The main purpose of this research was to determine whether the self-esteem and school performance (academic grades, scores in effort and conduct, attendance) of sixth grade students could be improved through exposure to ten weeks, 45 minutes per week, of a group guidance program. The curriculum was composed and designed by the researcher drawing from several sources (Simon, Howe, and Kirshenbaum, 1972; Simon, 1973; Anderson and Henner, 1972; Canfield and Wells, 1976). The emphasis of this treatment program was on improving students' self-esteem through the reflected appraisal of a significant other (guidance counselor) while engaging in activities that foster self-awareness. The data presented was collected using a sample of 96 sixth grade students (46 experimental and 50 control) from an upper middle class community in central New England. Subjects were randomly assigned by the school principal to either of the two treatment conditions. The control group participated in ten weeks, 90 minutes per week, of an introductory foreign language (French) program aimed at providing an enjoyable and successful foreign language experience to sixth grade students. All subjects were pretested and posttested using the Coopersmith (1967) Self Esteem Inventory. Performance scores were also collected for both groups before and after treatment. The results indicated that the measured level of self-esteem and school performance were not significantly enhanced as a result of the group guidance activities. Other relevant information gleaned from the results found that female students obtained a significantly lower level of measured self-esteem on the pretest and that their school performance scores were higher in every area and significantly higher (p < .05) in science, social studies and conduct on the posttest. Also female students in the experimental group showed a greater increase (more than 2 times greater) than the males in the experimental group or the male or female students in the control group. Finally, there were significant differences in the measured level of self-esteem and school performance associated with the students' level of instruction. Students in the top level obtained a significantly higher measured level of self-esteem and school performance than students in the lower levels.

This study articulates the theoretical structure of an adventure group school counseling treatment program: under stressful conditions of controlled risk (adventure), participants develop into a team (group) that positively supports each member's experiential learning of socially significant skills (school), individual psychosocial growth, and specific behavior changes (counseling). As such, adventure group school counseling is an orderly incorporation of four key therapeutic processes: outdoor adventure, team development, experiential learning, and clinical debriefing. The closely related educational and counseling practices of Outward Bound and Project Adventure are examined in depth. This study then analyzes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an adventure group school counseling program in wilderness search and rescue team training. By design, the program presented few financial burdens and an acceptable level of physical risk while providing direct psychological support services to underachieving adolescents in a Northeastern public high school. An experimental treatment group of 10 students identified by the school faculty as underachievers participated in 10 weekly treatment sessions that consisted of team building initiatives, wilderness search and rescue skills training, and group processing (clinical debriefing). Employing a before and after control group experimental design, significant findings (p $<$.05) were indicated in the areas of increased self-esteem, complexity of social reasoning and internal locus of control as measured by the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, Selman Interpersonal Awareness Scale, and Locus of Control in Three Achievement Domains, respectively. Qualitative changes in the treatment groups' stage of team development were found. Changes in school comportment and attendance were nonsignificant. Finally, this study addresses some of the problems in the field research of adventure group school counseling. Supplementary treatment and control groups provided additional data to measure important field site-specific and intrasubject variables. Recommendations for the future practice and research of adventure group school counseling are provided.

Abstract not available

Though the term advocacy often appears in popular usage, it is the author's contention that there is very little understanding about the process. The review of the literature reveals that the practice of advocacy has developed in isolation in many helping fields, mainly as a result of the inability of service providers to adequately serve poor clients. Also, the review indicates that no clear definition of the term exists in any field, rather, practice preceeded theory and most discussion focused on program specific issues. The literature reveals a need for training of professionals based on a clear definition. This study therefore addresses the need for clarity about the definition and concept of advocacy as a mode of helping while looking at generalizable roles and functions of advocates. Further, implications for training are identified. The author carefully inspects a Criminal Justice program to identify roles and functions and to determine their basic characteristics. A case study is presented describing four years in the life of this program. Several dimensions are discussed in each of the nodal periods. These include funding, control, staff, number of participants, length of participation, advocate supervision, and advocate roles and functions. The program was traced through its beginnings to a crisis period when it departed from its original goals. The author entered as a consultant and developed and implemented training for advocates. A six-month follow-up is presented. From inspection of this case combined with the review of the literature, the author identifies three underlying elements which strongly influence the effectiveness of advocate roles and functions. These three elements are: a particular view of the problem, which finds theoretical support in the work of William Ryan; a focus on the client's rights and entitlements; and, an activist orientation. A discussion of these elements is presented as the theoretical underpinnings of advocacy work. The author then presents his own formulation called "empowerment" which is suggested as an additional element that is mandatory for effective advocacy. Empowerment is the process whereby the client learns to advocate for him/her self, thus attaining fuller autonomy in self sufficiency. To illustrate the applicability across fields, the process is presented with a case example from family therapy. A definition of advocacy is offered which unifies all of the elements that are discussed. The presentation of advocacy with the empowerment component is a model which can be used across fields. The process is applicable to any number of situations, the content can be changed to fit particular needs. Further implications can be drawn from the model to training in higher education and consultation. Advocacy is shown to be a distinctive mode of helping that can be used by helping professionals regardless of the modality to which they subscribe.

