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Disruptive school behaviors in the black male child are of much concern to educators. While not developed specifically for use with black males, the Getting Away Clean program was designed to help children develop productive thinking skills, and to empower children to negotiate the social environment. Decision-making skills are strengthened, and children learn to counteract negative peer pressure and to relate positively to others. Selected fifth and sixth grade black male students from two elementary schools in a metropolitan Virginia school system were identified for the study. Eight students who were identified as those who had exhibited disruptive behaviors in the school setting, or those who needed skills to counteract negative peer pressure,were assigned to the treatment group. A group of eight students from the elementary schools was identified for the control group. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, Edelbrock and Achenbach, 1983) was used to obtain data from parents, and the Teacher's Report Form (TRF, Edelbrock and Achenbach, 1983) was used to obtain data from teachers. In order to obtain pre-test data, teachers of the treatment and control group subjects for the 1987-88 school year completed the TRF. At the end of the treatment post-test data were obtained by requesting that teachers of the 1988-89 school year complete the TRF for treatment and control group subjects. The CBCL was also completed by parents of subjects in the treatment group. The statistical analyses used to determine differences between the two measures were the Rank Tranform Analysis of Covariance, Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon nonparametric tests and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests. Results indicated positive, but nonstatistically significant, differences between the pre and post measures. In addition, four subscales (Anxious, Social Withdrawal, Inattentive, and Aggressive) were statistically analyzed with the Multivariate Tests of Significance. Positive, but nonstatistically significant, differences between the treatment and control groups on either of the subscales on the pre and post measures will all subjects were found. Parent responses were interpreted in case summaries. While a statistically significant difference was not found between the pre and post measures, positive effects are noted and the Getting Away Clean program can be considered an alternative strategy for reducing disruptive school behaviors. / Ed. D.

This study tested an underlying assumption of professionals who interview young children with anatomically correct dolls: children who have been sexually abused react differently to interviews with the dolls than children who have not been sexually abused. The behavior of a group of children who were referred to a mental health clinic in the southwestern United States because of suspected sexual abuse was compared to the behavior of a group of children referred to the same clinic for other reasons while the children were interviewed by clinicians using anatomically correct dolls. The study examined four categories of behavior which consisted of indicators of child sexual abuse from the literature. The four categories were: (1) sexual behavior; (2) anger/aggression; (3) anxiety/regression; and (4) avoidant behavior. Clinicians at the mental health clinic identified potential subjects for the study from the outpatient population. Parents were given written and verbal descriptions of the study and asked to contact the researcher if they were interested in allowing their child to participate. The voluntary nature of participation in the study was stressed. Eleven children who were referred because of suspected sexual abuse and eleven children referred for other reasons were successfully recruited. Groups were matched as closely as possible as to sex, age, racial/ethnic group and developmental level. Two dependent measures were employed: the Behavioral Checklist and the Likelihood of Victimization Scale. Both instruments were designed for the research study. The Behavioral Checklist was completed by two observers who watched each interview from behind a one-way mirror. The Likelihood of Victimization Scale was completed by the clinicians who interviewed the children. Observers as well as interviewers were blind to the referral status of the children. Statistically significant differences were obtained for two of the four categories of the Behavioral Checklist. The same two categories correlated significantly with the Likelihood of Victimization Scale. The results provided support for the assumption tested.

M.Ed. / The reconstructed family is not a new phenomenon. In the past it occurred when a spouse died but nowadays it can be largely be attributed to divorce or the marriage of an unwedded mother. The result is that more children grow up in reconstructed families. Hardly any research has been done and little information is available about the child's involvement in such a family ...

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics that distinguish children with behavior disorders who drop out of psychotherapy treatment from those who remain in treatment. The sample included 379 children (268 male and 111 female) who were diagnosed with a behavior disorder at Dallas County Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MH/MR), a community mental health clinic in Dallas, Texas. The results indicated that certain characteristics increased the likelihood that a child would drop out of therapy, including reliance on aid, the presence of maternal psychopathology, and more severe externalizing and internalizing behaviors. This study also found that younger children with behavior disorders had a greater probability of dropping out of treatment. Minority status, gender, parent marital status, and referral source were not found to be associated with dropping out of treatment. Future studies should focus on specific interventions that clinicians could employ to deter premature termination from treatment.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 163 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-126).

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed March 8, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-64).

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

M. Psych. (Educational Psychology) / The high child sexual abuse rate in South Africa and all over the world makes these cases a reality for educational psychologists practising today. Equineassisted psychotherapy is a relatively new field in psychology, and research shows that this therapeutic intervention can have a very significant impact on people. Sexual abuse leaves children with psychological effects (Beitchman, Zucker, Hood, DaCosta & Akman, 1991) ranging from intrapersonal problems such as low self-esteem and feeling emotionally overwhelmed to interpersonal problems resulting in communication and relationship challenges (Mandrell, 2006). According to Kidson (2012), equine-assisted therapy deals very well with such issues as well as self-concept, self-efficacy and self-acceptance. These issues correlate well with the effects of child sexual abuse and the issues that the therapist needs to deal with in the therapeutic sessions (Conte & Scheumann, 2011). Seeing the possibilities that equine-assisted therapy held for a therapist working with a case of sexual abuse, I inquired in terms of the involved systemic influences and experiences. The study investigated the experiences of the therapist, the client and the parents when using equine-assisted psychotherapy in a case of sexual abuse. The study attempted to identify themes that could explain these experiences and maybe make a contribution to the field of equine-assisted psychotherapy, specifically pertaining to work with sexual abuse cases. I made use of a phenomenological, qualitative case study design to explore the experiences of the participants. The data collection methods included interviews, field notes and observations. Artefacts were used to aid the researcher in the observation process but also to help the researcher explain the findings in Chapter 4. Furthermore, creative expressive arts therapy tools were used in the interviews to assist the participants in expressing their experiences regarding the equine-assisted therapy process. Data was analysed using the phenomenological data analysis process. This process is al about “being true to the phenomenon”. The first step in this research was to transcribe the interview recordings. Using the transcribed text, the field notes and the observations, the researcher then identified units of general meaning. Out of the units of general meanings, themes were identified. In the findings, three themes were identified: equine-assisted therapy, an empowering life changing experience; the extent to which active engagement with horses assist in expressing emotions; and the equine-assisted therapy process and therapeutic experience. The limitations and strengths of the research were also explained and discussed. Subsequently, recommendations were made for possible future research that evolved from the study’s findings.