Assesses the impact of a school-based prevention program by surveying high school students who previously had abuse prevention programs available to them. Students who attended prevention programs were more knowledgeable about abuse concepts and reported fewer incidents of abuse. However, the effectiveness of students' responses to abuse was…

Investigates the factor structure and reliability of the Saint Louis Symptom Checklist (SLSCL) with an adolescent sample. An exploratory principal components factor analysis followed by a varimax rotation of 209 male and female adolescents yielded eight conceptually relevant factors. Discusses directions for future research. (Contains 11…

Investigates school psychologists' continuing professional development (CPD) needs and their relationship to selected demographic factors and preservice training. A survey of 235 National Association of School Psychologists members reports that the greatest CPD needs are in the areas of direct service and consultation. No demographic variables…

Youthful antisocial behavior is often viewed as a precursor to later violent behavior. Examines the assertion that aggressive reaction patterns in males over time approach the stability of intelligence by studying evidence from 82 reports of prospective studies. Analysis finds considerably more modest relationships between earlier antisocial…

School psychologists are often asked to respond to student violence based on incomplete information about the nature and scope of these problems. Compares the methods and findings of three national surveys of students to understand what methodological characteristics have the most salient impact on their findings. Results suggest that student…

Examines how data from student self-report surveys and other sources can be used to assess the weaknesses in current school iincidentreporting systems and improve the validity of surveillance data on school violence. Assesses the validity of data from Gun-Free Schools Act reports on the number of guns in school in light of nationally…

Examines responses of 40,435 students from the "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey" and uses student self-reported school risk behaviors to "predict" recent weapon possession at school. Although school risk behaviors were moderately correlated with school weapon possession, many frequent weapon carriers displayed zero school risks. Argues…

Discusses how predicting violent activity with a youth violence profile in school raises legal concerns focusing on the validity and use of profiles as social science evidence: the impact of potential discrimination, search and seizure, and the implications for privacy. Argues that these issues rest on fundamental concerns about the general…

Fear over violence in schools has prompted increased requests for psychologists, educators, and law enforcement professionals to assist in preventing future school violence incidents. Attempts to lay a foundation for developing effective assessment and prevention approaches by first distinguishing planned school-based attacks from other forms of…

Considers the issue of predicting violence committed by students in school campuses through the use of school discipline indices such as office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Reviews the existing research in incidents of school discipline markers as well as sources of variation due to student characteristics and classroom or school-wide…

Discusses the Dallas Public Schools' procedures for assessing the potential for violence among children who express intent to harm others. The Dallas Violence Risk Assessment (DVRA) was developed to evaluate students who have made threats of violence, and to assist school staff in determining appropriate intervention strategies. Describes the…

Describes the relationship between school behaviors and youth characteristics in school, and referrals to juvenile authorities. Describes a strategy of using teacher nominations, school discipline referrals, and community arrest data to predict delinquent and violent behavior in youth. Outlines data from a group of socially maladjusted youth to…

Discusses ideas for role change of school psychologists that have appeared rather consistently in the literature: an emphasis on indirect service, application of the science of psychology, an emphasis on prevention, systematic evaluation of services, involvement with various stakeholders, and consideration of diversity from a broad perspective.…

Throughout its history, IQ testing has been at the center of controversy; that role continues to the present. The future of IQ testing for school psychology probably rests on the resolution of these controversies as well as on the ultimate interface of clinical assessment and computer technology. (Author/MKA)

Presents a blueprint from Project ACHIEVE toward effective school discipline, safety, and crisis prevention that provides an example of how school psychologists can expand their role using organizational and strategic planning principles and activities as well as to alert school psychologists as to a field-tested process that addresses the…