The purpose of this study was to identify significant social stimuli that were associated with prosocial and inappropriate behavior of children classified as severe behavior disordered (SBD). Two children from each of 19 classrooms–10 from integrated and 9 from segregated special classrooms (for children with SBD)–were observed. One student in each classroom was defined as aggressive and one student was defined as nonaggressive. The selection yielded four groups: integrated nonaggressive without SBD ( n = 10), integrated aggressive and SBD ( n = 10), segregated aggressive and SBD ( n = 9), and segregated nonaggressive and SBD ( n = 9). An exhaustive behavioral coding system was used to record sequentially the social responses between target students and their teachers and peers. The data from each group were pooled for analysis. Lag sequential analysis was used to identify the significant antecedent and subsequent social responses of each code for each group. The results indicated that most of the teacher/child interactions were composed of teacher mands followed by student compliance, with teacher positive consequences for prosocial behavior rarely occurring. All significant antecedent and subsequent social stimuli of students' aversive behaviors were identified. Results are discussed in relation to the reciprocal–coercive interaction hypothesis (Patterson & Reid, 1970), with implications for additional research.

This manuscript presents a review of the growing body of research concerning the influence of negative reinforcement on student and teacher behaviors. Negative reinforcement strengthens behaviors that result in escape from, or avoidance of, aversive stimuli. It is argued that negative reinforcement is a variable in the academic interactions of students with serious emotional disturbance and their teachers, Although both desired and undesired behaviors may be outcomes of negative reinforcement, because of the academic deficiencies of students with serious emotional disturbance and the instructional behaviors of their teachers, the escape and avoidance behaviors exhibited by these students more often may be undesired. The authors call for research to investigate sources of aversive stimuli within academic interactions between teachers and students with serious emotional disturbance as well as the potentially aversive stimuli present in academic activities. Implications for teaching practices also are presented.

An increasing need exists in the field of early intervention for effective approaches to address challenging behavior in early childhood settings. This need is driven by the growing number of preschool children reported to have challenging behavior and the increasing knowledge base about the long-term outcomes for children who engage in problem behavior during the early childhood years. Teachers report that challenging behavior is one of their highest priority training needs. A promising approach to addressing challenging behavior in early childhood settings is a program-wide system of positive behavior support (PBS). While a program-wide PBS model has been clearly articulated for use in elementary and secondary schools, relatively little attention has been given to program-wide models of behavior support in early childhood programs. The purpose of this article is to describe the essential elements of a program-wide model of positive behavior support that reflects an understanding of the needs of young children and the unique characteristics of early childhood settings (e.g., Head Start, public preschool, child care). The article also will provide an illustration of the adoption of the program-wide model by a rural Head Start program.

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the Patterson and Reid (1970) reciprocal/coercive interaction hypothesis as related to the classroom social interactions between teachers and students identified with severe behavior disorders. Additionally, four classroom behavior management strategies are identified as potential setting events for either coercive or positive reciprocal interactions between teachers and students. The literature reviewed indicates that teachers are more likely to attend to student inappropriate behavior (an indicator of coercive interactions) than they are to use positive verbal attention for appropriate behavior (an indicator of positive reciprocal interactions). From this perspective, the authors speculate that the management strategies of posting classroom rules, classroom arrangement, teacher movement in the classroom, and external reinforcement systems (e.g., token economies) may more likely be used as setting events to enhance the effects of teacher coercion rather than potential setting events to enhance positive reciprocal interactions. Recommendations are made for research concerning this hypothesis and for teachers' use of these strategies as setting events for positive reciprocal interactions.