Have you ever gone to an online news source to suddenly, surprisingly encounter a gut-wrenching headline or photo? Did it make you feel sucker-punched in the stomach?

Now, don’t get me wrong: I think as citizens we have an obligation to know about certain events that may be tragic, hurtful, sad, distressful or disturbing. I’m not saying that horrible events shouldn’t be reported. However, as a psychologist, I would argue that as a society we should have somewhat ‘safe spaces’ in which we can receive news without the proverbial punch in the stomach, if we know, at least in that moment, that we just simply can’t handle it.

As a psychologist, I work with veterans, many with PTSD. Sometimes, they, like many of us, log onto online content to feel more socially connected. Like a self-therapeutic gesture, we do this to sometimes feel more soothed, or distracted from dark or lonely feelings as we delve into novel online content.

Typically, when looking for that sense of connection, or delight, or enrichment, one may turn to news of recent politics, world news, sports scores, entertainment news, comedy sites, book reviews, health & science news, pictures of natural wonders, and so on. However, for many seeking engagement with the news in such a way, they may instead find that their initial encounter will be overshadowed by abrupt headlines detailing deaths, deaths of children, or tortured children on the front page of a particular news site. Even if one is Internet-savvy enough to skip to the front page of these news sites and go straight to their section of interest, horrific headlines and pictures of death and torture will await them on the sidebars. These are non-sequiturs popping up on the same page as articles devoted to meditation, real estate, sports, comedy, and parenting.

Not being able to control encounters with this type of devastating news can be psychologically problematic. It’s not just a problem with combat veterans, or those with PTSD. In fact, I repeatedly hear about this problem from people from many walks of life. Combat veterans and parents of young children are particularly vocal about it. I believe this phenomena causes something that I’ve coined as “news blues.” News blues causes distress when one is not expecting it or prepared for it. It often causes the reader to disengage in that moment from reading the news altogether.

As an avid online news reader, I too have personally felt the news blues. There has been the sting of an unexpected photo, the headline of atrocities to children when I am expecting to read something more benign at night, such as sustainable architecture awards.

Yes, I listen to horrible stories of atrocities for a living. I am able to listen fully, in the right context. For me, there is a large difference between learning about tragedy and atrocities when one feels empowered to help in some way, as a psychologist helps a patient, and then reading about it passively from a new source, with no way to help. The other piece of this is the element of surprise. It is easier to cope with news of such events when it is expected. This allows people to then prepare for such news and work to be emotionally ready for it.

We are rapidly losing control over when and how we are exposed to devastatingly detailed headlines and their accompanying graphic photos.

Some news sites are better able to provide content of all types without the surprise gut-wrenching punch from the headline itself. Although they don’t have a perfect track record, the New York Times often is able to report on crimes important to the nation and world without giving the reader panic attacks or news blues from the headline.

In contrast, the Huffington Post and the Daily Beast -– ironically, two of my favorite news aggregator sites — do so less well. Recently, both sites had headlines on their front page announcing the murder of children in Afghanistan, accompanied by an actual photo of the corpses of these dead children. There was no warning label obscuring the view. There was no “click here” for those who were willing to see. In other words, the visitor on the front page/home page of these sites had no choice but to see this.

What can happen from not being able to control what one sees? For those adults with anxiety and mood disorders, this can set off a whole slew of anxious and harmful sequelae. For those adults without mental health issues, I contend that this can cause news blues. A common emotional response is difficulty in processing the surprise graphic encounter with a horrible atrocity and tragic image, followed by a decision to shut off the news site all together, and ending, at least for the time being, seeking out news.

My concern, apart from the emotional health of readers, is that news blues has the potential to contribute to a civic crisis. When adults stop reading the news, our responsibility as a populace to be informed is eroded. Everyone may not be experiencing news blues. Yet, many report they are becoming desensitized, and this is also problematic. We need to be informed and maintain compassion for other humans.

