DOCUMENT RESUME ED 405 400 UD 031 365 AUTHOR Wright, Judith, Ed. TITLE Students at Risk. SET Special Issue. INSTITUTION Australian Council for Educational Research, Victoria.; New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington. PUB DATE 96 NOTE 46p. PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) Reports Evaluative /Feasibility (142) JOURNAL CIT SET: Research Information for Teachers; spec iss 1996 EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Administrator Attitudes; *Adolescents; Attendance; Behavior Patterns; *Disadvantaged Youth; Educational Environment; *Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; *High Risk Students; Interpersonal Relationship; Sexual Harassment; *Truancy; Violence IDENTIFIERS *Australia; Bullying; *New Zealand ABSTRACT This special issue of the serial SET for 1996 contains seven newly commissioned articles and four reprints all related to the education of children at risk. This issue includes: (1) "Students at Risk: An Overview" (Margaret Batten, Graeme Withers, and Jean Russell);(2) "Inquiry into Children in Education at Risk through Truancy and Behavioural Problems" (New Zealand House of Representatives);(3) "Tackling Bullying in Schools: The Findings from Interventions" (Mark Cleary, Peter K. Smith, and Sonia Sharp); (4) "Truancy in Adolescence" (David M. Fergusson, Michael T. Lynskey, and L. John Horwood);(5) "Keeping Ourselves Safe: Who Benefits?" (Freda Briggs and Russell M. F. Hawkins);(6) "There Will Still Be Days: Profile of a Truant" (Patricia Berwick-Emms); (7) "Family Violence and Children: Their Experience, the Impact, and How Schools Can Respond" (Paula Shepherd);(8) "Sexual Harassment in School: The Public Performance of Gendered Violence" (Nan Stein);(9) "Why So Many Adolescent Girls Want To Lose Weight" (Vivienne Adair and Robyn Dixon); (10) "The Importance of Classroom Climate for At-Risk Learners" (Cecilia Pierce); and (11) "Violence in Schools: Principals' Perspectives" (Colin McCraith). Each paper contains its own notes. (SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** SPECIAL ( ( C C J C Th .65\ cr=co.n U.S. DEPARTMENT OP EDUCATION (Mice d EducatIonal gfealtn analimprovement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) reproduced as 0 Thu document has been reserved from the person ororganizahon rIpmatmg made to Improve alma, changes have been eproduchon Quality awls 01 crew a Optmons stated inthis docu- ment do not necessarily represent&haat OERI Dosmon or policy AlliOr_A %IF PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND , DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL CEA HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Ian 6.1r AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 2 BESTCOPY AVAILABLE ISBN 0-908916-96-5 @ 1996 Copyright on all articles except 2. 8 and 10 is held by ACER and NZCER who grant to all people actively engaged in education the right to copy them in the interests of better teaching; please acknowledge the source. The Crown, copyright owner of article 2. Inquiry into children in education as risk through truancy and behavioural problentc grants the same copying rights as ACER and NZCER. tih,o.r.pytwitt 8,,Scrua:rrrnissment 'e of --k-...ytolence,'s" is held 77;111PIes'ii.id n Fellowsd3:c: Harvard College., :6 Appian Way, .Ccambri ortaisce of claw:von+ dinthre /isr at learn lact.qtreffegriireaciEruciar undation , 1319 Eighteenth Street, Nr. D.C. '20036-1802 USA: 'VrIgSCi41591117PJ4VOSJ19W OA' (03) 277 555 ;PP ,-rA,Fai: (03) 277 5500 A itC"7" One: Uri 76112444rf'4"Ir'i-ar- r*--Ai38 .'"4.7933 ' Ae`: . c- ;4:"4"4454724'"111141;pinioniesfressed iriarn are those of ther i,f rirS'aita do trot necAc2rily coincide with tbrilt'iilor..11,fttl).NZCE,,,Riani&do,,ACER),..,..,...- BEST COPY AVM LI RE 3 1. Students At Risk: An Overview Margaret Batten. Gtneme Withers and Jean Russell 2.Inquiry into Children in Education At Riskthrough Truancy and Behavioural Problems New Zealand House of Representatives 3.Tackling Bullying in Schools: The Findingsfrom Interventions Mark Clean: Peter K Smith and Sonia Sharp 4.Truancy in Adolescence David M. Fergusson. Michael T Lynskey and L.John Horwood 5. Keeping Ourselves Safe: Who Benefits? Freda Briggs and Russell M.F. Hawkins 6.There Will Still Be Days: Profile of a Truant Patricia Berwick-Emms 7.Family Violence and Children: Their Experience,the Impact, and How Schools Can Respond Paula Shepherd 8.Sexual Harassment in School: The PublicPerformance of Gendered Violence Nan Stern 9.Whv So Many Adolescent Girls Want toLose Weight Vivienne Adair and Robyn Dixon -c% 10. The Importance of ClassroomClimate for At-Risk Learners Cecilia Pierce 11. Violence in Schools: Principals'Perspectives Colin Mc Craith NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONALRESEARCH -set - set CER NZCER rivate PO Box 3237 '7...