Análisis de las habilidades adquiridas por alumnado formado en mediación en un contexto escolar

Son escasos los estudios que analizan las habilidades que los alumnos adquieren en su formación como mediadores escolares, así como las dificultades principales a las que se enfrentan. Este trabajo analiza la aplicación -frecuencia y adecuación- de habilidades de escucha activa por parte de 9 alumnos de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Postobligatoria que siguen un programa formativo sobre mediación escolar. Se realizó un análisis observacional de las intervenciones de los estudiantes durante simulaciones de mediaciones basadas en casos reales. Adicionalmente, se realizaron entrevistas y grupos de discusión para conocer la percepción de los alumnos sobre su propia ejecución. Los resultados constatan que los alumnos utilizan principalmente la estrategia de hacer preguntas abiertas, seguida de resumir y parafrasear; mientras que las estrategias de reflejar y los mensajes yo prácticamente no son utilizadas. Esto coincide con su propia percepción, ya que destacan la dificultad de aplicar estas últimas. Estos resultados muestran por una parte, la importancia de que los programas formativos en mediación escolar proporcionen un abanico mayor de oportunidades para practicar estas habilidades. Y por otra, sugieren la necesidad de incluir en ellos un periodo de prácticas supervisadas, así como secuenciar la dificultad de los casos a los que deben enfrentarse estudiantes que se están iniciando en la mediación

Short research report : the role of language in the relationship between emotion comprehension and theory of mind in preschool children

For several decades, there has been an interest in understanding how Emotion Comprehension (EC) and Theory of Mind (ToM) are related during the preschool years. In addition, the links between language and ToM (Astington & Baird, 2005; Schick, de Villiers, de Villiers, & Hoffmeister, 2007) and language and EC (Cutting & Dunn, 1999; Hughes, White, & Ensor, 2014; Pons, Lawson, Harris, & de Rosnay, 2003) have been studied. Numerous studies have highlighted the important role played of language in ToM (Astington & Jenkins, 1999). For some authors, the specific properties of language are necessary for the development of ToM, and not only those related to age and neurological maturity (de Villiers & Pyers, 2002; Jackson, 2001; Remmel, Bettger, & Weinberg et al., 2001; Schick et al., 2007). Moreover, in recent years, evidence has been obtained about the relation between language and EC. Children with high scores in linguistic abilities show better EC (Cutting & Dunn, 1999; Pons et al., 2003; Ruffman, Slade, Rowlandson, Rumsey, & Garnham, 2003). Various studies show an important relation between EC and early conversations between adults and children. Thus, the frequency, style, and content of the discourse between parents and children, including emotional references and explanations, are positively related to EC in children (Beck, Kumschick, Eid, & Klann-Delius, 2012).peer-reviewe

Parental support and gender moderate the relationship between sexual orientation and suicidal behavior in adolescents

la investigación indica que las personas pertenecientes a minorías sexuales tienen un mayor riesgo de sufrir problemas de salud mental. Además, el apoyo parental podría desempeñar un papel protector. El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar, en una muestra representativa de adolescentes, si la orientación sexual estaba relacionada con un mayor riesgo de sufrir problemas de salud mental. Se analizó el posible efecto moderador del apoyo parental en la relación entre la orientación sexual y la salud mental, moderado también por el género de los participantes. Método: participaron 1790 estudiantes de secundaria. Se evaluaron indicadores de dificultades emocionales y conductuales, depresión, experiencias psicóticas, conducta suicida, bienestar y autoestima. Resultados: se encontraron efectos principales significativos de género y orientación sexual. Tener una orientación sexual diversa (es decir, lesbiana/ gay, bisexual y questioning) estaba relacionado con mayores dificultades de salud mental. Además, se encontró una interacción significativa del género y la orientación sexual en la conducta suicida. Por último, el apoyo parental y el género moderaron la relación entre la orientación sexual y la conducta suicida. Conclusiones: estos resultados ponen de manifiesto la importancia de promover la salud mental y el bienestar de los jóvenes pertenecientes a minorías sexuales.The scientific literature indicates that people from sexual minorities may be at increased risk for mental health difficulties. Moreover, parental support could play a protective role against poor mental health. The objective of this study was to examine whether a persons sexual orientation was related to a greater risk of mental health problems in a representative sample of adolescents. In addition, the study analyzed the possible moderating effect of parental support in the relationship between sexual orientation and mental health, as also moderated by participant gender. Method: The sample consisted of 1790 secondary-school students. Indicators of emotional and behavioral difficulties, symptoms of depression, psychotic-like experiences, suicidal behavior, well-being, and self-esteem were assessed. Results: The results indicated significant main effects of gender and sexual orientation. Having a diverse sexual orientation (i.e., lesbian/gay, bisexual and questioning) was related to increased risk of mental health difficulties. Moreover, the results showed a significant interaction effect of gender and sexual orientation on suicidal behavior. Finally, the results showed the moderating effect of parental support and gender in the relationship between sexual orientation and suicidal behavior. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of promoting sexual minority youths mental health and well-bein

