Childhood Aggression and Peer Relations in the Context of Family and Neighborhood Factors

4 models (risk, protective, potentiator, and person-environment fit) comparing the associations among ethnicity, income, and structural characteristics of families and neighborhoods on childhood aggression and peer relations were explored. The 1,271 second- through fifth-grade ( M = 9.9 years) children were assigned to 1 of 8 family types based on ethnicity, income, and household composition, and their addresses were used to define low- or middle-SES neighborhoods using neighborhood census data. Middle-SES neighborhoods operated as a protective factor for reducing aggression among children from high-risk families, interacted with family type to produce poor person-environment fit resulting in a greater likelihood of being rejected by one's peers, and potentiated the development of home play companions for children from low-risk families. Developmental and gender differences were also explored. Results are discussed in terms of the need for broader contextual factors to be considered in studying children's social and behavioral development.     

Addressing Self‐Injury on College Campuses: Institutional Recommendations

Nonsuicidal self‐injury is a significant concern on college campuses. Hence, the authors, the International Consortium on Self‐Injury in Educational Settings, offer the current position paper. First, the authors review current research in the field. Next, they discuss considerations for colleges' institutional‐wide response to self‐injury, including the role of and recommendations for relevant stakeholders (students, residence staff, mental health professionals) who directly and indirectly support students who self‐injure. Guidelines for response and suggested resources are also presented.     

Designing classroom spaces: Making the most of time

Research has shown that children's perception of the space around them is related to the quality of their play behaviors. Summaries of three research studies with preschoolers show that when children perceive themselves large, they enter complex play more quickly and stay for longer periods of time. The quality of children's play behavior changed when children played in small spaces. In these three studies, space was altered by: (a) creating a screened structure in the classroom, (b) changing the scale of the patterns on the wall of a learning center, and (c) altering the size of the block center. Each study is summarized and suggestions for designing classroom spaces are included. Implications of this program of research for increasing attention span and augmenting complex play and problem solving are discussed.     

Transitioning From the Military to Teaching: Two Veterans’ Journeys Through the Entry Year

Over the last two decades, thousands of U.S. military veterans have entered teaching as a second career. This study documents the first year of teaching as experienced by two teachers recently retired from the U.S. military, including the challenges they faced, the professional support they received, their growth and development, and the rewards that came with professional growth. We include recommendations for assisting former service members new to teaching.