+4. ..1.- Wellington amberwe c4?3124.:,, NEW ZEALAND STRAD BEST COPY AVAILABLE 4 CONTENTS -: 1. STUDENTS AT RISK: AN OVERVIEW : 4. 7. FAMILY VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN: THEIR EXPERIENCE, ttfaigaretBatten, Grantee Wilbert and jean Russel . .. THE IMPACT, AND HOW SCHOOLS CAN RESPOND ,,, Insighti and innovative solutions from a literature review of Paula Shepherd :Aditralian, North American, nd British programs forstutlausatrisk. Children in violent homes are often very isolated from support outside the home. School can be one place where their need 2. INQUIRY INTO CHILDREN IN EDUCATION AT RISK THROUGH for help or protection is identified. How should teachers TRUANCY AND BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS respond? Reprint of article 5,set 1, 1996. New Zealand House of Representatives Recommendations to the government from the Education and8. SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOL: THE PUBLIC Science Committee. PERFORMANCE OF GENDERED VIOLENCE Nan Stein 3. TACKLING BULLYING IN SCHOOLS: THE FINDINGS FROM If teachers and principals recognise the need for deliberate adult INTERVENTIONS intervention when dealing with peer-to-peer sexual harassment Mark Clearit Peter K Smith and Sonia Sharp they could help prevent their school from becoming a training And-bullying work in the United Kingdom seen through the eyes ground for the insidious cycle of domestic violence. of the Deputy Principal of Colenso High School,NapiexNtwZeaLand 9. WHY SO MANY ADOLESCENT GIRLS WANT TO LOSE 4. TRUANCY IN ADOLESCENCE WEIGHT David M Ferguston, Michael T Lynskey and L. John Norwood Vivienne Adair and Robyn Dixon This study of over 900 teenagers in Christchurch shows that not Who is encouraging them? Is it the media, their friends, their all truancy should be treated as abnormal behaviour. There are mothers, or in a surprise result from this study, their fathers? truants and truants. Reprint of article 8,set 2,1995. 5. KEEPING OURSELVES SAFE: WHO BENEFITS? 10. THE IMPORTANCE OF CLASSROOM CLIMATE FOR AT-RISK Freda Briggs and Russell M.F. Hawkins LEARNERS Following on from the 1991 study of the short-term effectiveness Cecilia Pierce of the Keeping Ourselves Safi program, the authors tested the long- How the organisation of a classroom can help at-risk learners term effectiveness of this highly acclaimed program. change from being "losers" to "winners". 6. THERE WILL STILL BE DAYS: PROFILE OF A TRUANT 11.VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS: PRINCIPALS' PERSPECTIVES Patricia Berwick-Emms Colin Mc Craith Case-study of a truant and how, with the help of professionals, Practical solutions from the principal of a Victorian school her trouble with school gradually lessened. Reprint of article 3, who questioned 33 other principals about the violence in their set 2, 1993. schools. Reprint of article 2,set1, 1996. Note Ed "At risk" is an emotive, yet relative term. The set Special for 1996 looksissue, research on the effects of poverty and socioeconomic factors; at the behavioural aspects of students at risk: the cycle of how, when,the many health issues, for example teen suicide, attention deficit where, and why children in education become at risk of failing through disorders, educational strategies for chronically ill students; and the truancy, behavioural problems, or violence (at home or school). more specific aspects of failing to achieve academic potential. To help schools begin to tackle their part in the cycle, we present a All the more to save for future editions of set Research Information for collection of seven newly commissioned articles and four reprints from Teachers! previous editions of set Research Information for Teachers. There are overviews from the Australian and New Zealand perspectives; two articles on truancy; three on violence and bullying in schools; one onJudith Wright the impact of family violence; one which touches on the health aspectsEditor of at-risk girls; one with positive suggestions for classroom teachers; and a study on the effectiveness of the Keeping Ourselves Safe program. These are certainly not the only areas of "at risk" which impact on schools and teaching. We acknowledge, but could not include in this EDITOR, Judith Wright, NICER, P 0 Box 3237, Wellington, New Zealand. E-mail: setenzcer.org.nz ASSISTANT EDITOR AUSTRALIA, John King, ACER, Private Bag 55, Camberwell VIC, 3124, Australia. E-mail:[email protected] 5 BEST COPY AVAILABLE set special: sTuvENts STUDENTS AT RISK: AN OVERVIEW mork7K Margaret Batten. Graeme Withers.-earl Russell ;37.,(C7,S;.' Ft*. , Over the past two decades. Increasing early school leaving and under-achievement. attention- seeking; temper tantrums; offen- attention has been paid to the needs