Implementación de un programa de mediación escolar: Análisis de las dificultades percibidas y propuestas de mejora

This research analyzes the implementation of a Mediation Program in a high school in Madrid, taking into consideration the group participants’ perception of the difficulties. During the academic year (2011-2012) meetings and training activities, as well as several focus groups were developed. Once the process was over some difficulties at different levels were observed (lack of involvement, internal and external coordination difficulties, among others aspects). On the other hand, the participants also expressed their satisfaction with the Mediation Program (as it facilitated a better coexistence in their school or the development of personal skills). Furthermore, some participants’ suggestions to improve the Mediation Program are presented. Finally, the necessity of contextualizing these projects within a long term perspective is pointed out. It seems a key factor to be able to prioritize short term objectives, and to consider at least a period of two years for a successful implementation of the program and to carry on with the process in spite of difficulties.La investigación realizada analiza la puesta en marcha de un Equipo de Mediación en un centro de Secundaria de la Comunidad de Madrid, en concreto, la percepción de las dificultades encontradas por los participantes en dicho equipo. Durante un curso académico (2011-2012) se asistió a reuniones internas, actividades de formación y se realizaron grupos de discusión. Se han observado dificultades en diversos niveles (falta de implicación, dificultades de coordinación interna y con otros órganos, etc.), así como alta satisfacción con otros aspectos (posibilidades de mejora de la convivencia o habilidades personales adquiridas). Como conclusiones se presentan las propias sugerencias de mejora del grupo para el próximo curso, y, de cara a la implantación en otros centros, la importancia de la contextualización y la adopción de una perspectiva a largo plazo. Parece determinante que las personas que en él se impliquen sean capaces de priorizar objetivos a corto plazo y tener en mente un periodo mínimo de implementación de dos años, para poder avanzar en el proceso y no desanimarse ante las dificultades

The Role of Language in the Relationship between Emotion Comprehension and Theory of Mind in Preschool Children.

For several decades, there has been an interest in understanding how Emotion Comprehension (EC) and Theory of Mind (ToM) are related during the preschool years. In addition, the links between language and ToM (Astington & Baird, 2005; Schick, de Villiers, de Villiers, & Hoffmeister, 2007) and language and EC (Cutting & Dunn, 1999; Hughes, White, & Ensor, 2014; Pons, Lawson, Harris, & de Rosnay, 2003) have been studied. Numerous studies have highlighted the important role played of language in ToM (Astington & Jenkins, 1999). For some authors, the specific properties of language are necessary for the development of ToM, and not only those related to age and neurological maturity (de Villiers & Pyers, 2002; Jackson, 2001; Remmel, Bettger, & Weinberg et al., 2001; Schick et al., 2007). Moreover, in recent years, evidence has been obtained about the relation between language and EC. Children with high scores in linguistic abilities show better EC (Cutting & Dunn, 1999; Pons et al., 2003; Ruffman, Slade, Rowlandson, Rumsey, & Garnham, 2003). Various studies show an important relation between EC and early conversations between adults and children. Thus, the frequency, style, and content of the discourse between parents and children, including emotional references and explanations, are positively related to EC in children (Beck, Kumschick, Eid, & Klann-Delius, 2012).post-print542 K

Orígenes de los Programas de Mediación Escolar: Distintos Enfoques que influyen en esta Práctica Restaurativa

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar los orígenes de la mediación escolar y de las disciplinas de las que se nutre. El tener una mejor compresión de los diferentes enfoques relacionados con la mediación, así como la terminología a ella asociada (justicia restaurativa, grupos cooperativos, alumnos ayudantes, etc.), permitirá tener una visión más amplia de sus posibilidades. Para ello se ha llevado a cabo una revisión desde las primeras aportaciones de los grupos indígenas, que aplicaban este tipo de conciliación en el seno de la comunidad, hasta la incorporación de esta forma de resolver conflictos al contexto judicial, a través de la justicia restaurativa. Junto con esta disciplina, la más ampliamente estudiada, hay otras áreas que han influido en el desarrollo de los programas de mediación en el contexto escolar, como son los programas de aprendizaje cooperativo o los programas de apoyo entre iguales. Finalmente se plantearán una serie de conclusiones insistiendo en cuáles son las aportaciones de cada uno de estos enfoques, lo cual ayudará a una mejor aplicación de esta intervención

