NCJ Number
156290
Journal
Reclaiming Children and Youth Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1995) Pages: 1-56
Editor(s)
E F Kelley,
R Michael
Date Published
1995
Length
56 pages
Annotation
Thirteen articles on counteraggression pertain to struggling with aggression, understanding counteraggression, halting hostilities on many fronts, and what can be done about counteraggression.
Abstract
Counteraggression is a primitive reaction to an aggressive attack. It returns aggression for aggression and violence for violence. The first article presents the views of students who come from high-violence backgrounds. This is followed by an article that contains the perspectives of parents who live with and have tried to respond constructively to their aggressive and violent children. In one article, an author draws on his experience in training thousands of professionals to work with angry youth to outline seven major scenarios that often entrap helping adults in counteraggression against their charges. Other articles show how counteraggression disrupts the classroom setting, outline the "thinking errors" that underlie punitive approaches to delinquency, and present successful programs for peacemaking first developed with students in New York City schools. A pioneer in research on behavior-disordered youth offers insights about overcoming student resistance to adults who attempt to change their behavior. A leader in group treatment with antisocial youth targets the special variety of peer counteraggression that can sabotage efforts to draw youth into prosocial roles. Another article provides yet another view of counteraggression as a central issue in settings that incarcerate delinquent youths. Two authors explain the skills of using Life Space Crisis Intervention to tame the angry emotions of a vengeful youth who is "out for blood." A crisis management trainer describes the rationale for teaching students many of the same skills and safety techniques that professionals learn. An article provides an overview of the knowledge base needed by professionals to understand violent episodes and to maintain security for everyone involved. The concluding article shares the recommendations developed by a panel of distinguished national leaders during the recent national summit on "Breaking the Cycle of Violence." References accompany each article