Cyberbullying: Risk Factors for Victimization in Rural Schools and the Influence of School Climate.

This study evaluated the prevalence rates and risk factors for cyberbullying victimization and perpetration among 7-12th grade students (n = 3,396) enrolled in 22 public school districts across Southern Illinois. Risk factors included victimization by traditional bullying, gender identity, cell phone use, and social media usage. We also examined perceptions of school climate and safety. We observed that traditional bullying victimization, gender identity, and social media usage predicted cyberbullying victimization. Similarly, perceptions of school climate and safety were significantly and positively correlated with cyberbullying victimization. In turn, perceptions of school climate and safety predicted cyberbullying perpetration. Rurality was a factor uniquely related to perpetration. Specifically, students from non-rural schools reported higher levels of cyberbullying perpetration than did students from rural schools. Our results underscore the need for intervention and prevention programs to focus on all forms of bullying and parental monitoring of social media accounts.

Development of Attribution-Based Scales Associated With Proactive, Reactive, and Acquisitive Offending.

This study outlines the development of attribution scales to assess the antecedent processes of proactive, reactive, and acquisitive offending. Empirical keying, internal consistency, and item performance were the three test development strategies. Six samples (total N = 1,527) from parole, university, probation, and prison were used. The Proactive scale (10 items) reflected coldness and distance between offender and victims, the Reactive scale (10 items) reflected recklessness and excuses for violent behavior, and the Acquisitive scale (15 items) reflected less negative views of crime and choices. Convergent and discriminant validities were demonstrated by the Proactive scale stronger correlations with planning items, the Reactive scale stronger correlations with affective and person-based items, and the Acquisitive scale stronger correlations with other-based motives. Linking Proactive, Reactive, and Acquisitive scales to an offense provides psychological meaning that can benefit assessment and interventions.

Structured group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in incarcerated male juveniles.

This is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of a structured group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in incarcerated male juveniles. Ten groups of juveniles (n = 45) completed a 12-session intervention with pre- and postassessments composed of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (C. Frederick, 1985) and supplementary measures of anxiety, anger, and depression. Overall, group participants experienced significant reductions in self-reported PTSD symptoms. Supplemental analyses suggest that this treatment was most beneficial for youth with trauma related to gang and community violence.