Prevention Of Behavior Problems Research Articles

Integrating pro-environmental behaviors into school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports for creating green schools

The causes of dramatic climate change mostly lie in human behavior. Humans cause climate change, for example, by creating waste. Pro-environmental behavior plays a crucial role in fighting climate change by preventing waste and conserving resources. Therefore, schools should foster pro-environmental behavior to fight climate change more effectively. Schools can foster pro-environmental behavior by organizing activities focused on both saving water, energy and managing waste through recycling and reuse. As such, one of the systems that can be used to increase the quality and efficiency of green school practices is School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS). SW-PBIS is a three-tiered approach that matches intervention intensity to student’s needs, aiming to improve all students’ social and educational outcomes through evidence-based preventive behavioral interventions. However, when SW-PBIS implementations are generally considered, the system is mainly used to prevent problem behaviors. While respect, responsibility, and safety are the most common expectations, no expectation is created or included in the system based on sustainability. So, the starting point of the idea is that while problem behaviors can be prevented with SW-PBIS, pro-environmental behaviors to promote a green school can also be taught and supported. Consequently, this article introduces a conceptual framework to integrate pro-environmental behaviors into SW-PBIS for creating green schools. We discuss the importance of SW-PBIS in fostering pro-environmental behavior and how it can help develop responsible students who contribute to green schools to fight climate change. We also discuss implications for future research and practice. This conceptual framework is expected to expand the scope of SW-PBIS and contribute to the implementation of green school initiatives.

영유아 문제행동지도를 위한 긍정적 행동지원 프로그램의 효과성 연구

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in teachers' instructional efficacy and perceptions of positive behavior support(PBS) by implementing a teacher education program based on PBS for teachers who experience difficulties in managing problem behaviors in early childhood education settings. The program was conducted with six preschool teachers in G Metropolitan City, and its effects were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results are as follows: First, there was a significant difference in teachers' instructional efficacy in managing problem behaviors before and after the program, with personal efficacy showing the most significant difference. Second, only rule selection and guidance factors showed significant differences in the implementation of PBS. Third, there was no significant change in perceptions of PBS. Fourth, the changes in teachers' experiences and perceptions after implementing PBS were examined through interviews, which confirmed that teachers' understanding of young children's problem behaviors and their perceptions of these behaviors had positively changed. This study suggests further research to verify the actual positive changes in children's behavior as it serves as an exploratory study into the prevention of problem behaviors and the promotion of creativity through positive behavior support.

Facilitators and barriers for implementing the PALS school-wide positive behavior support model in a Swedish municipality: A focus group study.

A research-supported model to support schools' prevention of behavior problems and promotion of a positive school climate is school-wide positive behavior support (SW-PBS), in Scandinavia adapted into "positive behavior, interactions and learning environment in school" (PALS). Facilitators and barriers for achieving and sustaining a full implementation of PALS in a Swedish primary school context have not previously been studied. The purpose of this study was to explore school staff and administrators' experiences of implementing PALS in a municipal school district in the western region of Sweden. Using a qualitative focus group design, staff with roles in the implementation and school administrators (N = 22) representing 12 schools were asked about their experiences regarding facilitators and barriers for implementing PALS. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analyses involving a combination of inductive (data-driven) and deductive (theory-driven) approaches. In the deductive, final step, the inductively derived categories were associated with the Normalization process theory core constructs coherence, cognitive participation, collective action and reflexive monitoring. The analysis resulted in nine categories in which both facilitators and barriers were identified: alignment with school mission and values; building and strengthening relationships; shared staff engagement; administrators' commitment and leadership; support and resources for adopting PALS; changed experiences of PALS work over time; positive feedback sustains motivation; learning for quality improvement; and staff continuity throughout implementation. Findings indicate that staff and administrators experienced the implementation as predominantly positive, that PALS provides a structure for relationship-based work, and fits particularly well in primary school contexts. The facilitators and barriers identified provide valuable knowledge that can inform sustainable implementations of PALS in similar contexts.

