While rape is a complex multidetermined phenomenon, I believe that the most fruitful avenue of research into its causes lies in the understanding of the cognitive abilities of sexually coercive males. Could it be that most sexually coercive men are capable of aggressive acts because these acts make sense to them from their particular level of social understanding? If a relationship between social/cognitive abilities and the commision of coercive sexual behavior can be identified we will have the information we need to design prevention and treatment programs. The goals of this research, therefore, were to develop procedures for measuring the social/cognitive developmental level of sexually coercive (or potentially aggressive) male college students and contrast very coercive and normally coercive males on these measures. A version of the Coercive Sexuality Scale was administered to several hundred undergraduate males at a large public University in the Northeast, in order to identify samples of sexually aggressive and nonaggressive males. Subjects were also administered the Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale(AIV), which has been found to be a useful predictor of self-reported sexually coercive behavior. Based on scores from these measures two extreme groups (15 "normal" and 13 "coercive" subjects) were selected to receive a semi-structured interview measuring their levels of intra and interindividual understanding. The interview is based on one videotaped vignette depicting young adult female-male interaction. Computer-assisted qualitative analysis procedures were used to categorize the developmental variability among Subjects related to several important social reasoning constructs (e.g. self-knowledge, understanding relationships, perspective-taking and understanding of consequences). A standardized coding system for these abilities was developed which helped to discriminate between very aggressive & "normally" aggressive samples. Data was also subjected to quantitative analyses. The results of this study indicate that (1) the measures used to distinguish between "coercive" and "control" groups have some strength in terms of ability to measure social/cognitive development, and (2) on the whole the "Coercive" group responded at significantly more complex levels of social reasoning than did the "Control" group.

The exchange of information between therapist and client has long been understood as an essential part of any therapeutic relationship; however, the perceptions of the client have often been overlooked in favor of the expert position of the therapist. Over the past several years research in family therapy has attempted to address this imbalance with methodologies that are grounded in the epistemological assumption that there are multiple realities and, as a result, considers the views of the client and therapist as equally valid. Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence (DRS), an open ended interview procedure designed for ethnographic studies, was used to study the perceptions of both client and therapist within the context of an Early Intervention Clinic. These perceptions emerged from 19 interviews conducted with three therapeutic systems that involved three families and three therapists. The interviews revealed eight primary topics of discussion that provided feedback to the therapeutic system in the form of identifying gaps of information that may exist between client and therapist. The results of this study suggest that there are differences in expectation and understanding that exist between members of the treatment system. Based on the result of this study, it was concluded that both therapist and client need to understand any differences in understanding and expectations that may exist within the therapeutic system. The results are discussed in terms of gaps of information that, if unaddressed, can inhibit the therapeutic process.

Typical high school algebra classes contain females, minority males, and white males in somewhat proportionate numbers. In contrast, the usual high school calculus class, three years hence, is but a small percentage of the original total who were in algebra, and they are predominantly white males of average to above-average ability. In a time span of less than two weeks, through three brief educational presentations that included factual information to demystify math study, showed the importance of math to personal goals, and provided panel presenters who would serve as role models, I sought to influence students, especially females and minority males, to commit to study math through calculus. When data collected on a questionnaire from 110 students studying Algebra 1 or geometry was analyzed in terms of two of the most important outcomes of the study--factual knowledge acquired and commitment to study math through calculus--there were no results significant at the.05 level for the experimental group who received the presentations. Regarding five other outcomes: the actual levels of math studied, the ability to match an appropriate amount of math to one's post-high school plans, the choice of counselor over other options for career or educational information, and the choice of any school personnel as opposed to other options for career counseling--the only outcome significant at the.05 level was the selection of school personnel for career counseling. In conclusion, perhaps a greater use of role models whose job it is to stress the importance of math to one's life goals, over a sustained period of time, might be most effective in changing student attitudes toward studying math through calculus.

Experience, buttressed by a school survey, attested to the presence of homeless children in our schools. These children evince special needs which demand attention, or we may suffer their loss from the school systems, and pay a staggering social cost, later. The problem is that their special needs cannot be met if these children are not identified as homeless, and rarely do they self-identify. The dissertation develops a screening test for the identification of the homeless children in our schools in order to treat their special needs. After a pre-test survey, the test was piloted at an inner-city school, refined, and administered as circumstances suggested. The results confirmed the existence of homeless children with special needs in the schools. An increased ability to identify these children, coupled with enhanced teacher training and curriculum development, can help retain and treat these children within the educational process--and, it is hoped, avoid the social cost.

The purpose of this dissertation was threefold: To determine if parental involvement in monitoring mathematics homework of seventh grade Hispanic students improved their achievement, to assess the effects of parental homework monitoring on the students' self-esteem and to determine if the students' perceptions of their teachers, their parents and their own involvement in mathematics homework changed after the monitoring experience. A total of 28 families/31 students participated in the study. A pretest-posttest control group design was used. The experimental group subjects' parents received training in homework monitoring. The Computation section, Level 2 of the Mathematics subtest of the Stanford Achievement Test, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventories and, a "Student Mathematics Homework Perception Scale" constructed by the researcher were used for pre and posttest measures of achievement, self-esteem and students' perceptions. The students' grades and the percentage of homework they completed and returned for the first three quarters were obtained from their mathematics teachers. Ten of the experimental group subjects' families were interviewed at the end of the study. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between either the computation or the self-esteem posttest scores of the two groups. No significant differences were obtained for teachers' grades and the percentage of homework completed and returned. However, the grades and percentage of homework completed and returned by the experimental group showed a trend in the expected direction. A significant difference was found (p $<$.05) in the perception posttest scores of teacher involvement in mathematics homework. Significant negative correlations were found between parent level of education (p $<$.05) and self-esteem measures and between teachers' grades and self-esteem measures (p $<$.05) for the experimental group. The home interviews revealed: Positive feelings and sense of closer relationship between parents and students, a heightened sense of responsibility for mathematics homework by parents and students in their respective roles, and conflictual issues between parents and students in following the homework monitoring program. Educational implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.

