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Background: Social norm interventions have been implemented in schools to address concerns of alcohol use among high school students; however, research in this area has not incorporated measures of variability that may better reflect the complexity of social influences. Purpose: To examine the association between perceived alcohol norms, the student- and school-level variability of those norms, and alcohol use behaviors among high school students. Methods: A sample of 25 824 students from 58 high schools completed an online self-report survey. Hierarchical linear regression models were fit to examine the relationships between student- and school-level alcohol norm predictors, within-school variability, and current alcohol use and binge drinking. Results: Individual- and school-level norms were predictive of both current alcohol use and binge drinking. Whereas measures of norm diversity at the school level were not predictive of alcohol use behaviors, individual norm proximity was predictive of both current alcohol use and binge drinking. Discussion: The study findings were consistent with prior research and support assertions that variability measures should be incorporated into social norms research approaches. Translation to Health Education Practice: The findings support the incorporation of student-level variability measures, which could assist in identifying students who are susceptible to peer influence.

Most approaches aiming to reduce behavior problems among youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) focus on individual students; however, school personnel also need professional development to better support students. This study targeted teachers' skill development to promote positive outcomes for students with ASD. The sample included 19 teachers in two non-public special education settings serving students with moderate to severe ASD. Participating teachers received professional development and coaching in classroom management, with guided practice in a mixed-reality simulator. Repeated-measures ANOVAs examining externally-conducted classroom observations revealed statistically significant improvements in teacher management and student behavior over time. Findings suggest that coaching and guided practice in a mixed-reality simulator is perceived as acceptable and may reduce behavior problems among students with ASD.

Community violence is recognized as a major public health problem (WHO, World Report on Violence and Health, 2002) that Americans increasingly understand has adverse implications beyond inner-cities. However, the majority of research on chronic community violence exposure focuses on ethnic minority, impoverished, and/or crime-ridden communities while treatment and prevention focuses on the perpetrators of the violence, not on the youth who are its direct or indirect victims. School-based treatment and preventive interventions are needed for children at elevated risk for exposure to community violence. In preparation, a longitudinal, community epidemiological study, The Multiple Opportunities to Reach Excellence (MORE) Project, is being fielded to address some of the methodological weaknesses presented in previous studies. This study was designed to better understand the impact of children’s chronic exposure to community violence on their emotional, behavioral, substance use, and academic functioning with an overarching goal to identify malleable risk and protective factors which can be targeted in preventive and intervention programs. This paper describes the MORE Project, its conceptual underpinnings, goals, and methodology, as well as implications for treatment and preventive interventions and future research.

Many efforts to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) aim to teach children strategies for recognizing, resisting, and reporting victimization. There is limited evidence that victimization-focused efforts actually prevent CSA. Moreover, these efforts often overlook the fact that many children and adolescents engage in problem sexual behavior against younger children. Responsible Behavior with Younger Children (RBYC) is a novel universal school-based perpetration-focused intervention that aims to prevent the onset of inappropriate, harmful, or illegal sexual behavior by adolescents against younger children. 1 Responsible behavior with younger children was designed to provide adolescents and their parents with the knowledge and tools to help adolescents interact appropriately with younger children and avoid CSA behaviors. In this paper we describe intervention development, summarize lessons learned from implementing RBYC in four urban schools, and report results from our pilot randomized waitlist-controlled trial (RCT) with 160 6th and 7th grade students. Results indicate RBYC was associated with increased accuracy in youth knowledge about CSA and CSA-related laws, and with increased behavioral intention to avoid or prevent CSA with younger children and peer sexual harassment. Although the sample was small and the effects were relatively modest, the findings do suggest that RBYC holds promise for preventing the onset of problem sexual behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an urgent pivot to remote learning, causing many challenges for teachers and school administrators. The current study sought to better understand the extent to which the perceived negative impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. educators and their students varied as a function of staff role (teacher vs. administrator), school level (elementary vs. secondary school), and type of school setting (public vs. private), as reported through a national survey of educators conducted in June through July of 2020. Using data from 608 educators (n = 481 teachers and n = 127 administrators; 48% elementary; 85% public school), we examined educators' perceptions of negative impacts on their personal lives, professional lives, and students' lives; major challenges; and stress in various domains. Findings suggested an overall high level of concern across domains. Investigation of educator subgroup effects suggested elementary educators and administrators were most concerned about the negative impacts on students. Impact Statement Educators, including teachers and administrators alike, experienced significant negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their work-related stress concern about students, and their own well-being. Some subgroups, like elementary educators, those working in public schools, and teachers (compared to administrators), may require additional assistance in managing stress, and supporting students, both academically and with regard to their social–emotional needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is a developmental period when dating behavior is first initiated and when the risk of abuse by or against a dating partner begins to emerge. It is also one in which experimentation with alcohol and illicit substances typically begins. The current study examined the association between recent alcohol use and recent marijuana use and the experience of physical and verbal teen dating violence (TDV) victimization while considering the potential influence of school contextual variables. Method: Data came from 27,758 high school students attending 58 Maryland public high schools. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to identify student- and school-level predictors associated with TDV. Results: Results indicated that approximately 11% of students reported experiencing physical TDV and 11% of students reported experiencing verbal TDV over the past year. In addition, 33% of students reported recent alcohol use and 21% reported recent marijuana use. Hierarchical linear modeling results revealed that students who reported frequent recent alcohol or recent marijuana use were at increased odds of experiencing physical (adjusted odds ratio [AOR][subscript alcohol] = 2.80, p < 0.001; AOR [subscript marijuana] = 2.03, p < 0.001) or verbal TDV (AOR[subscript alcohol] = 2.63, p < 0.001; AOR[subscript marijuana] = 2.20, p < 0.001) victimization compared to students who reported little or no alcohol or marijuana use. School support was a protective factor for both physical TDV (AOR = 0.74, p < 0.001) and verbal TDV (AOR = 0.76, p < 0.001) victimization. Conclusions: Findings suggested that prevention efforts to address alcohol and marijuana use may have an effect on TDV victimization. Results also highlight the potential utility of enhancing student perceptions of school support as an approach for reducing TDV victimization.