ПРОФИЛАКТИКА ВРЕДНЫХ ПРИВЫЧЕК И ДЕВИАНТНОГО ПОВЕДЕНИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ СРЕДСТВАМИ ФИЗИЧЕСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ

This article examines the potential of physical education to prevent bad habits and deviant behavior in students. It discusses the role of physical activity in promoting positive physical, mental and social well-being, and how these effects can help reduce the likelihood of engaging in harmful behaviour. The article highlights the importance of integrating physical education as a core component of school programs to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent problem behavior. Research focuses on the importance of sports, travel and relaxation in nature for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and abstaining from harmful habits, behaviors and addictions.

Bimbingan Konseling Pada Anak Usia Dini

Guidance and counseling for early childhood is an assistance effort carried out by teachers/supporters for early childhood so that children can grow and develop optimally and be able to overcome the problems they face. The research was carried out in a qualitative manner using a literature study approach. Research results: Through counseling, children are taught skills that enable them to become independent individuals, able to make decisions, and be responsible for their own actions. The main objective of providing guidance and counseling is to anticipate or take preventive action against the emergence of problematic behavior. Of course, prevention will be much easier than cure. This principle will also be applied in counseling guidance in the Early Childhood Education environment. In other words, preventing problem behavior in children is much easier than treating problem behavior in adults.

Opinions of Primary School Teachers Working in Inclusion Education Settings on the Behaviors of Students with and Without Disabilities

Primary school teachers are important mediators in terms of creating a positive climate and displaying appropriate behaviors in inclusion classes. The fact that primary school teachers are good observers of the behavior of students in their classrooms is a very important factor in eliminating or preventing problem behaviors. For this reason, it is important to examine the views of teachers working in inclusion education settings on the behavior of students in their classrooms. The purpose of this research is to reveal the opinions of primary school teachers working in inclusion education settings about the behaviors of students with and without disabilities in their classrooms. The study was conducted using phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews with primary school teachers working in inclusion settings. The data was analyzed with content analysis, and six themes and 17 sub-themes were found. It was seen that the problem behaviors seen in the inclusion classes were similar to the behaviors seen in the general education classes. According to the findings, most of the teachers did not receive training in problem behaviors. So, courses related to behavior management can be taught in undergraduate programs.

Associations between Sociodemographic and Behavioral Variables, and Educational Practices on Mother-Child Dyads

The association between the sociodemographic variables of children with behavior problems and mothers with maternaldepression is widely acknowledged in the literature. However, there is a lack of studies addressing the association of thesevariables with maternal parenting practices in typical samples, i.e., children without behavior problems and mothers withoutcurrent depression indicators. The aim of this study was to identify associations between the sociodemographic variables ofchildren and mothers with the mothers’ parenting practices and children’s behavioral indicators (resources and problems)in a sample of children without behavior problems and mothers without current depression indicators. This quantitative,cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study addressed 46 biological mothers (married or in a stable relationship)and their children. A sociodemographic questionnaire and validated instruments addressing child behavior, maternal mentalhealth, and parenting practices were applied. Findings showed that the mothers did not present mental health problems (e.g.,behavior problems or maternal depression), but a) they presented deficits of positive practices and an excess of negativepractices, and the children displayed deficits in social skills and behavior problems; b) there was an association betweenpositive practices and the children’s social skills and between negative practices and children’s behavior problems; c) thefrequency of positive and negative practices was equivalent among boys and girls, and d) boys more frequently presentedbehavior problems while school-aged children more frequently presented social skills deficits. The results indicate that evennon-clinical samples may present harmful parenting practices, excess negative practices, and deficits in positive practices.Hence, there is a need for timely interventions to prevent behavior problems among children and maternal depression arising from conflicting interactions in the parenthood sphere.

