Arthur M. Horne

The Ecological Effects of Universal and Selective Violence Prevention Programs for Middle School Students: A Randomized Trial.

This study reports the findings of a multisite randomized trial evaluating the separate and combined effects of 2 school-based approaches to reduce violence among early adolescents. A total of 37 schools at 4 sites were randomized to 4 conditions: (1) a universal intervention that involved implementing a student curriculum and teacher training with 6th-grade students and teachers, (2) a selective intervention in which a family intervention was implemented with a subset of 6th-grade students exhibiting high levels of aggression and social influence, (3) a combined intervention condition, and (4) a no-intervention control condition. Analyses of multiple waves of data from 2 cohorts of students at each school (N = 5,581) within the grade targeted by the interventions revealed a complex pattern. There was some evidence to suggest that the universal intervention was associated with increases in aggression and reductions in victimization; however, these effects were moderated by preintervention risk. In contrast, the selective intervention was associated with decreases in aggression but no changes in victimization. These findings have important implications for efforts to develop effective violence prevention programs.

Group approaches to reducing aggression and bullying in school.

This article provides a definition of and introduction to aggression and bullying as it occurs in the school environment. Following an analysis of the extent of the bullying problem in contemporary school systems, the authors present a series of interventions developed to reduce the incidence of aggression and bullying in schools. All of the programs presented have in common the utilization of a group approach, and vary in their orientation from being psychoeducationally based to having a counseling emphasis. Finally, the overall effectiveness of group work for reducing aggression in schools is examined, and based on the findings the authors provide several recommendations for school administrators, counselors, and other mental health professionals.

Student Personal Perception of Classroom Climate: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses

The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of an instrument developed to assess elementary students’ individual perceptions of their classroom environments. The Student Personal Perception of Classroom Climate (SPPCC) originally consisted of six subscales adapted from previously published scales. Exploratory factor analysis identified the underlying dimensions of the SPPCC. The authors subsequently tested the four-factor model against the six-factor model using confirmatory factor analyses with an independent sample of students. The four-factor model appeared to be a more tenable solution because of its equally adequate fit indexes, parsimony, exploratory factor analytic support, and the high correlations between some factors. Future research and potential limitations of the study are discussed.

Prevention groups with children and adolescents

Abstract Primary prevention has increasingly become a focus of child and adolescent research literature over the past 25 years. Given the amount of time that children and adolescents spend with their peers both in and out of classrooms, the group is the logical choice for the delivery of preventive services. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the group practitioner with prevention concepts and methods for use with groups for children and adolescents. This article also provides recommendations for measuring process and outcome variables in prevention groups based on a comprehensive review of the prevention group literature.

Research in Group Work: How Did We Get Where We Are?.

Abstract A brief history of the development of research on group work is presented in the context of the evolution of group practice.

Behavioral Adjustment in the U. S. Elementary School: Cross-Validation of a Person-Oriented Typology of Risk

Cluster analysis is a popular technique in the social sciences for classifying subjects into smaller, homogenous groups; however, cluster solutions are not often externally replicated. This study externally replicated the seven-cluster solution found by the BASC TRS-C Norm sample. External replication was conducted on two independent samples of children between the ages of 6 and I1. Replication was shown by three methods: (a) independent cluster analysis, (b) cross-classification among grouping procedures, and (c) relationships between disciplinary actions and cluster membership. Results showed that the seven-cluster behavioral typology of child behavior could be replicated. Implications for future use of the behavioral typology are discussed.

MARITAL SATISFACTION AND SOCIAL LEARNING FAMILY THERAPY FOR CHILD CONDUCT PROBLEMS: GENERALIZATION OF TREATMENT EFFECTS

Successful treatment outcome and maintenance for families with aggressive children by means of social learning family therapy were reported by Sayger, Horne, Walker, and Passmore (1988). The present study examined the generalization of treatment effects to the childs classroom, the parental level of marital satisfaction, the general family relationship environment, and the parental level of depression. Results of this study show that teachers reported improved child behavior following treatment. Parental level of marital satisfaction was increased and sustained for those parents who were experiencing low levels of marital satisfaction prior to treatment. The participating families also became more cohesive and expressive, and less conflictual. Although pretreatment levels of parental depression were moderately low, these levels were alleviated.

Looking Toward the Future of Bullying Research: Recommendations for Research and Funding Priorities

Significant gaps in the bullying research literature remain, calling for an urgent need for empirical studies across a number of areas. These include the need for studies to address conceptual, definitional, and measurement issues; the social and psychological processes related to the development and persistence of bullying; and the intersection of bullying perpetration and bullying victimization with mental health issues. This article provides a brief overview of some critical contemporary research issues and identifies some research gaps requiring further investigation. It is concluded that additional research is needed to address emerging policy and funding priorities related to bullying.

Three types of Family Environment Scale profiles: Functional, distressed, and abusive families

In order to facilitate the interpretation of Family Environment Scale (FES) profiles, Moos and Moos (1976, 1984) developed a typology of family environments based on data drawn from a representative community sample. The present study attempts to extend this work by describing three types of FES profiles from abusive, distressed (clinic referred for child behavior problems), and functional families. All families were impoverished, single parent, and mother-headed. Data were gathered in their homes. Profile types for the three groups and implications for intervention are discussed.

Issues in group work with HIV-infected gay and bisexual men

Abstract Gay and bisexual men with HIV-infection face significant challenges. This article focuses on factors to consider in the formulation of a group for this population and the critical issues that may emerge during the group counseling process.