Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Schools: Consideration of Relationships Between Theory and Practice

Current research has found that students who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) in school are not identified early, their behaviours (and causes) are often misrepresented, and they may not receive appropriate intervention. In this paper we review current theories (and their shortcomings) on the identification and recommended actions for students who experience EBDs, acknowledging the importance of teachers' initial identification (as schools are the social arena within which most students who experience EBDs are first identified). We suggest that teachers' identification may not be informed by the full range of theories and explanations for EBDs and that they often disregard the emotional and relational aspect of EBDs which focus on individual students and fail to recognize the social context in which the students operate. These suggestions were supported in a questionnaire-based study. Teachers' identification of EBDs coincides with predominant theoretical explanations based upon an individual's inability to fit into society, seeing EBDs as a product rather than social process. Such a situation may encourage instability in classrooms and may not allow for adequate intervention for EBDs.     

Reflections on Ways to Create a Safe Therapeutic Culture for Children in Family Therapy

Although a large number of publications in the family therapy field stress the importance of children in family therapy, some authors report that, in practice, many family therapists do not actively involve children in their therapies. In this article, I reflect on the experiential reasons for this exclusion of children. I will consider the importance of the use of the self of the therapist and of the creation of a safe therapeutic culture for the child. Practical suggestions are made of ways to involve children in family therapy. Finally, these ideas are illustrated in a case example of a family therapy with an adoptive family.     

From Theory to Practice

Abstract

Beginning counselors are often eager to incorporate expressive techniques in their counseling sessions. However, there is still some disconnect between student counselors studying an experiential technique in coursework and supervision, and then executing these activities while conducting a counseling session. The following article provides a rationale for teaching expressive techniques and explores a previously developed model for teaching supervisees. An experiential activity is presented, as well as a case study illustrating the use of the teaching model.     

Using Media to Create Experiential Learning in Multicultural and Diversity Issues

The authors present a framework for using media to create experiential learning in multicultural and diversity issues based on cognitive-experiential self-theory. They offer several lessons and a media resource list that are helpful in training counseling students in multicultural and diversity issues.     

Integrating the Unified Theory and Stages of Change to Create Targeted Health Messages

This study investigates the effects of targeted health messages toward reducing fat consumption by applying the unified theory of behavior change ( Fishbein et al., 2001 ) and the stages of change model. In Study 1, affect and outcome expectancies significantly discriminated individuals within each stage of change. In Study 2, affect was more effective in changing intention for precontemplative individuals, whereas outcome expectancies were more effective in changing intention for contemplative individuals. Gender was a higher-order moderator of this relationship: Precontemplative males were more influenced by an affective message, whereas contemplative males were more affected by a cognitive message. For females, a cognitive message was more effective for precontemplative individuals. There were no differences between the messages for contemplative females.     

Using a Narrative Metaphor: Implications for Theory and Clinical Practice

The evolution of family therapy from a cybernetic metaphor to a narrative metaphor has led us to think differently about therapy, about clients, and about ourselves as therapists. In this article we pursue how this different way of thinking has informed a theoretical understanding of a narrative therapy approach and consequently has opened space for different ways of working clinically. We begin by tracing the evolution to narrative; we consider the implications of social constructionism and its political effects; and we complete the discussion by focusing on narrative theory. We then show how the clinical work follows logically and is coherent with the theoretical considerations. We describe, and illustrate with clinical examples, an innovative approach to working with couples and families with adolescents. In this work we pay attention to the larger cultural stories, including gender constructions, and to personal stories that persons have created to make meaning out of their experience as they interact with one another in a reciprocal meaning-making process. Interventions focus on externalizing the problem narrative that is influencing the client(s), mapping the effects of the problem pattern and/or the totalizing view persons might have of others, and creating space for client(s) to notice preferred actions and intentions. Finally, we close the loop by asking questions of ourselves and others about the effects of working from a narrative metaphor.     

Parental attitudes to the Australian anti-bullying Safe Schools program: a critical discourse analysis

Social Psychology of Education - LGBTIQ children and adolescents experience disproportionate levels of bullying. Safe Schools, an Australian anti-bullying program, has recently been a site of...     

Focus,Scope, and Practice of Behavioral Consultation to Public Schools

SUMMARY

Public school districts frequently seek professional consultation to improve educational services. This article is an overview of the focus, scope, and practice of behavioral consultation to public schools. A four-stage process of consultation is described, followed by a discussion on the expanding role of behavior support intervention. Next, the involvement of consultants in the design of individual-student, classroom-wide, and whole-school programs is considered. Contemporary approaches to consultation are presented such as positive behavior support, functional behavioral assessment, and efficacy evaluation that targets natural data sources. A concluding section sets forth recommendations for the successful practice of public school behavioral consultation.     

Using Interactive Theater to Create Socioculturally Relevant Community-Based Intimate Partner Violence Prevention

This article describes the use of interactive theater, audience response assessment, and peer educators to create community-generated approaches for bystander interventions (i.e., actions taken by people who become aware of controlling, abusive and violent behavior of others) to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and to foster change in community norms. We include a case example of an ongoing university–community partnership, which mobilizes community members to develop and implement socioculturally relevant IPV prevention programs in multiple Asian communities. We used interactive theater at a community event—a walk to raise awareness about IPV in South Asian communities—and examined how the enacted bystander interventions reflect specific community contexts. We detail the challenges and limitations we have encountered in our attempts to implement this approach in collaboration with our community partners.     

Using Systems Theory to Organize Confusion

This paper represents an initial step in applying to complex clinical situations the symbolic logic developed by G. Spencer Brown and elaborated by Francisco Varela. This way of modeling turns out to yield an interesting mixture of rigidity, ambiguity, and paradox, perhaps inevitable at our present level of understanding of systems containing feedback. Applying the Brown-Varela concepts seems a useful transitional step toward the future use of more sophisticated quantitative models such as those of Powers and Forrester.     

A Student Development Theory to Practice Workshop

This article describes a workshop designed to introduce Chickering's theory to paraprofessional staff.     

全球流感大流行与共建和谐社会

科学家预测:新一轮流感大流行不可避免。通过总结历史教训,分析目前可能引起流感大流行的原因,展开预防流感大流行与共建和谐社会关系的讨论。