Original articleBeyond psychopathology: Assessing seriously disruptive students in school settings
Section snippets
Study Sample
The urban school district from which our sample was drawn had 6437 students enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 12 in 2004; 50% of the students are from low-income families, and 33% come from homes where English is not the first language. The proportion of special education students in this district, 22%, is among the highest in the state; and 67% of the students receiving special education services are racial minorities. The study sample of 28 boys and 5 girls are students who were
Impaired Functioning
The most common psychiatric diagnoses are shown in the Table. Comorbidity was common; the median number of diagnoses for each child was three. Current substance abuse was identified in 11 students, and in all cases the substance involved was alcohol or marijuana. The 11 students who had substance abuse problems significantly differed from those who did not with respect to being older and having legal problems and problems with primary support group but not with respect to psychosocial or
Discussion
These students had varied and comorbid psychiatric disorders, CGAS scores in the severely impaired range, and severe psychosocial stressors (such as death of a parent or a mentally ill parent). Classification of students as severely emotionally disturbed or behaviorally disordered (eg, ADHD, bipolar disorder) did not increase the likelihood of adequate treatment. In light of our findings that nearly all of the referred youngsters had serious yet undertreated psychopathology, a possible
References (27)
School violence and the school environment
- et al.
The web of zero tolerancecharacteristics of students who are recommended for expulsion from school
Education & Treatment Children
(1997) Survival 101assessing children and adolescents’ dangerousness in school settings
Adolesc Psychiatry
(2004)Outcomes for youths with serious emotional disturbance in secondary school and early childhood
Future Child
(1995)- et al.
Suspensions and detentions in an urban, low-income schoolpunishment or reward?
J Abnorm Child Psychol
(2002) - et al.
Toward prescriptive alternatives to suspensionsa preliminary evaluation
Behav Disord
(1996) Use of psychotropic medications in special education students with serious emotional disturbance
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol
(1999)Violence among middle school and high school studentsanalysis and implications for prevention
- et al.
Mental health problems of adolescents as reported by their caregiversa comparison of European, African, and Latino Americans
J Behav Health Serv Res
(2005) - et al.
Beyond adolescence problem behavior and young adult development
(1991)
Adaptation among youth facing multiple risks
A children’s global assessment scale (CGAS)
Arch Gen Psychiatry
Cited by (7)
Safety Assessment in Schools: Beyond Risk. The Role of Child Psychiatrists and Other Mental Health Professionals
2015, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North AmericaCitation Excerpt :Reasons for referrals have included threats made or posed (directly or indirectly) to an adult or peer and assaults without a weapon. Some of the referred students have also threatened or assaulted siblings or parents.19 Behaviors have included escalating explosiveness; swearing at a teacher or threatening to harm a teacher, student, or parent; destroying property in the classroom; fighting with peers; assaulting staff; engaging in inappropriate sexualized behavior; and posting something potentially threatening, or perceived to be threatening, on the Internet.
Adaptation and maladaptation to school
2009, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics: Expert ConsultAdaptation and Maladaptation to School
2009, Developmental-Behavioral PediatricsExposure to Adversity and Trauma Among Students Who Experience School Discipline: A Scoping Review
2023, Review of Educational ResearchMaternal Behavior Prior to Parenting as a Transgenerational Predictor of Offspring Behavior
2014, Journal of Child and Family StudiesUnder the gun: Threat assessment in schools
2009, Virtual Mentor