No abstract

Examined roles for attitudes about violence as a possible influence on the frequency of commonplace aggression toward peers among 1,033 adolescents in the 7th through 9th grades. The peer victimization measure adapted from prior studies yielded 2 reliable subscales: Victimization of Self and Victimization of Others. The attitudes and beliefs measure modified for this study yielded 3 reliable subscales (Aggression Is Legitimate and Warranted, Aggression Enhances Power and Esteem, One Should Not Intervene in Fights). These attitudes were meaningfully related to self-reported aggression toward peers but less clearly related to self-victimization. The attitudes were plausible mediators of the relation between gender and aggression toward others and appeared influential for both boys' and girls' aggression toward peers. Little support was found for these attitudes moderating the relation between self-victimization and aggression toward others, yet a clear link between victimization of self and aggression toward others was evident. Results support an emphasis on attitudes and values regarding aggression in violence-prevention efforts, as well as direct efforts to reduce self-victimization.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) consists of a systematic set of helping actions aimed at reducing initial post-trauma distress and supporting short- and long-term adaptive functioning. Designed as an initial component of a comprehensive disaster/trauma response, PFA is constructed around eight core actions: contact and engagement, safety and comfort, stabilization, information gathering, practical assistance, connection with social supports, information on coping support, and linkage with collaborative services. PFA for children and adolescents focuses on these same core actions, with modifications to make them developmentally appropriate. Formal evaluation of the effectiveness of PFA is needed and it is hoped that development of a PFA Field Operations Guide will facilitate such evaluation.

Professional psychologists are called upon to deal with a broad array of crises and traumatic events. However, training and expertise in crisis response varies widely among practitioners, and there has been considerable controversy about the value of widely disseminated mental health crisis intervention protocols that include "debriefing" as an essential feature. This article gives an overview of the developmental process, guiding principles, and core actions of the Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide (PFA Guide), which provides guidance for practitioners in responding to immediate mental health needs of children, adults, and families who have recently experienced a disaster or terrorist event. Issues in training, provider self-care, and evaluation research are also presented. The PFA Guide presents approaches thought to be most consistently supported by current research and practice so that they can be taught, used, and evaluated in field settings. Although we expect further refinement as more systematic research becomes available, the PFA Guide represents a sustained collaborative effort to define current evidence-informed best practices that can be utilized now by practitioners involved in disaster mental health responses.

No abstract