A population-based, randomized universal classroom intervention trial for the prevention of disruptive behavior (i.e., attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems, oppositional defiant problems, and conduct problems) is described. Impact on developmental trajectories in young elementary schoolchildren was studied. Three trajectories were identified…

This study tests the hypothesis that, during adolescence, antisocial behavior becomes positively associated with peer acceptance. This hypothesis was tested considering both classroom and out-of-class peer relations. Data from a previously published study, with a cross-sectional sample of 577 Italian 11- to 13-year-olds, were used. Analyses showed…

The Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale was developed, based on the School Social Behavior Scale and examined to test the factor pattern and the consistency of the ratings of self, peers, teachers, and parents. The findings of the confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor solution consistent with two main dimensions…

This report describes a program designed to decrease students' undesired behaviors. Undesired behaviors addressed include tattling, hitting, kicking, biting and pinching. A review of existing literature revealed these behaviors affected all aspects of the classroom. The sample population consisted of two sessions of at-risk pre-kindergarten and…

Objective: To examine differences in risk factors and comorbid conditions for oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptom groups in a sample of 248 elementary schoolboys (ages 6-10) recruited from 1994 to 1996. Method: The boys and their mothers received multiple assessments of cognitive, behavioral, academic, and family functioning, including a…

Many students attending public schools exhibit discipline problems such as disruptive classroom behaviour, vandalism, bullying, and violence. Establishing effective discipline practices is critical to ensure academic success and to provide a safe learning environment. In this article, we describe the effects of whole-school positive behaviour…

The present study investigated the relationship between behaviours exhibited by children with pervasive developmental disorders, particularly autism, and maternal stress levels. Participants consisted of 60 mothers who had a child diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder by an independent practitioner using DSM-IV criteria. Children were…

In this study we examined the psychopathology and behavioral treatment of White and African American preadolescent children with social phobia. The comprehensive assessment strategy, including semistructured diagnostic interviews, clinician ratings of impairment, behavioral observations, parental ratings, and self-report inventories, did not…

The association between teachers' identification of children who use threats and children's self-identification as threateners was explored. The role of age, gender, and various student characteristics in influencing teachers' identification of threateners was examined. Participants were 3,201 children in Grades 3 through 6. Results indicated…

Over 35 years of behavioral research have shown contingency management systems in the classroom are highly effective for treating children with behavior problems. Questions remain if such systems can be enhanced by the functional assessment process. This case study looks at a nine-year-old child with oppositional behavior who was on a contingency…

The study reports social-cognitive outcomes of interventions in a cluster-randomized school-based aggression prevention trial in low and moderate resource urban communities. Targeted social cognitions were aggressive responses, aggressive/prosocial fantasy, and normative beliefs supporting aggression. Participants were 1,484 early elementary…

This paper reports the outcomes of a small-scale exploratory study that examined the utility of a novel computer-supported student behaviour self-monitoring procedure called Auto-Graph. The Auto-Graph procedure is a universal classroom behaviour management strategy for responding to disruptive antisocial behaviours. It was designed to provide…

Drawing on the notion of linked lives, this study examined the effects of stability and change in maternal circumstance on developmental trajectories of antisocial behavior in children 4 to 7 years of age. Using data from a national sample of young mothers and growth curve analysis, the study demonstrated that early maternal circumstances…

When a group of elementary school teachers decided to pay more attention to bullying in their school, it clearly had an impact on the problem. But beyond that, as the authors report, the teachers' increased awareness of their students' needs translated into a better learning environment overall. Bullying may be viewed as an inevitable part of…

This exploratory study uses observations of the aggressive behavior of elementary school boys during three successive recess periods to test the hypothesis that aggressive behavior can spread between recess periods through peer contagion. If this hypothesis is correct, aggressive behaviors during the second recess period should mediate any…