Managing Behaviors & Teaching Social Skills
Antisocial behavior in schools in on the rise and has become a concern in school systems, from both a learning perspective and from a safety perspective, as well. Previously, schools have dealt with such behaviors using punitive measures such as expulsion, or even law enforcement measures to attempt to discourage youth from behaving in an undesirable manner. These programs have had little or no effect on curbing behavior problems in schools. Second Step and Boys Town are programs, which implement a positive approach to behavior management. These programs teach youth alternatives to violence and stress problem solving, coping, and conflict management. These programs have had considerably greater success than their predecessors. This research will qualitatively explore the theoretical issues behind the success of these two programs and take a critical look at them to explore ways in which they may be further improved for greater future success.
Abstract
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction
A. Background of the topic
Historical overview
Definitions
Problem statement
Research questions/hypotheses
D. Rationale Page
Theoretical issues Page
Practical consequences Page
Chapter 2 - Methodology Page
Introduction
Purpose statement
2. Organizational scheme
Scope of the review
Chapter 3 - Literature review
Chapter 4 - Results and Findings
Chapter 5 - Recommendations and Conclusion
References
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Antisocial behaviors in school have been on the rise and recent events, such as the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado, have given the subject a great amount of media attention and have brought the subject into the forefront of people's minds. No one will argue that the schools of today are quite different from those that we attended, or even more so, from those that our grandparents attended. Schools are no longer a safe haven for students or faculty. Many times antisocial behavior does not turn into violence, however, sometimes it does. Antisocial behavior in any form disrupts the educational environment and does not support the ideals of a proper educational environment. Antisocial behavior does not only have an effect on the person being antisocial, but on every other member of the classroom as well.
Boys Town was one of the first programs to attempt to quell antisocial behavior by teaching proper behaviors in a positive and structured environment. Second Step is a program geared towards preschool and elementary school children, which teaches them effective social skills. These two approaches were revolutionary and more effective than the old method of using punishment to thwart antisocial behavior. This research will explore, in depth literature regarding the effectiveness of Boy's Town, now Girls and Boys Town, and the Second Step program. It will explore the history of the current programs, the current state and practices of the current program and will take a critical look at the programs from the perspective of current behavior management theory. The programs will be evaluated and recommendations will be given for future research and possible improvements on the programs.
Background of the Topic
Prior to the 1970s, behavior management of antisocial behaviors was punitive in nature. When a youth "acted out" they were punished by expulsion, or law enforcement measures. If one wishes to regress even further, in the Victorian Era, unruly students were beaten with switches to compel them into proper behavior. It became obvious to a man named Father Flanagan, in Omaha, Nebraska, that these measures were ineffective in preventing the undesirable behavior from reoccurring. He developed an approach based on discipline and structure in an attempt to try to teach boys proper behavior.
We now know that the decisions that we make are based on a complex set of perceive benefits or perceived costs. Punishment alone or the threat of punishment may not be motivation to avoid a certain behavior, especially if the perceived reward outweighs the potential costs. For example, if a boy gets no attention and engages in antisocial behavior, then the antisocial behavior will still occur, even if there is a threat of punishment. The perceived attention may be more important to the boy than the punishment for the behavior. Those who invented the previous punitive system made one fatal assumption in their theories. They assumed that the punishment would be a threat to the one being punished. They used their own values in determining which threat would outweigh the benefit of the behavior....
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