Vol 19, No 2 (2010)
Humans are highly social beings whose brains are designed to connect to others for a sense of belonging. This issue explores strategies for applying research on positive peer influence to create respectful, democratic group dynamics in schools and youth programs.
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Culture and Development
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The Profound Power of Groups
Larry K. Brendtro, Martin L. Mitchell
Decades of studies show that children’s behavior is shaped by relationships in the social ecology of family, peers, school, and community. Now, bioecological research reveals how such life experiences change our genes and brains.
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Punishment or Self-Discipline? Early Roots of Reform
Beate Kreisle
Pioneers in work with troubled children sought, with mixed results, to replace coercive discipline with democratic self-governance.
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Reclaiming Deep Democracy
Adrienne Brant James
The dawn of the 20th century sparked a world-wide movement to apply democracy in schools, courts, and families. These revolutionary approaches drew from the wisdom of Native American cultures as well as from youth work pioneers and were validated by research on group dynamics.
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The Intelligent Method of Learning
Alireza Moula, Simin Mohseni, Bengt Starrin, Hans Ake Scherp, Antony J. Puddephatt
Early psychologist William James [1842-1910] and philosopher John Dewey [1859-1952] described intelligence as a method which can be learned. That view of education is integrated with knowledge about the brain’s executive functions to empower pupils to intelligently organize their learning.
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Play and Positive Group Dynamics
Pam Thompson, Samantha White
Groups develop through four stages: forming, storming, norming, and performing. Play and group games,facilitated in a restorative manner, can help youth increase self-awareness, build healthier relationships, and improve interpersonal connections.
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Educational Innovations
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School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
School connectedness is the belief by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals. Students are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected to school. This article identifies specific actions schools can take to increase school connectedness.
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Integrating RAP in Public Schools: Successes and Challenges
Julie Shields, Mindy Milstein, Sandi Ives Posner
For students with emotional disability (ED), school can be a stressful experience marked by disapproval, rejection, isolation, and shame. Staff serving these students in a large school district received Response Ability Pathways (RAP) training. This article summarizes positive impacts on behavior, as well as ongoing challenges in changing school climates based on coercive methods.
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Juvenile Justice
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Healing Invisible Wounds
Erica J. Adams
Most youth in the justice system have experienced serious traumatic events, yet few of these youth are identified, and fewer yet receive appropriate treatment or placement. This article summarizes recommendations on investing in trauma-informed care from a new study released by the Washington, DC-based Justice Policy Institute.
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RAP Works!
Douglas Pfeifer
One professional describes how Response Ability Pathways (RAP) Training helped him in his work with a young woman struggling with an upcoming transition.
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Treatment and Family
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Group Contagion: The Mailbox Melee
William C. Morse
A pioneer in work with troubled youth provides this fascinating example of how the group dynamic of contagion highjacks personal responsibility.
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"Outside In" Group Treatment of Youth with Asperger's
Jim Longhurst, Dana Richards, Jenna Copenhaver, Diana Morrow
A forerunner in therapeutic treatment explores new avenues of working with youth in the Autistic Spectrum through a group approach and discovers the need for flexibility and accommodations to make it work.
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Strength-Based Assessment: A Triad of Troubles
Tom Tate
Traditional diagnosis treats behavior problems as disorders in the individual rather than discord in relationships. From an ecological perspective, a “problem” involves behavior that hurts self or others. Three global patterns of problems are: Inconsiderate of Others, Inconsiderate of Self, and Low Self-Worth. Strength-based assessment identifies the needs behind these problems and develops restorative interventions.
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What You See is Not What You Get
Meredith White-McMahon
When upset, Peter overreacts, dumping verbal hostility on everyone, even those trying to help. Peter’s attempt to see the principal—who was out of the office—led to an emotionally explosive crisis. In this LSCI, staff calmly tried to help Peter clarify distorted reality. But patient questioning raised a Red Flag: the real reason for his distress was fear of being kicked out of his home which triggered violent and suicidal thoughts.
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