This chapter focuses on the moderating role of inimical peer relationships in the association between community violence exposure and children's functioning difficulties. A series of hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that community violence exposure is consistently related to psychosocial maladjustment only for children who are…

We compared threats of violence made by K-12 students in special education (120 cases) or general education (136 cases) in schools that were implementing threat assessment guidelines for managing student threats of violence (Cornell, Sheras, Kaplan, McConville, Posey, Levy-Elkon, et al., 2004; Cornell & Sheras, in press). Students in special…

This paper names and describes a common, growing, and dangerous psychological syndrome: Youth Violence Syndrome (YVS). YVS is characterized by at least nine behaviors: (1) hopelessness; (2) a complete or great disregard for the laws followed by most Americans; (3) a short temper combined with a lack of empathy; (4) a desire for respect from others…

Although the importance of social skill to interactions with others has long been recognized for clinical individuals, such skills are also of benefit to non-clinical populations. To investigate the potential relationships between social skill and interpersonal conflict resolution tactics, 287 college students (140 males and 147 females) completed…

This monograph focuses on various approaches toward disciplining antisocial behavior. The author gives evidence to the failure of the widely used stimulus-response approach (i.e., punishing people when they are bad and rewarding them when they are good), and suggests how a new approach might be more successful in solving problems of crime and…

Data from the first year's operation (August 1, 1977 - July 31, 1978) of the Vernon Transition House, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada indicate that wife battering is a serious problem. Wife battering is not related to age or cultural background, but spans all ages, cultures, and income levels. Use and abuse of alcohol play major roles in family…

Child abuse and neglect is a problem of concern to local communities, state legislatures, state agencies and the federal government. In providing protective services, welfare departments encounter legal aspects concerning law enforcement officials, attorneys and the judicial system. This manual can provide practical guidance to those who are…

A group of social scientists met to advise the National Institute of Mental Health on how best to follow up on the work of the Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior. Participants were asked to: 1) define research issues and approaches, 2) identify means for conducting research, and 3) provide guidance…

The problems mankind faces are of such overwhelming importance that it is easy to see why we are interested in integrating the academic disciplines to study war, violence, and social change. Could not the behavioral sciences, properly mobilized, enable us to reduce the probabilities of war and violence, and make social change more tolerable?…

Reviews experimental studies and field investigations of the influence of violence in the mass media on aggressive behavior. Relates this research to recent developments in cognitive psychology. Suggests that the cognitive-neoassociationist hypothesis provides the best explanation for the overall findings and may subsume other hypotheses…

This report analyzes the national 2000 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), which surveyed 2,270 regular public K-12 schools regarding school crime and safety. The study asked school principals about the characteristics of school policies, school violence prevention programs and practices, violent deaths at school and elsewhere, frequency of…

The influence of television pervades American society to the extent that it seriously interferes with the development of desirable attitudes towards sexuality, nutrition, exercise, nonviolence, and general human wellness. (LH)

Argues a violent society adversely affects the development of young children, and caregivers must play a healing role in caring for children. Examines how violence affects children's sense of self, a child's relationships with others, and a child's world view. Supports building worthwhile relationships with parents and providing a safe haven. (SD)

Examines the relationship between violence exposure and experimentation with cigarettes and alcohol, intentions to use cigarettes and alcohol, health locus of control, and health values. Responses from 110 inner-city children and adolescents ages 10 to 13 years show cigarette use positively associated with violence. Control scales were negatively…

A qualitative case analysis describes campus reaction to an incident in which a student attempted to fire a gun at his classmates. Data were collected through interviews with informants, observations, documents, and audiovisual materials. From the case emerged themes of denial, fear, concern for safety, long-term psychological effects, and need…