No description available.

No description available.

From 1962 to 1973 approximately 11,000 military women and an unknown number of civilian American women served in Vietnam during the war. Despite an ongoing fascination with the war, there has been little interest in the war stories of women veterans. Academic research in this area is shamefully lacking. This study was designed to focus attention on the war stories of women Vietnam veterans. It is motivated by the striking lack of resources or attention paid to the development of treatment models which can be helpful to women veterans who suffer with posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of their involvement in the war. This study was designed to explore the potential of storytelling as a way to help women who were in Vietnam heal from trauma. A narrative research methodology was used to record the war stories of five women Vietnam veterans. The stories which are included in this dissertation are those of three military nurses, one Red Cross worker, and one other civilian woman who worked in an "in country" refugee camp. The stories, including the author's own, are told in each woman veteran's authentic voice. The women veterans' war stories serve as the centerpiece of this dissertation. Of equal interest to the researcher was the interactive process of story making and the relationship between the storyteller and the witness which resulted in a resonating gestalt. Storytelling is healing when told in an empathic environment. Healing is relational. Narrative research methodology is mutually empowering for both the researcher and subject. Each of the women spoke of her repeated attempts to tell her story which went unheard, ignored or distorted. The principle factor which contributes to the efficacy of the model explored in this research is the quality of the witnessing.

In an attempt to understand the meaning of dropping out of high school from former students' perspectives, this study investigates dropouts from a single high school. Data, collected during 1999, is drawn from in-depth interviews with twelve students who left high school and from observations of their former high school and community. Six aspects of the participants' lives were examined in hopes of recognizing themes common to the dropout experience. Participants were purposefully selected based on the absence of known risk factors such as race/ethnicity, low income status and single parent homes (which have already been well documented in dropout literature). This study hopes to contribute to an understanding of why students, who are not typically considered at-risk, drop out of high school.

This study compared the influence of different friendship group types (same-sex only, opposite-sex only, mixed-sex) on social competency and social self worth in 290 early adolescents (12–13 years). What kind of influence does opposite-sex only friends have on social self-concept and social competency compared to same-sex only friends? A sociometric nomination questionnaire was used to determine friendship affiliation type along with two self-reporting inventories to analyze social competence (Assessment of Interpersonal Relationships) and social self-concept (Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale). A series of Analysis of Variance procedures were used to indicate any significant main effects and/or interactions between social competency and self-worth to friendship type, ethnicity, and gender. Results revealed (a) significant differences between same-sex only and opposite-sex only and between mixed-sex and opposite-sex only friends on their level of social competency, and (b) significant differences between all three friendships group types on their level of social self-concept. The implications of these and other findings for understanding early adolescents' close friendships and issues for future research are discussed.

This study documents an effective counseling/teaching model, the Coordinated Youth program, that was implemented in one middle school in the Boston area, to provide intervention and prevention services for violent and disruptive students from 1982-1985. This study first examines the demographic and social trends that lead youth to behave violently in school, including the pervasive cycle of suspension and further disruption. Then, through observations in the school as well as interviews with parents, teachers and students, a portrait is painted of the program itself. CYP developed from community initiatives and included strong counseling and coaching components. These are described in detail, along with some classroom innovations, and statistics on student behavior. Collaboration between counselors, teachers, parents, and community figures was stressed throughout the program. One chapter is devoted to case studies of individual students assisted by the program, and the study ends with recommendations for implementing similar programs in other middle schools. (1) The counseling/teaching must encourage teachers and administrators to become reinvolved with students and parents. (2) The counseling/teaching must work to teach the violent and disruptive students self-control behaviors. (3) The counseling/teaching must include parents and friends. (4) The counseling/teaching must be a collaborative effort by the schools and agencies. (5) The counseling/teaching program must have a dedicated, skilled, and caring staff. (6) The counseling/teaching must offer opportunity for school and community understanding. (7) The counseling/teaching client student must continue his or her education into high school. Definition. Counseling/teaching programs offer a new technique for use in our social activities and service programs. A student entering the program is coached systematically by school counselors. This coaching places an objective focus on better behavior and self and other understanding.