Children’s participation rights in schools — teachers’ beliefs and practices

Schools represent an important context for implementing participation rights guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child into the lives of children in general and into the lives of children from vulnerable groups. Providing opportunities for children to exercise their participation rights has been linked to positive youth development and universal prevention efforts in schools. Available evidence points to the importance of beliefs regarding children’s agency and participation practices. This study extends available research by investigating elementary-, middle- and high-school teachers’ beliefs about children’s participation rights and their link to participation conducive teacher practices in schools. A comprehensive mediational model is tested, which posits that teachers’ image of children as capable, active and agentic is associated with more support for children’s participation rights, which in turn predict student-centered participatory teaching and classroom management behaviors. Teachers’ support for participation rights was measured using contextualized vignettes including both general situations and situations specific to children from vulnerable groups. A total of 519 elementary, middle and high-school teachers completed several online questionnaires. Results showed that teachers have an ambivalent image of children’s capacity and agency for decision- making, and that this view does not depend on the children’s age. Having a more positive image of children and supporting children’s participation rights more predicted student-centered teaching style and less controlling classroom management styles. Support for children’s participation rights was a significant mediator of the relationship between the teachers’ image of the children and their participation-fostering classroom practices. These findings have important practical implications for school climates which promote high-quality teaching, the prevention of problem behaviors and positive youth development.

Socioemotional Development in the Preschool Period: Investigating the Predictive Role of Temperament, Language Development, and Emotion Comprehension

The present study aimed to investigate the predictive role played by temperament, language and emotion comprehension skills in social competence and behavior problems in the preschool period. The sample consisted of 223 children aged between 39-83 months, their mothers, and 48 preschool teachers who were recruited from 16 municipal preschools located in two central districts of Istanbul through convenient sampling. Children’s social competence was measured through teacher report of Social Competence Behavior Evaluation-Preschool Edition, Short Form (SCBE-30), and children’s behavior problems were evaluated with the related subscales of mother report of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and teacher report of the SCBE-30. Temperament, receptive language development and emotion comprehension skills were measured through Children's Behavior Questionnaire Very Short Form (CBQ-VSF), Turkish version of Test of Early Language Development-Third Edition (TELD-3:T), and Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), respectively. The predictive role of each child characteristics in social competence and behavior problems was tested with a series of hierarchical linear regression analyses. Findings indicated that emotion comprehension skills significantly and language development and temperamental effortful control marginally predicted children’s social competence. Further, while temperamental negative affect and effortful control were significant predictors of both externalizing and internalizing problems, externalizing problems were also predicted by language development. The ways findings of this study can contribute to intervention programs that aim to prevent behavior problems and enhance social competence in the preschool period were discussed.

The Association between Mothers' Smartphone Dependency and Preschoolers' Problem Behavior and Emotional Intelligence.

This study aimed to identify the level of mothers’ smartphone dependency and determine its correlation with preschoolers’ problem behavior and emotional intelligence. From 1 November to 30 December 2020, 141 mothers of preschool children (aged three to six years) were recruited to complete questionnaires that assessed their smartphone dependency and their child’s problem behavior and emotional intelligence. The result revealed that the younger the mother and the higher the perception of boredom in daily living, the higher was the level of her smartphone dependency. Maternal smartphone dependency was also significantly correlated with the aggression, oppositional, and emotional instability subscales of the tool assessing children’s problem behavior. To prevent problem behaviors among preschoolers, strategies to reduce mothers’ smartphone dependency are needed.

Osećaj pripadnosti školi - značaj za pozitivan razvoj i prevenciju problema u ponašanju učenika

The sense of school belonging is defined as the extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included and supported by others in the school environment. Given that certain authors regard school belonging as the key factor in the adequate development of children and youth, this paper aims to summarize and present theoretical and research findings that testify to the importance of the sense of school belonging for students' positive development and prevention of behavioral problems. In addition, the basic tenets of prevention science and the positive development perspective are discussed, and the relationship between these two approaches is analyzed. The results of our review suggest that the sense of school belonging is related to a wide range of academic and developmental outcomes, such as academic achievement and motivation, school engagement, prosocial behavior, life satisfaction, self-esteem, positive identity, well-being, adaptive adjustment, etc. In other words, past research has indicated that, depending on the extent to which the sense of school belonging is developed, its effects can be interpreted within the context of risk and protective/promotion factors in students' mental health and behavioral problems. The above implies that actors in the education system must not lose sight of the importance of the sense of school belonging for students' reaching their full potential. Moreover, taking into account the striving of prevention science to identify and enhance the factors underpinning protective processes, further research is needed on the factors and mechanisms of development of the sense of school belonging.