Spanish normative data of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a community-based sample of adolescents

Background/Objective: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire self-report (SDQ-S) has been extensively used to assess mental health problems among children and adolescents. However, previous research has identified substantial age and country variation on its psychometric properties. The aim of this study was three-fold: i) to evaluate internal structure and measurement invariance of the Spanish version of the SDQ; ii) to analyze age and gender-specific effects on the SDQ subscales; and iii) to provide Spanish normative data for the entire age range of adolescence. Method: Data were derived from two representative samples of adolescents aged 14 to 19 years old, selected by stratified random cluster sampling years (N = 3378). Results: The reliability of the Total difficulties score was satisfactory, but some subscales showed lower levels of internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original five-factor model. Finally, results revealed that SDQ scores were influenced by the gender and the age of participants; thus, the normative banding scores and cut-off values were provided accordingly. Conclusions: This study validates the Spanish SDQ-S for the entire age range of adolescence. However, more cross-country and cross-age research is needed to better understand the inconsistent findings on SDQ reliability

Measurement invariance across gender and relationship with sociometric status

In recent years, bullying research has transitioned from investigating the characteristics of the bully?victim dyad to examining bullying as a grouplevel process, in which the majority of children play some kind of role. This study used a shortened adaptation of the Participant Role Scale (PRS) to identify these roles in a representative sample of 2,050 Spanish children aged 8 to 13 years. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed three different roles, indicating that the adapted scale remains a reliable way to distinguish the Bully, Defender, and Outsider roles. In addition, measurement invariance of the adapted scale was examined to analyze possible gender differences among the roles. Peer status was assessed separately by gender through two sociometric procedures: the nominations-based method and the ratingsbased method. Across genders, children in the Bully role were more often rated as rejected, whereas Defenders were more popular. Results suggest that although the PRS can reveal several different peer roles in the bullying process, a more clear distinction between bullying roles (i.e., Bully, Assistant,and Reinforcer) could better inform strategies for bullying interventions

Spanish validation of the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC) in preschool and elementary children: Relationship with emotion knowledge

Emotion Regulation is one of the most widely studied variables in child development. However, it is a complex construct, and there are few validated instruments to evaluate children. The main goal of this study was to test the factorial structure of the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC) in two samples of Spanish children, one with 284 preschool children (48.3% girls; M = 4.38) and the other with 323 elementary school children (49.2% girls; M = 8.82). The ERC was completed by the children's teachers. Although this instrument has been validated in different cultural contexts, no studies have analyzed its psychometric properties in Spanish samples. An examination of the internal structure, using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), revealed that the original two-factor model (Emotion Regulation and Lability/Negativity) fitted the elementary school children's data well; however, in the sample of preschool children, the factorial model showed poor goodness-of-fit indices. The reliability of the ERC subscales was .77 for ER and .88 for L/N in the preschool-aged sample, and .80 for ER and .77 for L/N in the sample of elementary school children. In addition, the relationship between the ERC and the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) was explored. L/N correlated negatively and significantly with TEC in the sample of elementary school children. These findings provide some support for the use of the Spanish teachers’ version of the ERC with elementary school children

Implementation of a school mediation program: analyzing the perceived difficulties and ways to improve it

This research analyzes the implementation of a Mediation Program in a high school in Madrid, taking into consideration the group participants’ perception of the difficulties. During the academic year (2011-2012) meetings and training activities, as well as several focus groups were developed. Once the process was over some difficulties at different levels were observed (lack of involvement, internal and external coordination difficulties, among others aspects). On the other hand, the participants also expressed their satisfaction with the Mediation Program (as it facilitated a better coexistence in their school or the development of personal skills). Furthermore, some participants’ suggestions to improve the Mediation Program are presented. Finally, the necessity of contextualizing these projects within a long term perspective is pointed out. It seems a key factor to be able to prioritize short term objectives, and to consider at least a period of two years for a successful implementation of the program and to carry on with the process in spite of difficulties