This article introduces a special issue focusing on antisocial behavior in schools. It summarizes following articles on the prevention of violence and other antisocial behavior and concludes schools need to replace shortsighted, reactive approaches to student discipline with approaches that address the causes of antisocial behavior. (Contains…

Teachers of young children are concerned about biting. While it is unusual for a preschooler to bite, biting is still within the range of normal behaviors a 3- or 4-year-old may exhibit. Children at this young age have neither sophisticated language nor refined social skills, so they tend to express their wants physically. This article discusses…

Recently, nonmaternal center-based child care has been linked to problem behavior in young children (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2003). In response, a comprehensive program to promote prosocial skills was evaluated in a classroom of 16 children between the ages of 3 years and 5 years. Classroom observations were…

Social competency deficits are a core feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). During the past several decades, a number of social skill interventions for students with ASD have emerged. However, over the past five years, three converging issues have brought increased attention to the need for social competence programming: (1) increased ASD…

This article presents long-term effects of a preventive intervention for young children at high risk for antisocial behavior. Ninety-two children (M age = 4 years) were randomly assigned to an 8-month family intervention or no-intervention control condition and assessed 4 times over a 24-month period. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed significant…

A multiple-probe design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of social stories on the duration of appropriate social engagement and the frequency of 4 social skills in 3 elementary-age students with autism. The social skills were seeking attention, initiating comments, initiating requests, and making contingent responses. Following…

Exposure to alcohol in utero is considered to be the leading cause of developmental disabilities of known etiology. The most severe consequence of such exposure, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is characterized by a distinct constellation of characteristic facial anomalies, growth retardation, and central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Some…

Background: The evidence is now quite clear that bullying in schools is an international problem. Bullying is widely regarded as a particularly destructive form of aggression, with harmful physical, social and emotional outcomes for all involved (bullies, victims and bystanders), and with particular risks for children with special needs. The…

The article describes the main outcomes of the intervention programme "Positive behaviour, interactions and learning environment in school" (PALS). PALS is an adapted Norwegian version of the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support model, developed in the United States with school-wide interventions aiming at the prevention of behaviour…

Evaluated the effects of cognitive-behavioral problem-solving skills training (PSST) and nondirective relationship therapy (RT) for the treatment of antisocial child behavior. Revealed that a significantly higher proportion of PSST children, compared with those in other conditions, fell within the normative range for prosocial behavior at…

Teachers used a nonexclusionary time-out package emphasizing ongoing participation to treat inappropriate social behaviors in 4 classrooms of roughly 16 preschool children each. Behavior improved in terms of several measures including direct observation. Opinions of treatment acceptability from a survey of 210 lay people were also found to support…

A therapeutic board game was devised in order to generate discussion and to dispute irrational thinking in 10 children (age 10) with behavior problems. The pupils responded positively to rational-emotive behavior therapy, and teachers found that the cards used in the game provided a framework for discussion and self-help strategies. (Contains…

Evaluates a short-term residential program utilizing a behavior modification program in an outpatient unit for adolescents with mostly conduct problems. Evaluation indicated predictors of outcome, including: age, gender, diagnosis, length of stay, father's presence, other treatments received, and presence of learning problems. Factors such as…

The association between the development of antisocial behavior, affiliation with deviant friends, and peer rejection was tested with a preventive intervention; 664 boys and girls were randomly assigned to a universal classroom-based intervention targeting disruptive behavior or a control condition. Peer nominations of antisocial behavior, friends'…

Effective management of disruptive behaviors in schools is a national concern. While substantial resources are often allocated toward individual students who exhibit challenging behavior, less emphasis is placed on preventative interventions in common areas such as hallways, cafeterias and playgrounds. The purpose of this study was to determine…