학령기 학부모를 위한 Bandura 부모효능감 척도 타당화 연구

The purpose of this study is to validate Bandura’s Parental Efficacy Scale for parents of elementary, middle, and high school students and to identify their parental efficacy level. The subjects of this study were 397 parents with elementary, middle and high school children, and data were collected online through standardized questionnaires through a survey institution. Through reliability and validity analysis, a parental efficacy scale of six factors(child life support, resilience, school system support, problem behavior prevention, school environment improvement, external environment support) was proposed. The reliability of the internal consistency of each sub-factor was .90-97. As for the parental efficacy of all parents, the effect of preventing problem behavior was the highest, and the sense of efficacy of school system support was the lowest. Parental efficacy sub-factors differed according to parental gender and child’s school level, and mothers showed higher efficacy in preventing problem behaviors and supporting external environments than fathers. Parents of high school children had a lower sense of efficacy for their children’s living support, school system support, and external environment support than parents of elementary and middle school children. Based on the research results, the use of scales and future research directions were discussed.

Tailoring of evidence-based group intervention with children with disruptive behavior: Implications for therapists and researchers

The evidence-bas for cognitive-behavioral child interventions has continued to advance in the past several decades across many areas of psychopathology, including disruptive behavior problems. We know quite a bit about what works. However, despite earlier research efforts (e.g., Copeland & Hammel, 1981; Lochman, Lampron, Burch, & Curry, 1985; Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2002), we are still in early stages of understanding “what works for whom.” Efforts to explore moderators of established interventions, rather than merely efficacy (La Greca, Silverman, & Lochman, 2009), can progressively help to identify how we can tailor interventions for different children, and tailor training for therapists. One example occurs in research efforts to clarify whether group-based interventions might have iatrogenic effects with some children with disruptive behavior problems.

Recursos psicológicos como predictores de problemas emocionales y conductuales en jóvenes universitarios

Introduction: Preventing problem behaviors in university students requires the identification of its causes and possible protective factors. Objective: To identify the psychological resources that can predict emotional and behavioral issues in young people. Method: Four different scales were used to evaluate a non-probabilistic sample of 320 university students: the emotional and behavioral issues scales, the intra-family relationships scale, and the social resources scale and affective resources scale. The sample included 146 men and 173 women between the ages of 18 to 24 (mean: 20.04, standard deviation: 1.62). Results: The main findings show significant statistical negative correlations between the problem behaviors and the affective, social, and family resources. Regarding the differences between participants, women showed higher mean scores of depressions and somatic problems, while men showed higher scores of alcohols and tobacco consumption. The step-by-step regression results revealed depression to be the problem behavior with the highest explained variance (47%), predicted by difficulties in managing sadness, lack of self-control regarding anger, the expression of emotions, and problems with anger management. Conclusion: Strengthening psychological resources and incorporating them in the design of universal and selective intervention programs is fundamental to prevent emotional and behavioral problems in university students to promote their positive development.

An Investigation into the Impact of Pre-Adolescent Training on Canine Behavior.

