Discusses whether the imposition of capital punishment on an individual for a crime committed as a juvenile constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Explores the crimes of Kevin Stanford and David Allen who were 16 and 17 respectively when they each committed murder. (CMK)

Explores some typical early-childhood behaviors, such as tantrums, hitting, and sharing, and how they can be dealt with effectively. (HTH)

Contrasts instructive and punitive views of discipline in the early childhood setting. Maintains that caregivers' starting conception of discipline determines how they look at and treat child misbehavior. Contrasts time-out and time-in as approaches to dealing with a child's acting up. Asserts that instructive discipline helps children appreciate…

School officials should adopt no-tolerance policies that require educators' discretion in punishing misbehaving students (based on due process and fundamental fairness), rather than relying on the zero-tolerance approach, which fails to differentiate among different levels of offenses. Even disruptive students deserve due process and appropriate…

The article introduces radical pragmatism, an approach to working with girls in conflict with the law based on experience, research, and theory, including an analysis of the structural and gendered inequities in which girls live and make choices. There are three components. First, abolish punitive practices and stereotypes that do not attend to…

Society's efforts to deter crime with punishment may be ineffective because those individuals most prone to commit crime often act impulsively, with little thought for the future, and so they may be unmoved by the threat of later punishment. Deterrence messages they receive, therefore, may fall on deaf ears. This article examines this issue by…

Reactions to the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and debate over the president's replacement nomination, Judge John Roberts, Jr., of the D.C. Circuit, dominated this summer's Supreme Court recess. Subsequently, after Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's death on September 3, 2005, President Bush nominated Roberts for the chief justice…

This study examined the representation of internal states in childhood recollections of male and female adolescents with and without abuse histories. Participants' (N = 71) exposure to spousal violence, physical abuse, and sexual abuse was documented when they were 6 to 12 years old and 6 years later when they were 12 to 18 years old. At the Year…

Because violence is an inescapable reality of the world, this paper asks the question, "Does violence have any place in children's literature?" For centuries, children's literature has encompassed stories in which the virtuous were rewarded and evildoers suffered retribution. Historically, violence was frequently part of punishment.…

This study examined the effects of an informal parental support network on parents' perceptions of child behavior, discipline style, and satisfaction in parenting. The parent support group consisted of 38 parents (mostly mothers) who met regularly and had an opportunity to discuss parenting concerns and compare experiences with their children;…

Developments over the past 25 years in school-related legal issues in elementary schools have significantly changed the principal's role. In 1975, a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court established three due-process guidelines for short-term suspension. The decision requires student notification of charges, explanation of evidence, and an informal…

"Lack of discipline" heads the list of major school problems in annual polls on public education. Studies show a major factor distinguishing effective schools is an "orderly climate." The school board must have a firm discipline policy that reflects its goals and relates discipline to the total learning process. In establishing policies the school…

Given the importance of pupil control in the school's social system, it would seem reasonable to predict a significant relationship between educators' pupil control ideology and their reactions to disruptive behavior incidents. This study examines whether humanistically oriented educators would prefer to levy less punitive measures on disruptive…

This transcript presents testimony and prepared statements regarding H.R. 3826, which proposes to amend Title 18 of the United States Code to make felonious sexual molestation of a minor an offense within American Indian country. Representative Rick Boucher, author of the legislation, indicated that, while the bill would extend to Indians the same…

The proceedings from a 1983 conference on severely handicapped and autistic persons are presented. Eight papers focus on research findings and on issues such as alternatives to punishment, employment opportunities, and curriculum content. The following papers are presented: "Employment Outlook for Severely Handicapped and Autistic" (P. Wehman);…