Analyzing Special Educators' Views on Community-Based Instruction for Students with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Implications for Teacher Education

Community-based instruction continues to grow as a preferred curricular option for teachers of students with moderate to severe mental retardation. Although long advocated as an important instructional approach for students with mild mental retardation (Brolin, 1995; McDonnell et al., 1993), the relationship has not been very clearly established between community-based instruction (CBI) and the general education curriculum emphasizing traditional academic skills. This investigation was designed to gather relevant findings related to the process of community-based instruction and to translate these findings into implications that the implementation of this innovation may have on teacher education and future research in special education. As findings indicate, there appear to be differing attitudes between teachers who engage in CBI programming and those who do not. There also appears to be some indication that teachers who have characteristics as risk takers appear to be more able to develop CBI activities. In addition, the need for administrative support, both at the outset of program development and during the instructional process, appears to be a major indicator of success. Future researchers should investigate the effects of administrator perceptions and attitudes, CBI effects on the learning of more traditional academic skills, and the development of high-quality CBI activities.     

Is Interpersonal Power Exercised in Groups of Early School Children in the Classroom Context?

Research has shown that peer relations are important to children's long-term adjustment (Bagwell, Newcomb and Bukowski, 1998; Ollendick, Weist, Borden and Green, 1992). Children are increasingly spending time in settings with peers, for example, long-day care, out-of-school-hours care and occasional care, as well as preschools and junior primary schools. Existing frameworks for understanding peer relations include ethological, critical and sociometric approaches. All share a common, and as yet unrecognised element, that of interpersonal power. In this paper it is argued that research into the power relations between young children has the potential to provide new insight into children's relations with their peers. It is argued that without such insight, understanding of those relations can only be partial. Seven key themes for the analysis of interpersonal power in children's peer relations from a previous study are discussed and recommendations made about how the study of young children's relations with their peers might be conducted.     

Multiple trajectories of peer and parental influence and their association with the development of adolescent heavy drinking

This study used latent growth mixture modeling to identify discrete developmental patterns of heavy drinking, perceived parental disapproval of substance use, and association with peers who drink from early to late adolescence among a sample of 5591 youth. We also examined associations among these trajectories to determine how the development of heavy drinking relates to the development of perceived parental disapproval of substance use and association with peer drinkers, both separately and jointly. We found that youth who perceived that their parents maintained consistently strong disapproval of substance use throughout adolescence were much more likely to abstain from heavy drinking during this period than were youth who reported that their parents' disapproval for substance use either decreased or was maintained at only a moderate level. Furthermore, we found that across a variety of peer contexts—stable high association with drinking peers, stable low association, and increasing association—youth were at lowest risk for developing problematic patterns of heavy drinking when they perceived that their parents maintained strong disapproval of substance use throughout adolescence.     

Preventing disruptive boys from becoming heavy substance users during adolescence: A longitudinal study of familial and peer-related protective factors

Childhood disruptiveness is one of the most important antecedents of heavy substance use in adolescence, especially among boys. The first aim of the present study is to verify whether parental monitoring and friend conventionality protect disruptive boys from engaging in heavy substance-use in adolescence. The second purpose is to examine whether these protective effects are strengthened by attachment to parents or friends respectively. Finally, the third objective is to verify whether the expected protective effect of parental monitoring could be mediated through exposure to conventional friends. A sample of 1037 boys from low socioeconomic neighbourhoods was followed from childhood (age 6) to adolescence (age 15). Parent, teacher, and self-reported measures were used to measure disruptiveness, parental monitoring, family attachment, friend conventionality, and attachment to friends. Results suggest that parental monitoring and friends' conventionality mitigated the relationship between childhood disruptiveness and adolescence heavy substance use. Exposure to conventional friends further mediated the protective effect of parent monitoring. The postulated enhancement of attachment quality on the protective effect of parents or peer behaviors was not confirmed, but low attachment was related to heavier substance use in highly monitored disruptive boys. Parental monitoring, family attachment, and peer conventionality are factors amenable to intervention, and thus represent promising targets for future prevention strategies aimed at-risk boys. Our results underscore the importance of simultaneously addressing the behavioral and the affective dimensions in interventions with parents.     

同伴教育对艾滋病的预防效果评价

目的：评价同伴教育对建筑工人在预防，控制艾滋病方面的效果。方法：干预方法主要包括在建筑工地由专家培训同伴教育者及提供技术支持，开展同伴教育及由同伴教育者免费发放安全套，发放宣传册子，播放录相和张贴宣传画，结果：通过对比非同伴教育组506名和同伴教育组172名建筑工人对艾滋病的认识和行为改变情况，发现同伴教育使成都市建筑工人有关艾滋病的概念。传播途径，预防及安全套的作用知识均有不同程度的提高。结论：同伴教育对建筑工人在预防和控制艾滋病方面是有效的措施。值得在其它类似人群中进行推广。     

