The paper examines legal issues involved in the assaultive behavior of emotionally disturbed students. A special education due process decision is cited to illustrate the definition of assault and the need for seeking alternatives to expulsion. Related legal issues (discipline and punishment, liability for injuries resulting from assaultive…

A resurgence of interest in the relationship between cerebral lateralization (the functional asymmetry of the cerebral cortex) and aggression has occurred. Most recent studies have found that individuals with abnormal patterns of lateralization are overrepresented among violent individuals. Intervening variables (such as drug and alcohol abuse)…

Examines the theoretical and methodological issues related to diet and aggressive behavior. Clinical evidence indicates that, for some persons, diet may be associated with, or exacerbate, such conditions as learning disability, poor impulse control, intellectual deficits, a tendency toward violence, hyperactivity, and alcoholism and/or drug abuse,…

Brain imaging research allows direct assessment of structural and functional brain abnormalities, and thereby provides an improved methodology for studying neurobiological factors predisposing to violent and aggressive behavior. This paper reviews 20 brain imaging studies using four different types of neuroimaging techniques that were conducted in…

Attempts to integrate findings on correlates of suicide and violent risk in terms of a theory called a two-stage model of countervailing forces, which assumes that the strength of aggressive impulses is modified by amplifiers and attenuators. The vectorial interaction of amplifiers and attenuators creates an unstable equilibrium making prediction…

Research indicates that the beta-adrenergic blocking agent propranolol has been used effectively in the treatment of aggressive behavior in diverse populations of both children and adults with and without organic diagnoses. The literature is reviewed and some of the current proposed explanations for propranolol's antiaggressive effect are…

Anticonvulsants have gained recognition for their beneficial effect in the treatment of aggressive behavior, particularly carbamazepine. Empirical studies of the effectiveness of anticonvulsants in decreasing aggression are reviewed and evaluated, and cost-benefit factors related to the use of anticonvulsants are evaluated. A protocol for the…

Describes chemical model for patterns of aggressive behavior. Addresses cultural, neurobiological, and cognitive factors that affect violent children. Identifies five patterns of aggression (overaroused, impulsive, affective, predatory, and instrumental) and examines these dimensions of aggression for each pattern: baseline, precipitators,…

Presents Life Space Interview, intervention strategy for use during crisis work with troubled students. Describes use of Massaging Numb Values Life Space Interview, developed to help students in crisis who act out but later become overwhelmed by guilt and remorseful about their destructive behavior. Applies technique to case of 14-year-old girl in…

Results of questionnaires completed by 178 teachers of behaviorally disordered students indicated that a variety of student verbal and physical aggressive behaviors are commonly manifested in settings for behaviorally disordered students. A diversity of coping strategies are utilized by responding teachers; however, a narrower range of…

Scores of 20 court-identified and 20 school-identified violent and assaultive youth were compared on the Revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. The possibility that court-identified violent and assaultive youth have more severe cognitive deficits that contribute to their excessively aggressive…

This review assesses current behavioral approaches for controlling aggression in children and develops hypotheses regarding the motivation for aggression in these children in order to formulate guidelines for further research. (RH)

Investigates how socioeconomic status, sex, and age of admission to a child psychiatry ward influenced the clinical picture of aggressive conduct disorder among 58 affected children. As little evidence of variation in any of the three variables was found, results reinforced the idea that the disorder is a valid psychiatric syndrome. (RH)

The psychopharmacologic treatment of aggression is a critical component of the treatment of psychiatric patients. The diagnostic assessment of aggressive patients is reviewed and relevant literature is presented to help clinicians select appropriate medication. Side-effects, dosages, and methods of administration are highlighted. (JPS)

Risperidone has shown safety and efficacy for aggressive and destructive behaviors in short-term studies. This longer-duration study includes a broad sample. Forty subjects, aged 8-56 years (mean=22), all with mental retardation and 36 with autism spectrum disorders participated in this 22-week crossover study, with 24 weeks of open maintenance…