School refusal behavior refers to a student's refusal to attend school or difficulty remaining in classes for an entire day. The problem is pervasive and exacts a heavy toll on students and school systems if left unaddressed. Although assessment and treatment protocols have been developed for this population, they are not always amenable to…

This study examines cognitive functioning and academic achievement in maltreated children. The data are from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability study of children receiving child welfare services due to alleged child maltreatment. Assessments of the cognitive and academic functioning of school-age…

The limited participation of school social workers in leadership and policy-making activities in school-level systemic work has been well documented. This conceptual article explores the opportunities for school social workers' increased involvement in leadership and policy making in their schools resulting from comprehensive school reform…

This exploratory study examined the contribution of social work experience and licensure to self-reported levels of cultural competence of social workers in urban public school systems. In addition, it examined the influence of practitioners race or ethnicity on perceived levels of culturally competent practice in urban schools. Using survey…

It is disturbingly common for victims of peer victimization, also referred to as bullying, to withhold disclosure of their experience. This is so despite the implementation of numerous programs to increase the ability and willingness of victims to disclose and to improve the capacity of others to intervene. Disclosure is a complex matter that may…

An awareness of the empirical knowledge concerning school violence and programs that have been supported by research is essential for the successful adaptation of school violence prevention programs. Yet, knowledge of national trends and model programs is not sufficient. School social workers must also balance the importance of research-supported…

School performance among African American youths continues to be a major concern. The promotion of self-esteem remains a major focus of school-based intervention programs designed to improve children's academic performance and behavior. Empirical data suggest that academic self-efficacy rather than self-esteem is the critical factor for school…

The need for school social workers and other mental health providers to move away from specialist oriented services to comprehensive general programmatic approaches has been gaining increasing support among leaders in education and mental health. The "clinical quadrant" highlighted in this article is offered to better conceptualize the complex and…

This article reports on a study conducted to assess the effect of gender on pre- and postintervention attitudes about sexual abstinence after an abstinence education intervention. Gender had a statistically significant effect on the pretest response for each item. Gender had a statistically significant effect on the posttest response for most of…

Based on a review of intervention studies in 13 social work journals, one group of researchers organized the targets of interventions and the interventions tested in relation to them as a first step to develop practice guidelines for social workers. The authors replicated and extended that work to the specialty of school social work by reviewing…

Recently, the use of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has received considerable attention in school settings. However, limited empirical evidence supports the utility and effectiveness of SFBT with at risk students. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of SFBT with a group of at-risk students in a junior high…

The need for crisis intervention plans and programs in schools has become more evident during the past decade with the increased incidence of school violence and other traumatic situations experienced by students, educators, school personnel, parents, and relatives of those involved. This need has resulted in an increase of professional…

Bullying represents a significant problem in U.S. schools, affecting approximately one in three children. The authors discuss the dynamics, types, characteristics, and consequences of school bullying. Risk factors for engaging in bullying, being bullied, and becoming both a bully and a victim are discussed. Research indicates that bullying has…

A randomized trial tested the efficacy of three curriculum versions teaching drug resistance strategies, one modeled on Mexican American culture; another modeled on European American and African American culture; and a multicultural version. Self-report data at baseline and 14 months post-intervention were obtained from 3,402 Mexican heritage…

Three studies are reported addressing the test-retest reliability and convergent validity of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition (BERS-2): Parent Rating Scale (PRS). In the first study, test-retest reliability was investigated over a one-week period to determine the stability of the BERS-2 PRS over time. Reliability…