Simple SummaryCurrent thinking about puppy training is that it should be performed as early in a dog’s life as possible to prevent the later development of behavior problems. However, no study has been performed to see if early puppy training (before 3 months of age) does present clear advantages over training at a later age, in terms of the subsequent development of adult behavior problems. This retrospective study examined the age at which adult dogs were trained as puppies and whether there were advantages of training puppies before 4 months of age or between 5 and 6 months of age. We found no difference in the age of puppy training and the subsequent development of behavior problems. Aggression, compulsive behavior, destructive behavior, and excessive barking were all reduced in dogs that had attended puppy training before 6 months of age compared to a control group of dogs that had not attended puppy training classes. Ancillary findings about the entire study population were that dogs acquired as pups at 12 weeks of age or less had reduced odds of exhibiting fear or anxiety and engaging in destructive behavior. In addition, male dogs were found to have reduced odds of developing aggressive behavior, compulsive behavior, and mounting/humping and increased odds of rolling in repulsive materials. Neutered dogs of either sex were found to have increased odds of developing fear and anxiety, increased odds of escaping/running away, exhibiting coprophagia, and rolling in repulsive materials. The odds of problematic jumping decreased with age.An online survey about puppy training was sent to members of the Center for Canine Behavior Studies and posted on our social media platforms. Six hundred forty-one (641) qualifying owners provided information on 1023 dogs. About half (48%) of the dogs involved in the study attended puppy training and the balance (52%) did not. The goal of the study was to find out whether puppy training at various ages (1–3 months, 4 months, 5–6 months) helped prevent behavior problems later in life (≥1 year). Attending training at 6 months of age or younger resulted in 0.71 the odds of developing aggressive behavior (95% CI: 0.53–0.97; p = 0.030), 0.64 the odds of having a compulsive behavior (95% CI: 0.45–0.92; p = 0.015), 0.60 the odds of exhibiting destructive behavior (95% CI: 0.37–0.96; p = 0.035), 0.68 the odds of excessive barking (95% CI: 0.47–0.99; p = 0.043), and 1.56 the odds of house soiling (95% CI: 1.08–2.27; p = 0.019). Ancillary findings about the entire study population were that dogs acquired at 12 weeks of age or younger were found to have 0.65 the odds of fear/anxiety (95% CI: 0.46–0.92; p = 0.016) and 0.50 the odds of exhibiting destructive behavior (95% CI: 0.31–0.79; p = 0.003). In addition, male dogs were found to have 0.68 the odds of developing aggressive behavior (95% CI: 0.53–0.88; p = 0.003), 0.66 the odds of developing compulsive behavior (95% CI: 0.49–0.88; p = 0.006), 0.37 the odds of mounting/humping (95% CI: 0.26–0.52; p < 0.001), and 1.53 the odds of rolling in repulsive materials (95% CI: 1.18–1.97; p = 0.001). Neutered dogs of either sex were found to have 3.10 the odds of fear/anxiety (95% CI: 2.05–4.72; p < 0.001), 1.97 the odds of escaping/running away (95% CI: 1.12–3.69; p = 0.025), 2.01 the odds of exhibiting coprophagia (95% CI 1.30–3.19; p = 0.002), and 1.72 the odds of rolling in repulsive materials (95% CI: 1.12–2.66; p = 0.014). The odds of problematic jumping deceased by 0.84 for each 1-year increase in age (95% CI: 0.80–0.88; p < 0.001).

Play-based Learning Activities for Creativity in Children's Dance Movements

Play-based learning activities are important programs throughout the world of children's education. Through play, children learn creatively and constructively. This study aims to solve the problem of creativity in early-childhood dance movements with the hope that there will be an increase in aspects of fluency, flexibility and elaboration through play activities related to educational dance. This action research uses an action research method which is carried out in three cycles. The subjects in this study were 19 children aged 5-6 years in Kindergarten in Central Jakarta. Data collection was carried out through observation, interviews, field notes, video documentation and photos. The findings show every child's creativity in dance movements can be improved through playing activities. Increased creativity in dance movements occurs in the aspects of fluency, flexibility, and elaboration. Another important finding, there is an increase in the optimal ability of dance creativity in the third cycle of this action research. The implication from this research is that play activities suitable for learning creative dance in early childhood must be designed as a program that emphasizes aspects of fluency, flexibility, and elaboration.&#x0D; Keywords: Early Childhood, Creativity in dance movements, Play based learning activities&#x0D;

The Additive Effects of Implementing Advanced Tiers of SWPBIS With Fidelity on Disciplinary Exclusions

Schools continue to rely on disciplinary exclusions as a consequence for behavioral rule violations, despite evidence that removing students from instruction for discipline purposes is associated with poor behavioral, academic, and social outcomes. School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is one multitiered support framework used to prevent behavior problems while developing effective and efficient systems for intervening with students who require more support. Prior research suggests implementing Tier 1 of SWPBIS with fidelity is associated with reductions in disciplinary exclusions. In this study, we evaluated the additive effects of implementing Tier 1 and advanced tiers (i.e., Tiers 2 and 3) with fidelity compared with Tier 1 alone for 558 schools in California. Results indicate schools implementing all three tiers with fidelity had significantly lower rates of students receiving one out-of-school suspension, out-of-school suspension incidents, and referrals to law enforcement. We also discuss implications and recommendations for future research.

