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Peer victimization (PV) has been associated with a number of negative psychological sequelae. Few studies, however, have examined the relationship between PV and the symptomatology of posttraumatic stress disorder, and no studies to date have examined this relationship in a rural sample. Adapted versions of the SEQ-SR and the TSCC were used to assess the relationship between PV and post-traumatic stress symptomatology in a sample of 244 rural youths (ages 10-14) in two school districts in a south-central area of the United States. In addition to a positive relationship between PV and post-traumatic stress symptomatology, the results indicated relatively high rates of adult presence and peer bystanding during PV experiences. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer victimization (PV) has been a growing concern among youths, professionals, and parents, and there is considerable evidence to suggest that it is a frequent experience for many children and adolescents (e.g., see Bradshaw, Sawyer, & O'Brennan, 2007). Its prevalence is worrisome because negative psychosocial symptomatology is often associated with the experience of PV; in some cases, increased suicidality is associated with PV experiences (e.g., Brunstein-Klomek, Marrocco, Kleinman, Schonfeld, & Gould, 2007). Moreover, the current school-wide anti-bullying interventions commonly implemented in schools seem to often yeild nonsignificant results in reducing selfreported victimization and bullying (Smith, Schneider, Smith, & Ananiadou, 2004). These findings support the need for additional research, both on school-wide interventions and on the impact of PV on both those who engage in bullying as well as those who are targeted.Rural populations have received scant attention in the PV literature. Although the term "rural" is often thought to connote an indication solely of population size, geographic locale (i.e., proximity to an urban center, including four locale categories [city, suburban, town, and rural]) is becoming an increasing factor in determining the "rurality" of a community. In 2006, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) revised its definition of rural after working with the United States Census Bureau (NCES, 2006). In this revision, schools are assigned to locale categories (e.g., suburban, rural) based on their actual addresses and their proximity to larger urban areas. In data collected from 2005 , the NCES (2006 indicated that a total of 8,038 school districts (56.74%) were classified as rural under this urban-centric locale classification system.Despite the current reliance on the NCES definition of rural, it is important to note that "rurality" is a term that is composed of a broader cluster of characteristics that influence daily living, behaviors, and attitudes. Beebe-Frankenberger (2008) discusses several important characteristics of rural schools and communities that should be noted. The small-town image that many have of the rural setting is often an asset for community mem...

There continues to be a critical shortage of school psychologist practitioners and academicians. Undergraduate students in psychology, education, and other majors (N = 674) from a large comprehensive university in the southwest completed an examiner‐made web‐based questionnaire designed to assess their attitudes and preferences for choosing graduate training in psychology. There were differences among the participants on Interest in Graduate School, Child Interests, Attitude toward Research, and Exposure to School Psychology. Psychology majors were more interested in graduate school than all other majors in the sample and were more interested in research than “other” majors. Psychology majors reported significantly less exposure to school psychology than “other” majors. Examination of the endorsement patterns of the participants indicated the following. Generally, misconceptions about school psychology were not endorsed at high levels. Sixty seven percent of the sample indicated they would attend graduate school. And 77% of the participants also endorsed items indicating they had interests in focusing on children and child related problems. The participants did specify there were some geographic restraints related to choice of graduate school. Fifty to 60% of the participants agreed they had personal qualifications which would make them highly competitive for graduate school admission. Implications for school psychology recruitment are offered.

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