Limited research attention has been devoted to disparate vulnerabilities to social-ecological risk factors and how these may explain group differences in bullying by race. To address this gap, the present study used data of early adolescent respondents (M[subscript age] = 11.2 years) from 36 public middle schools (N = 2701) to assess the nexus of…

Students with disabilities are disproportionately represented within the bullying dynamic. However, few studies have investigated the interaction between disability identification and special education services. The current study evaluated bullying involvement (direct victimization, relational victimization, cybervictimization, bullying, fighting,…

This study examined the direct effects of beliefs about aggression and nonviolence on physical aggression and their role as protective factors that buffer adolescents from key risk factors in the peer, school, and parenting domains. Multilevel analyses were conducted on data from 5,581 adolescents representing two cohorts from 37 schools in four…

Over the past few decades, service-learning has surged in popularity. Although most programs are implemented in high school and college classrooms, service-learning has the potential for great impact in middle school. The present article evaluates a pilot service-learning program for fifth- and seventh-grade (N = 86) children in a large, urban,…

In the wake of the beating death of a Chicago high school student in September, law-enforcement officials and educators have called for renewed efforts to stem youth violence. But they also acknowledged that money and programs alone won't solve the problem. U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan traveled to…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Budget Impasse Continues in the House of Representatives: Moderates' Push for Additional Domestic Spending Postpones…