According to coercion theory (Patterson, 1982, 2016), children's aggression is developed and maintained through transactional processes between parents and their children that unfold over time. The theory provides a model of the behavioral contingencies that explain how parents and children mutually "train" each other to behave in ways…

When recess is well-planned out, carefully taught, and expectations are clear, it is a time that can have a multitude of benefits for students. On the contrary, recess time can also be a breeding ground for bullying, name-calling, and aggressive behaviours, which can have detrimental effects on our youth. It is crucial that we recognize the true…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bullying among youths includes any unwanted aggressive behavior involving an imbalance of power that is repeated multiple times or is likely to be repeated. Hate speech, also called bias-based speech, is a type of discriminatory harassment that can occur as verbal or written slurs,…

School-based prevention and intervention programs are designed to address a variety of issues faced by youth today, both within and outside of schools. The five statements discussed in this report are based on practices rated by CrimeSolutions: (1) School-based bullying prevention programs prevent victimization and reduce perpetration; (2)…

This article discusses the nationwide shortage of sports officials, best practices and solutions, and how current physical educators, coaches and SHAPE America members in general can help address the shortage and educate youths on the value of sportsmanship.

The purpose of this article is to help educators sort through some thorny issues that complicate efforts to understand bullying and cyberbullying, and to suggest practical and realistic ways to address these behaviors effectively. The author starts with a few key points that are often not well understood but can really help clarify everything that…

This article is the first in a series of three articles on microaggressions. All of the articles are tailored specifically for faculty developers, provosts and directors of diversity and training, faculty, and administrators to address the most critical issues on this topic in higher education. This one presents a framework for understanding the…

Serious antisocial behavior in children and adolescents poses significant challenges within educational settings and is one of the most important concerns facing educators today. The disorder of particular interest to the development of aggressive and antisocial behaviors in youth is conduct disorder (CD). Conduct disorder is characterized by…

Up to two-thirds of U.S. children have experienced at least one type of serious childhood trauma, such as abuse, neglect, natural disaster, or experiencing or witnessing violence. Trauma is possibly the largest public health issue facing our children today (CDC, 2019). Traumatized students are especially prone to difficulty in self-regulation,…

Dating violence is an epidemic that is growing exponentially among the adolescent age group. Dating violence is a pattern of coercive behaviors used by adolescents to control their partners. These coercive behaviors include physical assault, sexual assault, abuse, ascendancy, degradation, intimidation, possessiveness, blaming, and the minimization…

What happens when the outside world begins to affect the classroom? Is the classroom supposed to be neutral, objective, and devoid of feelings? Or is it a space where students and teacher meet for healing, understanding, and critical thinking? From news reports of police brutality to highly publicized acts of racial aggression, students are…

Gang affiliation is not something that students leave behind when they come to school. Gang members do not leave their behaviors, attitudes, and conflicts outside the school environment. Gangs, unchecked and unidentified in a school setting, often engage in threat and intimidation; physical and cyber bullying; fighting; recruiting; and criminal…

Due to changes in society, it is not uncommon to hear of very young children being expelled from their host preschool settings due to their out of control behavior. The destructive impact of negative societal influences outside school are now spilling over into the school setting and are increasingly being registered in conflicts between teachers…

Although most states across the United States have enacted anti-bullying legislation, state laws vary greatly in detail and direction, leaving many school districts wondering how to best address the problem of bullying and comply with their state's legislative requirements. In response, a comprehensive, statewide training initiative was conducted…

"Conflict Narratives in Middle Childhood" presents evidence from twenty years of research, examining nearly 3,000 narratives from 1,600 children in eight settings in two countries about their own experiences with interpersonal conflict. Close readings, combined with systematic analysis of dozens of features of the stories reveal that…