Anti-bullying experts employ trade books in dealing with contemporary issues facing young people, including bullying. At least three conceptual strands underpin the application of young adult literature (YAL) in such enterprises: (1) reliance on tested voices appealing to young readers; (2) the potential effect of quality YAL on literacy…

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a technique that interrupts the conflict cycle and empowers students by helping them recognize their own patterns of difficult behaviors and develop more productive responses to emotional turmoil (Long, Wood, & Fecser, 2001). Focusing on the here and now, an adult using LSCI can help transform a crisis into…

A transition can be described as a change, a switch, a move, or a conversion to another place or frame of mind. Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has implemented a transition project serving middle and high school students with disabilities. Each year, hundreds of students are provided with information and activities designed to stimulate their…

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a competency-based approach to intervening with adolescents, particularly within the schools, who are experiencing emotional pain, psychological distress, or behavioral disruption in their personal lives. LSCI is used to help classroom teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school staff to…

Character is vital force for positive development and societal well-being. Character strengths play important roles in positive youth development, not only as broad-protective factors, preventing or mitigating psychopathology and problems, but also as enabling conditions that promote thriving and flourishing. Recent research findings show that…

Common in the research literature on bullying is the dichotomy of bullying and victim behavior. The present definition of a bully is a person who has engaged in repeated acts of aggression or harm to persons over whom he or she has power. The literature on bullies examines gender differences at length. However, the bully-victim literature has yet…

Located on 350 majestically wooded acres in southern Michigan, Montcalm School for Boys is a therapeutic boarding school with a pedigree that goes back nearly a century. Built on the tenets of Starr Commonwealth, a nationally recognized organization for the treatment of troubled youth, "Outside In" is Montcalm School's private innovative…

High levels of disruptive behavior, discipline referrals, and suspensions are among the symptoms of schools which have lost the bonds of respect. Educators face major challenges in transforming these school cultures. This article describes how restorative practices were implemented in certain southeastern Pennsylvania schools. The process of…

Schools are searching for more effective strategies that will enable all students to thrive and succeed. Evidence indicates that the fine arts can provide a unique avenue for reaching challenging students with principles of brain-based learning. This article describes HEARTS, an after-school fine arts program which taps and develops the talents of…

This launches a new periodic feature in Reclaiming Children and Youth. "Justice Alerts" examines current laws and policies against the twofold standards of solid science and moral values. This inaugural article explores the legal issues and political rhetoric surrounding random drug testing in schools and describes how science is being skewed to…

This study explores the effects of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) training on school personnel and the students they serve. The goal of the study was to evaluate how LSCI was being used by staff and whether interventions reduced school-wide disciplinary referrals. Results showed that LSCI was used frequently by trained school personnel from…

This study reaffirms the potential and power of service-learning as a strategy for simultaneously engaging young people in civic and community life, promoting their healthy development, and strengthening their education. It reveals a core of school leaders who believe strongly in the importance and power of service-learning--even in the face of…

This article outlines the development of a level system for a self-contained middle school program serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. This level system is a real alternative to traditional control and coercion models. The Turning Point Middle School's level system incorporates aspects of the Circle of Courage, Choice Theory,…

Schools can become islands of stability or fields of battle for students with emotional and behavioral problems. Research on positive school climate and positive therapeutic outcomes points to the importance of replacing adversarial encounters with respectful relationships. This article discusses how this positive transformation can be achieved.…

The following story is written by a former student who spent half of his middle school years in an alternative program which operated under the Developmental Therapy-Teaching Model.