The effects of adolescent prosocial behavior interventions: a meta-analytic review

This meta-analytic review examined the effectiveness of the interventions for promoting adolescents’ prosocial behavior, and aimed to explain variability in the effectiveness. Thirty-three studies that used interventions for prosociality targeting adolescents and compared with a control group or had a pre-post comparison were included in the analyses. Across all the studies, the prosocial behavior interventions for adolescents had a small, beneficial effect on promoting prosocial behavior (g = 0.442; 95% CI [0.240, 0.644]). The results of moderator analyses showed that the interventions designed to increase social competence had a larger effect than those seeking to prevent problem behavior, and that the interventions that used reports by others had a larger effect than those using self-reports. These findings indicated that the prosocial behavior interventions promoted adolescents’ prosocial behavior, but with a small effect, and that the effectiveness varied depending on the objectives of intervention and the measurement types. However, this result seemed to be slightly influenced by publication bias, thus the interpretations of the results should be careful. Directions for future research and implications for educators implementing prosocial behavior interventions during adolescence are discussed.

Childhood psychopathology mediates associations between childhood adversities and multiple health risk behaviours in adolescence: analysis using the ALSPAC birth cohort.

BackgroundChildhood adversity strongly predicts adolescent multiple health risk behaviours (MRBs) such as alcohol/tobacco use, self‐harm and physical inactivity, and both adversities and MRBs are associated with premature mortality and several chronic health conditions that are among the leading causes of death in adults. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between adversities and MRBs and what could mediate any association. The aim of this study was to explore whether childhood psychopathology mediates associations between adversities and MRBs.MethodsParticipants were young people in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (N = 5,799). Using structural equation modelling, we explored the associations between adversities before 9 years and MRBs at age 16 years. We also explored potential mediating pathways through dimensional psychopathology measured by the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales at age 12 years.ResultsThere were strong positive associations between adversities and MRBs (β .25, 95% CI 0.20, 0.31, p < .001) suggesting that each additional adversity is associated with a 0.25 increase in number of MRBs out of 13 total risk behaviours. We found robust evidence of mediating pathways from adversities through conduct problems (β .05, 95% CI 0.03, 0.06, p < .001), hyperactivity/inattention (β .02, 95% CI 0.01, 0.03, p < .001) and peer relationship problems (β −.02, 95% CI −0.03, −0.02, p < .001) to MRBs.ConclusionsIncreased conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention appear to partially explain the relationship between adversities and MRBs. Peer relationship problems also appear to reduce the association between adversities and MRBs, and further research is needed to understand how to encourage peer connectivity without increasing risk of MRBs. These results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing MRBs among those exposed to childhood adversities could focus on prevention of behavioural problems.

A National Study of Mentoring Program Characteristics and Premature Match Closure: the Role of Program Training and Ongoing Support.

Mentoring programs are a popular approach to preventing problem behavior and promoting positive youth development. However, mentoring relationships that end prematurely may have negative consequences for youth. Previous research has investigated match-level indicators of premature match closure, highlighting possible individual mentor- or mentee-level characteristics that might influence the match staying together. However, less work has investigated the importance of program-level variables in match retention. Mentor training and support may be one key modifiable program-level feature that could curtail the risk of premature match closure. In this study, we used data from a national survey of youth mentoring programs (N = 1451) to examine training and other potential predictors of premature match closures (Garringer et al. 2017). We used a Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) model to predict program-reported premature match closure rates from a set of four training-related variables and 26 other covariates (e.g., program size, budget, demographic composition). Findings indicate that the set of predictors explained about one-fifth of the variation in reported rate of premature match closure (cumulative pseudo R2 = .21), and the strongest, and only statistically significant, predictor of premature match closure was the frequency of ongoing training and support contacts per month. Overall, findings indicate that there is substantial noise in predicting program-reported premature match closure, but program-reported provision of ongoing training and support seems to emerge as a relatively stable signal in the noise.