents identified as cases of physical and/or sexual abuse (N=145) were compared with control groups of nonabused chemically dependent adolescents and nonabused, nondependent adolescents. Self-esteem was measured with the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and the chemically dependent, abused group showed significantly lower…

Three groups of adolescents (n=82) who received treatment for emotional disturbances as children were compared on four predictive indicators: organic problems, family problems, conduct disorders, and academic problems. Using childhood treatment data, significant differences were found between the aggressive group and one or both of the comparison…

A comprehensive evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and other associated problems (Family Behavior Therapy) is described, including its application to both adolescents and adults across a wide range of clinical contexts (i.e., criminal justice, child welfare). Relevant to practitioners and applied clinical researchers, topic areas include…