The kindergarten year plays an important role in establishing children's academic, social, and behavioral adjustment. Early identification of children who experience difficulties with the kindergarten transition is crucial to prevent continued behavioral and emotional problems. Family and school predictors of these early behavioral patterns can suggest important targets for preventive interventions. The current study examined heterogeneity in 2,814 children's disruptive behaviors over the course of the kindergarten school year using latent profile and transition analyses. We further investigated the degree to which changes in these behavioral patterns varied as a function of family and teacher factors. Results provided evidence of three distinct profiles of disruptive behavior exhibited by kindergarteners (well-adapted, concentration problems, and at-risk), which were relatively stable over the course of the kindergarten school year. These behavioral patterns were associated with family (i.e., family problems, family involvement) but not teacher (i.e., efficacy and burnout) factors. Findings have important implications for the early identification of children at-risk for behavioral problems.

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a preventable public health issue that has been linked to other forms of aggression and violence victimization. It is also a growing concern for school psychologists who may be working to prevent TDV and related behavioral problems, like bullying. The current study examined various forms of bullying victimization (verbal, physical, and relational) and their association with physical and emotional TDV. Self-report data from 17,780 adolescents (33% African American, 54% White) in Grades 9-12 across 58 high schools were analyzed using 3-level models with dichotomous outcomes. Multilevel logistic regressions indicated that adolescents who had experienced bullying (physical, relational, and verbal) were more likely to have also experienced physical and emotional dating violence. Perceived norms about students' and adults' bullying interventions were associated with reduced odds of physical (OR[subscript adults] = 0.82, p < 0.001) and emotional TDV (OR[subscript adults] = 0.82, p < 0.001). Findings underscore the need to better understand the relationship between TDV and bullying victimization to design and enhance prevention efforts that address both forms of violence.

Schools have a considerable influence on children's development, through proximal factors such as teachers and curriculum, but also through indirect effects of school policies. Although some policies and programs have the potential to increase stress and burden on students, educators, as well as the broader educational context, several programs have demonstrated a positive impact on the school environment. This article considers the role of some educational policies, programs, and activities related to discipline and teacher behavior, which together influence the school environment. Programs that set high expectations for student performance, healthy social-emotional learning, and positive behavior support are highlighted, due in part to rigorous research demonstrating both their broad reach and their impact on a range of learning and positive behavioral outcomes. Despite the potential significance of policies on the learning environment, there has been limited systematic research documenting the impact of policies on the school environment more broadly. This article concludes by identifying some areas for future study.

