A Group Approach to Fostering Self-Cohesion and Developmental Progression in Female Adolescent Group Home Residents

In this project, the applicability of David Wexler's (1991a,b) multi-model Program for Innovative Self Management (PRISM) to adolescent girls in group home placement was explored. The model is based on self-psychological and developmental theory. Originally developed for use in adolescent inpatient settings, PRISM utilizes cognitive-behavioral and relaxation techniques to equip the acting out adolescents with skills to better manage a wide array of emotions and behaviors. A modified version of PRISM was conducted in a group psychotherapeutic format with eighteen residents of two group homes, ages 14 to 18. The study reflected that the participants embraced the model and applied the skills with encouraging results. Recommendations for future research in this area are presented.     

Risk-taking, attitudes toward aggression, and aggressive behavior among rural middle school youth

This study examined the relationship between risk-taking, general acceptance of aggression (GAA), verbal harassment (VH), and aggressive behavior (AB) in the last 30 days among 1440 seventh- and eighth-grade rural middle school youth. Higher levels of risk-taking predicted higher GAA and VH. Significant interactions for AB indicated that, excepting Black youth, higher risk-taking was related to higher levels of violent behavior. Among Black youth the highest levels of AB occurred at moderate levels of risk-taking. Level of risk-taking is an important risk factor that should be taken into account in the study of attitudes toward aggression and aggressive behavior among rural youth.