A systematic review of mentorship programs to facilitate transition to post-secondary education and employment for youth and young adults with disabilities

Purpose: Youth with disabilities experience barriers in transitioning to Post-Secondary Education (PSE) and employment. Mentorship programs provide a promising approach to supporting youth through those transitions. This paper aims to identify the effective components of mentorship programs and describe participants’ experiences. Method: We undertook a systematic review of mentorship interventions for youth and young adults with disabilities. We searched seven electronic databases for peer-reviewed articles published in English between 1980 and 2014. We included articles that examined mentorship interventions focused on PSE or employment outcomes among youth, aged thirty or younger, with physical, developmental, or cognitive disabilities. Results: Of the 5068 articles identified, 22 met the inclusion criteria. For seven mentorship interventions, at least one significant improvement was reported in school- or work-related outcomes. Mentorship programs with significant outcomes were often structured, delivered in group-based or mixed formats, and longer in duration (>6 months). Mentors acted as role models, offered advice, and provided mentees with social and emotional support. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that mentorship programs may be effective for helping youth with disabilities transition to PSE or employment. More rigorously designed studies are needed to document the impact of mentorship programs on school and vocational outcomes for youth with disabilities.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• Mentorship interventions have the potential to effectively support youth with disabilities as they transition to post-secondary education and employment.

• Youth should consider participating in formal mentorship interventions, and clinicians and educators should encourage them to do so, to enhance social, educational, and vocational outcomes.

• When developing interventions, clinicians should consider incorporating the effective components (i.e. duration, content, format) of mentorship interventions identified in this paper. Future mentorship programs should also contain a rigorous evaluation component.

• Clinicians can help to create (build content, consult on accessibility), connect (youth to program, program to community agencies), and contribute to mentorship interventions.

     

Impaired Nursing Practice: A National Perspective on Peer Assistance in the U.S.

Impaired practice in nursing deserves frank discussion, realistic policy development and renewed understanding as a disease process. With the increasing stressors of the workplace and shortage of nurses, quality treatment and retention are essential to the profession. This article reviews this national dilemma from recognition to resolution and describes advocacy approaches that offer viable solutions through programming and policy while affording greater public protection.     

大学前不同阶段同伴欺凌经历与大学生生活质量的关联研究

目的 探讨大学前不同阶段同伴欺凌经历对大学生生活质量的影响。方法 2018年10月采用分层整群抽样方法选取安徽省合肥市4所高校4 034名在校大学生作为研究对象,调查研究对象大学前不同阶段同伴欺凌经历和当前的生活质量。采用t检验和方差分析比较不同组各维度得分差异,采用多元线性回归模型分别分析大学前不同阶段欺凌经历、不同欺凌种数与大学生生活质量的关系。结果 4 034名大学生生活质量4个维度（生理、心理、社会关系和环境）得分分别为12.61±2.02、14.09±2.62、13.72±2.71和13.77±2.46。多元线性回归分析（控制相关混杂因素）结果显示,大学生在小学（β=-0.21）、中学（β=-0.27）和两阶段（β=-0.56）被言语欺凌、中学阶段被关系欺凌（β=-0.21）、中学阶段被躯体欺凌（β=-0.38）和两阶段躯体欺凌（β=-0.67）均与大学生生活质量生理维度得分呈负相关;大学生在两阶段被言语欺凌（β=-0.41）和中学阶段被关系欺凌（β=-0.42）与大学生生活质量心理维度得分呈负相关;大学生在中学阶段被关系欺凌（β=-0.32）、中学（β=-0.51）和两阶段被躯体欺凌（β=-0.57）均与大学生生活质量社会关系维度得分呈负相关;大学生在小学和两阶段被言语欺凌（β=-0.20、-0.46）和关系欺凌（β=-0.35、-0.90）均与大学生生活质量环境维度得分呈负相关,差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。欺凌受害指数与大学生生活质量生理、心理、社会关系和环境4个维度得分呈负相关（β=-0.33、-0.36、-0.30、-0.33）;实施欺凌指数与大学生生活质量4个维度得分也呈负相关（β=-0.28、-0.31、-0.23、-0.28）,相关性差异均有统计学意义（P<0.001）。结论 大学前不同阶段欺凌经历均与大学生生活质量各维度得分降低有关联,应加强大学前不同阶段同伴欺凌的预防控制。     

Buffering the effects of peer victimization on adolescent non-suicidal self-injury: The role of self-compassion and family cohesion

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant behavioral problem among adolescents all over the world. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between peer victimization and NSSI, as well as the buffering effects of self-compassion and family cohesion on this relationship. Data were collected at two time points from 525 secondary school students (226 girls; M_age = 12.97, SD = 1.02) in China. Results showed that peer victimization (marginally) significantly predicted NSSI over time even after controlling for Wave 1 NSSI. This association was weakened under the condition of high levels of self-compassion. Findings of this study emphasize the buffering effect of self-compassion in the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI, and are informative for prevention and intervention of this behavioral problem.