The Relationship of Life Skills and Classroom Climate to Self-Reported Levels of Victimization

School programs to prevent aggression vary; some emphasize skills training while others focus on social climate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between life skills, classroom climate and self-reported levels of victimization. The study, conducted in Israel, included 97 schools, 261 fifth and sixth classrooms, and close to 9,000 students. Results of hierarchical regression showed a significant relation between lower levels of self-reported victimization and some of the life skills and with two of the three classroom climate components: relationship, and personal growth; system maintenance was not related to classroom aggression. Moreover, classroom climate was far more related to the level of victimization than life skills. Several demographic variables (i.e., SES, gender) were also found to be related to levels of victimization. The study was supported by a grant from the Israeli Ministry of Education.     

An innovative intervention for treatment of child and adolescent aggression: An outcome study

The purpose of the study was to test the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce aggressive behavior among children and adolescents. The study encompassed 70 special education students with behavioral problems in 10 schools (grades 5‐9) in Israel. These students were identified by teachers as aggressive children, based on a 10‐item questionnaire that referred to verbal and physical aggression. The children were randomly divided into experimental and control conditions. A short‐term multidimensional program utilizing bibliotherapy and clarifying processes was introduced to the experimental students, while the control students remained in their homeroom groups. The Achenbach Self‐Report and Teacher Report scales were administered to the students before and after treatment. Results indicated significant gains on both measures: The intervention was effective in promoting adjusting behavior and particularly in reducing aggression. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.