Description of the development and testing of a new 36-item scale in Likert format, designed to assess the acculturative stress of international students, includes perceived discrimination, homesickness, fear, guilt, perceived hatred, and stress due to change (cultural shock), identified as major contributing factors. The psychometric properties of this instrument and implications for use by mental health practitioners are discussed.

Abstract. This article examines both intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that contribute to the psychological distress of international students. It presents several counselling strategies and techniques that are known to alleviate the acculturative stress of these students. The underlying purpose of this article is to make the sojourning experience of foreign students more satisfying and thus enhance their academic achievements.The tradition of traveling abroad for adventure and knowledge is as old as learning itself. As a world center of information and advanced technology, the United States of America has become a country of major attraction for foreign students. Both students and scholars perceive higher education in the United States as the best system in the world (Johnson, 1993). As a result, America ranks first among all countries of the world that host foreign students. According to the annual report, Open doors 1990Open doors -1991, from the total worldwide enrollment of 1,168,075 foreign students studying in the different countries of the world, 407,530 (34.89%) attended American colleges and universities (Zikopoulos, 1991). France ranked second with 136,015 foreign students (11.64%) and Germany the third by hosting 91,926 (7.87%) of them.It is important to note that foreign students from the Third World countries perceive that higher education in America could help them improve their professional opportunities in their own native countries (Altbach, Kelly & Lulat, 1985). Thus, it is not surprising that an overwhelming majority (80.9%) of foreign students attending United States universities is from underdeveloped countries. For American universities with declining enrollments, hosting the international students is also an economically rewarding opportunity.The most recent data available indicates that there were 438,618 international students enrolled in the United States for Fall 1992(Zikopoulos, 1993. This is a steady increase of 23.14% within past five years. Economic, cultural, and political factors indicate that the number of international students will be increasing significantly in the future

A growing body of evidence points to the important role of spirituality in treating medical and psychological conditions. The authors suggest that spirituality is a 5th force in counseling and psychology. Consequently, the assessment of spirituality is a new and growing area of interest for counselors. Assessment can assist both the counselor and client in obtaining a better understanding of the role of spirituality in the issues that bring the client to counseling and in designing treatment interventions appropriate for resolution of those issues. Selected instruments currently in use are described and their psychometric properties and potential uses are examined.

This article introduces Asian and Pacific Islander Americans as disparate groups of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. From the perspective of culturally prescribed norms, standards, and values that affect the acculturation experiences and lifestyles of this ethnic minority group, some psychocultural profiles are presented. The relevant implications for counseling and psychotherapy are also suggested. Daya Singh Sandhu is a chairperson and an associate professor in

As concerns about the level of school violence have increased in recent years, many schools have instituted policies designed to deter or prohibit violent and aggressive acts on school campuses. Although well intentioned, most such policies tend to be reactive and punitive in nature. In contrast, this article proposes a positive approach to violence prevention based on establishing meaningful connections between students, their families, peers, and school.