Students with internalizing behavior patterns are often overlooked and underserved in schools, which is problematic in that they are at risk for a host of negative outcomes. As a result, there is a need for universal screening procedures to proactively detect students with these behavior patterns and to provide them with early, ongoing supports. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability, validity, and classification accuracy of the Student Internalizing Behavior Screener using a sample of elementary-age students. The results indicated that the screener demonstrated adequate evidence of reliability and validity. Results also revealed an optimal cutoff score to maximize accurate hits and minimize diagnostic errors, and they demonstrated that the screener was able to identify a unique group of behaviorally and emotionally at-risk students. The implications of the results are discussed, as well as the directions for future research on screening practices for students with internalizing behavior patterns.
School Psychologists are called to increase the well-being of clients they serve. However, despite a focus on supporting academic and behavioral success, school psychology has been used to enforce Eurocentric standards of normalcy and behavior on students in schools, punishing and excluding those deemed different. "Othering" is rooted in a legacy of educational indoctrination and assimilation negatively impacting students from minoritized backgrounds and represents a "colonial present". To evaluate the epistemic violence endemic to school psychology, we conducted a systematic literature review of the most recently published literature across five school psychology journals (n = 627) utilizing a decolonial framework. Articles were coded for demographic inclusion, empirical approach, disciplinary context, minoritized inclusion level, and acknowledgment of author situatedness and roles in maintaining colonialist structures. While, 81% of studies included some degree of minoritized inclusion, less than 5% of these articles utilized culturally responsive approaches or acknowledged colonialism or white supremacy. Recommendations for a movement toward a more decolonial approach to school psychology research are discussed.
Early research on the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated differential impact on the Latinx community. There has been limited research exploring the mental health outcomes of the pandemic on Latinx youth. This study explores the severity of pandemic-related stress on Latinx youth considering their resilience factors and previous adverse childhood events (ACEs). Adolescents (n = 142) ages 13-18 completed measures related to exposure to the pandemic, pandemic stress, number of ACEs, resilience factors, and general demographic information. Results of multiple regression analysis found that exposure to the pandemic, ACEs, gender, and resilience factors predicted the levels of stress that youth experienced. No differences in pandemic-related stress were found between Latinx youth and their non-Latinx counterparts. Implications are discussed related to how school psychologists can support all students with culturally sensitive practices as we continue through the pandemic and beyond.
Impact and ImplicationsThis study suggests that adverse childhood events (ACEs) and resilience factors predict the level of pandemic-related stress experienced by predominantly Latinx high school students. School psychologists play an important role in helping adolescents, families, and teachers understand how ACEs can increase the symptoms of pandemic-related stress and how resilience can mitigate that impact.
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