Jamilia J. Blake

National Prevalence Rates of Bully Victimization Among Students With Disabilities in the United States

This study examined the prevalence rates of bully victimization and risk for repeated victimization among students with disabilities using the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 longitudinal datasets. Results revealed that a prevalence rate ranging from 24.5% in elementary school to 34.1% in middle school. This is one to one and a half times the national average for students without disabilities. The rate of bully victimization was highest for students with emotional disturbance across school levels. Findings from this study also indicated that students with disabilities who were bullied once were at high risk of being bullied repeatedly. Elementary and middle school students with autism and high school students with orthopedic impairments were at the greatest risk of experiencing repeated victimization. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The Impact of Stand-Biased Desks in Classrooms on Calorie Expenditure in Children

Childhood obesity is a public health concern with significant health and economic impacts. We conducted a prospective experimental study in 4 classrooms in central Texas to determine the effect of desks that encourage standing rather than sitting on caloric expenditure in children. Students were monitored with calorie expenditure-measuring arm-bands worn for 10 days in the fall and spring. The treatment group experienced significant increases in calorie expenditure over the control group, a finding that has implications for policy and practice.

School Counselors' and School Psychologists' Bullying Prevention and Intervention Strategies: A Look Into Real-World Practices

A sample of 560 school psychologists and school counselors completed a Web-based survey regarding bullying in their schools, related training, and interventions used. Few school-based mental health professionals used evidence-based bullying interventions or were involved in the selection of interventions for their school, and administrators were often cited being in charge of selecting the antibullying program(s) to be used by a school or district. Although most respondents reported receiving some training in bullying assessment or intervention, most of this training occurred during in-service training or at professional conferences, suggesting that it may have been limited in intensity and duration. Specific implications are discussed, including the need to adequately assess and provide antibullying training for school administrators and provide training in evidence-based bullying interventions.

The Evaluation of the Impact of a Stand-Biased Desk on Energy Expenditure and Physical Activity for Elementary School Students

Due to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, the association between classroom furniture and energy expenditure as well as physical activity was examined using a standing-desk intervention in three central-Texas elementary schools. Of the 480 students in the 24 classrooms randomly assigned to either a seated or stand-biased desk equipped classroom, 374 agreed to participate in a week-long data collection during the fall and spring semesters. Each participant’s data was collected using Sensewear® armbands and was comprised of measures of energy expenditure (EE) and step count. A hierarchical linear mixed effects model showed that children in seated desk classrooms had significantly lower (EE) and fewer steps during the standardized lecture time than children in stand-biased classrooms after adjusting for grade, race, and gender. The use of a standing desk showed a significant higher mean energy expenditure by 0.16 kcal/min (p < 0.0001) in the fall semester, and a higher EE by 0.08 kcal/min (p = 0.0092) in the spring semester.

Using stand/sit workstations in classrooms: lessons learned from a pilot study in Texas.

Childhood obesity has grown into a national epidemic since the 1980s. Many school-based intervention efforts that target childhood obesity involve curriculum and programming that demands instructional time, which disincentivizes school participation. Stand-biased classrooms are an environmental intervention that promotes standing rather than sitting by utilizing standing height desks that allow students to stand during normal classroom activities. The quasi-experimental pilot study was conducted in 5 first-grade classrooms in a Texas elementary school, with 2 control classrooms, 2 treatment classrooms, and 1 classroom that was a control in the fall and treatment in the spring (to allow for within-group comparisons). This intervention has been shown effective in significantly increasing caloric expenditure. In addition, the present study reveals potential behavioral effects from standing. This article presents lessons learned from the pilot study that may prove useful for others implementing similar interventions and calls for additional research on the academic benefits of standing for students.

Relation of Measures of Executive Function to Aggressive Behavior in Children

This study investigated the role of executive function in relation to aggression in a sample of children (N = 93) aged 9 to 15 years. Based on parent ratings of aggression, the sample was divided into low- (n = 66) and high- (n = 27) aggression groups. Although the groups did not differ significantly on laboratory measures of executive function, significant differences emerged on behavioral regulation and metacognition ratings by parents. Notably, a high level of behavioral dysregulation was predictive of placement in the high-aggression group; both good metacognitive skills and behavior regulation served as significant predictors of prosocial and adaptive skills.

Predictors of Bully Victimization in Students With Disabilities: A Longitudinal Examination Using a National Data Set

Longitudinal data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) national data set were used to examine risk of bully victimization in a sample of 4,155 students in special education. Results indicated that prior history of victimization was the greatest predictor of victimization risk across time, followed by the display of elevated internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experienced the greatest risk of victimization compared with all other children with disabilities, followed by children with emotional disturbance (ED). Overall, the results suggest that all children with disabilities are highly vulnerable to bully victimization. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.

The effect of stand-biased desks on academic engagement: an exploratory study

Schools have been suggested as a viable avenue to combat childhood obesity. School administrators are sometimes faced with the conflicting demands of improving the health of their students and maintaining academic performance. Dynamic furniture such as stand-biased desks may be one way to address both academic and health demands placed on schools to prevent childhood obesity. Classrooms with stand-biased desks were compared with classrooms using traditional seated desks in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. The academic engagement of 282 participants was observed in the fall and spring during one academic year. The engagement of the treatment classrooms was compared with the engagement of the control classrooms. Both groups showed general increases in their academic engagement over time. Stand-biased desks do not seem to result in adverse effects on academic engagement when used in elementary classrooms. The data suggest promising results for the use of stand-biased desks in elementary school classrooms. The results suggest that stand-biased desks can be introduced in the classroom to combat childhood obesity through increasing energy expenditure without affecting academic engagement.

Differences in Parent and Teacher Ratings of Preschool Problem Behavior in a National Sample: The Significance of Gender and SES.

Previous research has demonstrated that informant disagreement is common with the use of rating scales to assess problem behavior in school-age populations. However, much less is known about this phenomenon in preschool populations. This is important because the accurate assessment of problem behavior in preschool is complex due to the rapid developmental shifts during this period. As such, the purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of students at risk of behavior problems and to see whether these problems varied as a function of informant and ecological characteristics. Using the Behavior Assessment System for Children–Second Edition, we analyzed parent and teacher ratings for 320 preschool children. Results indicated that parent and teacher ratings were very similar, with males being rated as more at risk of having attention problems and social skill deficits in comparison with females. No differences were noted in at-risk status by ethnic group membership. Conversely, significant and consistent parent and teacher ratings were noted by socioeconomic status (e.g., parent education level). Implications are discussed for the prevention of problem behavior in preschool.

Examining the Academic Achievement of Latino Adolescents: The Role of Parent and Peer Beliefs and Behaviors.

The achievement gap between Latino and White youth is well documented. This is of particular concern as children enter middle school because of the decline in school engagement and achievement noted in many students. The impact parent and peer beliefs and behaviors have on academic achievement, engagement, and achievement values of Latino middle school youth have received less attention than in White youth. The current study explored how these parent and peer beliefs and behaviors influenced Latino adolescents’ achievement values, school behavioral engagement, and school achievement. Results indicated that the beliefs and behaviors of parents and peers significantly predicted two sets of achievement values (Subjective Task Values & Economic Benefits to Education). However, student achievement was only related to subjective task values and behavioral engagement. In addition, subjective task values mediated the relation between parent and peer beliefs and behaviors and student achievement. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.