An ethnographic approach was used to determine how families of young special needs children and the staff of an early intervention program perceived the process of developing an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). With the emphasis placed by Public Legislation 99-457 on family involvement when treating these children the study was organized to better understand the environment as a culture where families and professionals interacted. A naturalistic investigation was considered the most appropriate way to gather these data. Five families were followed over a nine-month period where they were observed during all aspects of the Early Intervention (EI) program and were interviewed about the IFSP document and process. Another five families served as a focus group in order to validate the data. The data revealed that perceptions were associated with decision making, whether the IFSP was child or family focused, and how families and staff related based on their assumptions about reach other's roles. The results are discussed in terms of how cultural imperatives construct the way early intervention programs operate and how they must be taken into consideration if families are to be fully incorporated into the education of their disabled child.

Statement of problem. School districts having strained resources must somehow deal with a growing population of students diagnosed as "Emotionally Disturbed". It is important to know what is the predominant approach used with this group, whether or not it is deemed as being effective, and which individuals influence choice of a particular approach. Methods. This study surveyed Special Education Administrators/Directors of two states (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) to identify (1) whether there was a general preferred intervention approach; (2) whether the source of influence on the individual teacher's approach selection process had any relationship to the approach indicated by the Administrator as used; (3) whether there was a relationship between the approach(es) rated most effective and the one stated to be used. Random on-site inspection of several programs were later conducted to verify findings. Results. Data obtained from questionnaires was similar from both states surveyed. All three null hypotheses were significantly rejected. The information extracted from these questionnaires indicated strongly that: (1) The behavior modification approach was indicated by the respondents as the preferred approach. (2) There was a strong relationship between influence and program with the three highest rated influences, in decreasing order of rating, being the practical needs of the group, the school psychologist, and graduate education. (3) A relationship does appear to exist between the approach regarded by Directors/Administrators of Special Education as most effective and the approach used in their classrooms. On-site inspection of several alternative programs suggested that, although the behavioral approach was indicated as being the predominant approach, in reality, an eclectic approach using some aspects of the behavioral approach was being utilized. Some behavioral methodology existed but was often poorly applied in an attempt to deal with disruptive behaviors. Conclusions. As a result of the information obtained from this survey research, the author suggests the following: (1) Undergraduate and graduate programs need to offer more courses and training in the practical applications of the behavioral approach. (2) Rules pertaining to classroom operation must be clear and simple to ensure consistency. Communication among staff must be so good that they are working as a team. (3) Classrooms using the behavioral approach have to be properly equipped and adequately staffed.

The purpose of this study was to document the academic and interpersonal experiences of nine young people who left school before completing high school, to analyze the impact of violence on their leaving school, and to broaden the information base of multicultural education so that it may become a more effective tool for disarming this violence. This study focused on the participants' experiences with school structure, teachers, peers, and family. The participatory action research data collection methodology was employed to facilitate obtaining the desired information from participants by encouraging dialogue between them and the researcher. The goal of this research was to empower them to become investigators of injustice, in this case with respect to their education, so that they may become subjects (as opposed to objects) in the determination of their own destiny with respect to school and/or education. Engaging in similar dialogue with nine participants from vastly different, broadly interpreted cultural backgrounds helped to establish validity. The findings of this study indicate that young people generally like school and their teachers and love their parents despite often grave dysfunction (i.e., violence) in their experiences with each. These experiences characterize, in a variety of ways, how society in general is largely out-of-touch with the reality of young lives. All of the participants in this study appreciated the opportunity to engage in dialogue about their educational experiences in the context of "what did you need that you did not get," yet none of them blamed others for their leaving school. And while all of the participants were visibly emotionally affected by recounting their histories, it is likely that only some of them will transform that emotion into the action necessary to become successful participants in our increasingly diverse and hopefully increasingly democratic society. The implications of this study have relevance for all schools, educators, and parents. It is important for all the participants in young people's lives to become aware of, knowledgeable about, and understanding of the real conditions of existence of young people, which today necessarily include some form of violence, and to reflect this in the organizational structure, curricula, and interpersonal interactions of which young people are a part.

This study examines the relationship between self concept, andragogical orientation, and the impact of a significant life transition in a sample (n = 140) of former professional athletes who retired from football from the 1960s through the 1980s. The research was conducted in the context of designing a career transition program intended to assist the retired athletes move into a post-football career, as a prior survey (Rhodes, 1990) administered to these subjects found that 86% would have participated in a career transition program if one had existed. Self concept was measured using Miskimins Self-Goal-Other Discrepancy Scale-I (MSGO-I) (Miskimins, 1967), with modifications to the personal construct scale. Andragogical orientation was measured using the Adult Learner Orientation Questionnaire, adapted from the Student Orientation Questionnaire (Christian, 1983). Schlossberg's Model for Human Adaptation for Transition (1981) was used to interpret the responses to the MSGO-I instrument's personal construct scales in order to determine the degree of trauma precipitated by retirement from football. The subjects were divided into seven groups, according to the length of time retired from football. Scores were computed for seven measures of andragogical orientation, twelve measures of self concept, ten personal construct scales. The findings indicate that the subjects most recently retired (0-5 years) were the least andragogically oriented, had the least favorable self concepts, and were the most traumatized by the retirement transition out of professional football. The study concludes that the most appropriate instructional format for a career transition program appealing to the most recently retired players is a four-stage process based on a developmental model of situation-specific response to trauma.

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