Although the use of mindfulness is increasing in other areas of applied psychology, school psychology has yet to embrace it in practice. This article introduces school psychologists to the burgeoning field of mindfulness psychology and to the possibilities that it offers to their discipline. A background on the Western scientific study and…

We investigated gender differences of children and adolescents on positive social and emotional competencies using a new strength-based measure of positive social-emotional attributes and resilience--the Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS) cross-informant system. Caregivers, teachers, and students in grades kindergarten through…

This article reviews the contributions of the Oregon Resiliency Project, an effort to enhance positive social-emotional development of children and youth through social and emotional learning (SEL). The project was launched in 2001 as a collaborative effort between faculty and graduate student researchers at the University of Oregon. The primary…

This study describes the initial validation of an innovative social-behavioral observational assessment tool that is designed to be used on a repeated basis to assess growth and development of social competence over time to: (a) identify the social functioning of all students, (b) assist in planning support for students at risk, and (c) evaluate…

This article provides an overview of the literature on relational aggression of school-aged children and adolescents, with the specific aim of making this information relevant to school settings and education professionals. Relational aggression is discussed in terms of definitions, terms, and the importance of the school context. The literature…

The term "controversial" has been used in the professional literature to describe children and adolescents who have the seemingly paradoxical quality of being both socially skilled and antisocial. Although there have been some widely influential studies regarding controversial children and youth, there has been relatively little research in this…

To advance the role of school psychologists in mental health prevention and wellness activities, in this article we describe (a) a social ecological theory for guiding school-based prevention research, (b) the role of schools in the development and prevention of depression, (c) a continuum of school-based support for meeting the needs of children…

In this article we discuss the definition of emotionally disturbed (ED) from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, with a specific focus on the clause contained in this definition, which is designed to exclude from special education services students who are considered to be socially maladjusted (SM). The history of the SM exclusionary…

This brief report details a study of the construct validity of the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children (ISSC) in comparison with the Child Self-Report Form of the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC). Using self-reports of 121 students ages 8-12 from general education classes, who were administered both measures, correlational…

Comparability of a Spanish language translation of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) was examined in relation to the English language version. Children were rated concurrently by respondents on English and Spanish versions of the PKBS. Results showed virtually identical internal consistency of scores on both forms on Social…

Examines convergent and discriminant validity for the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS). The Social Competence scale evidenced strong positive correlations with measures of social skills and adaptability. The Antisocial Behavior scale evidenced strong positive correlations with measures of externalizing behavior problems. Results…

Self-reported internalizing symptoms of seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and regular education students were compared using the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children. The SED group reported significantly higher levels of internalizing distress than the regular education group. Results are discussed in terms of future research needs and…

Investigates relationships between adolescents' perceptions of their parents' responsiveness and demandingness, locus-of-control orientation, and self-concept rating with students in eighth and ninth grades (N=198). Findings indicate authoritative style of parenting may contribute to development of self-adequacy by being associated with internal…

Presents research findings regarding the relationship of social skills deficits and behavioral characteristics associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among kindergarten-age children. Children with ADHD characteristics (N=95) were rated as having significantly poorer social skills than children without ADHD characteristics…

Details the development of a new objective self-report instrument--the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children (ISSC)--for assessing the broad domain of internalizing symptomatology in children. Discusses results of a factor analysis and describes potential uses of the ISSC. Implications for future assessment in child psychopathology are…