In this commentary, Cornell and Bradshaw report decades of research in school psychology have brought attention to the culture of peer bullying and harassment that was a largely neglected problem in most schools. At the same time, research on the school environment has brought recognition to the importance of a safe and supportive school climate. The authors point out that more than a decade ago in a special issue of "School Psychology Review," Espelage and Swearer (2003) presented a cogent analysis of the state of research on bullying in American schools. They identified some key challenges in the conceptualization and measurement of bullying and in the development of a social-ecological approach to intervention. The first challenge raised was the need for consensus in defining and measuring bullying. A second challenge identified was the need for more attention to relational aggression and gender differences in bullying behavior. The final two challenges were to pay more attention to the bystander roles and group processes that promulgate bullying behavior and to pursue a social-ecological approach to bullying that considers the interaction of individual characteristics and group factors. As the assessment of school climate becomes a more widespread and routine practice in schools, school psychologists will have valuable information to guide the implementation of programs to facilitate the evolution of schools toward more inclusive and tolerant environments in which all students feel respected and supported.

A critical next step in advancing our understanding of teacher practices that can equitably engage and support learning in diverse classrooms is determining the effectiveness of culturally responsive interventions. Yet, quantitative measurement indicators of the effectiveness of culturally responsive teaching interventions are scarce. Most research relies exclusively on self-reports, with limited attention to issues of social desirability, and few studies observe teacher practices. Data come from 142 K-8 teachers in six schools who were assessed via the Assessing School Settings: Interactions of Students and Teachers (ASSIST), an externally-conducted observation, and who also provided self-report data of cultural responsiveness. Analyses indicated that teachers self-reported higher rates of culturally responsive teaching strategies than were observed on the ASSIST. There were, however, significant associations between observations and teachers' ratings of self-efficacy. Findings suggest a need for additional research to develop and validate efficient, multi-informant approaches for assessing cultural responsiveness in the classroom.

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2006) is currently implemented in over 20,000 schools across the country with the goal of preventing disruptive behavior problems and enhancing the school climate. While previous studies have indicated significant main effects of SWPBIS on student outcomes, the program impacts likely vary as a function of children's social-emotional characteristics. This study examined variation in the effects of SWPBIS based on children's baseline pattern of behavior problems and social-emotional skills using data from a randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Data come from 12,344 elementary school children (52.9% male; 45.1% African American and 46.1% White; 49% received free or reduced-price meals; and 12.9% received special education services). The group randomized controlled effectiveness trial was implemented in 37 elementary schools. Latent profile analyses (LPA) were conducted on teachers' baseline ratings of children's behavior problems, concentration problems, social-emotional functioning, and prosocial behavior using the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C; Koth, Bradshaw, & Leaf, 2009). LPA revealed 4 latent classes: high-risk (6.6%), at-risk (23.3%), normative (36.5%), and socially-emotionally skilled (33.6%). LPA membership was found to have a moderating impact on children's subsequent discipline problems and need for and use of school-based services. Findings suggest that the effects of SWPBIS on student outcomes tend to be greatest among at-risk and high-risk children.

Observational methods are increasingly used to assess the impact of school-based interventions. Yet, few studies have used observations in nonclassroom settings, such as hallways or the cafeteria, or explored aspects of the school context that may be related to the observed behavior. The current study used a multilevel approach to examine associations between observed rule violations and contextual predictors, including characteristics of observations (e.g., location and number of students present) and schools (e.g., perceived management, discipline referrals). Analyses were conducted on data from 37 elementary schools. Within schools, rates of physical and verbal violations varied by location and significantly higher rates of rule violations were observed in areas with high student density. Between schools, only a negative association for observed verbal violations and staff perceptions of the status of nonclassroom management systems was significant. The significance and relevance of these findings for both educators and applied researchers are discussed.

The present longitudinal study used a social-ecological framework to explore the extent to which peer victimization and aggression were associated with changes in concentration problems and emotion regulation among elementary students in general versus special education, while accounting for student demographics and school contextual factors. Data come from a multilevel, longitudinal dataset including 7,314 students (kindergarten through Grade 2) across 37 elementary schools. Multilevel analyses indicated that on average, students in special education had worse trajectories, including higher concentration problem scores and lower emotion regulation skills over time than students in general education. Children who were victimized and in special education displayed significantly more concentration problems and worse emotion regulation skills at baseline as compared with other students. The findings highlight the risks associated with prolonged victimization among children in special education. Implications for prevention programming targeting social-emotional functioning and special education populations are discussed.