The social norms of what can be shared in the U.S media have shifted. Where are the honest-but-gently-worded headlines that beckon readers to read more about an important tragedy within the content of the article, instead of disclosing the most disturbing aspects within the headline? Where are the online hyperlinks that can protectively place graphic and upsetting photos behind further ‘clicks’ for the intrepid, willing, and prepared adult readers? Where are the warnings that inform and caution the reader that “some of the following photos may contain graphic content” ?

If, while reading online, we want to know what the “7 Foods We Shouldn’t Live Without Are” or where the “Happiest Cities in the World” are, we have to get there by a dozen clicks and endure slow-loading slide shows. Yes, I know that’s how these sites gauge our engagement which they then use to earn money from advertisers. But why hide this benign information behind a multitude of clicks and slow-loads and then put images of the corpses of dead children openly on the front page and openly on the side-bars of every news page?

“Will you come with me to the next meeting?” Another parent has called. “Whenever I get in one of those meetings, I get overwhelmed. I get so upset by what the teacher and principal are saying that I end up not saying all I want to say. I don’t think they really do it on purpose but it seems I can’t get a word in.”

“I’ve got to get my son to a residential program. We just can’t handle his behaviors anymore. The school says it’s not their problem. Their problem is only providing an education. But my wife and I need relief. We want the school to help us find a place where his mental health issues can be managed and his behaviors can be controlled so he can actually learn something.” This dad was at the end of the proverbial rope.

Maybe one of these conversations — or a part of one — sounds familiar. Your child is having difficulty in school. Perhaps he has been diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disability. Maybe she has autism, a developmental disability or a significant behavior problem. You know your child is entitled to additional support but the school doesn’t respond as you had hoped to your requests for services. With every passing month, you know that opportunities to ameliorate the situation are being lost and the behavior may be growing worse or more entrenched. You are frustrated, upset for your child and just upset. What can you do?

While trying to manage a challenging or troubled child, we parents are somehow also expected to know how to navigate the complicated legal and social systems that could provide help. The school is often our first point of entry to getting the extra supports our child needs. But it isn’t easy. Often it’s contentious. We’re rank beginners while the school personnel have knowledge and experience from working with other families. Even when everyone is well-intended, it can feel like a conflicted situation from the start.

Tips for becoming a successful advocate:

• A little understanding goes a long way. Like everyplace else, schools are straining to stay within budgets and to stretch their money the best they can. Yes, we all understand that. But when it’s our own child who is suffering or whose learning is falling behind, it’s hard to stay compassionate. One parent I know was told by a distressed special education director, “If we send your child to a residential school, it means that we may have to let go of a kindergarten teacher next year.” It wasn’t legal or helpful for her to say it. But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t the truth. Kids with big needs cost the community big bucks. Services for one child can mean that 20 other kids are in an overcrowded classroom. We do have to advocate well for our children, but it helps us be more collaborative when we can also appreciate the position it puts school officials in.
• Get support for yourself. Joining a parent support group or talking with other parents who have kids with special needs can be both a relief and a help. Some of those parents are way ahead of you in the process. They know the ropes. They can provide you with important factual information and they can give you emotional support when you need it. Many communities also have volunteer and professional advocates who can explain the law to you and go with you to meetings to make sure you get heard and that the school responds as it should. If it’s a paid service, consider whether some money spent now can prevent higher-cost legal help later.
• Know your child’s rights. It’s very important to be conversant with your state’s education laws and the policies of the local school system. That way you won’t waste people’s time by asking for things that you aren’t entitled to. You will be taken more seriously by administrators if you have taken the time to learn and understand what you have to work with.
• Always prepare for meetings. Take along a list of talking points and questions. Your time is valuable. So is the time of the people convened to meet with you. You want to use the time you have as best as you can.
• Always take your partner or a friend with you to meetings. Often there are six or more professionals arrayed around the table. It can be daunting. It’s very difficult to take in everything that is said in a meeting when you are emotionally invested. When you have an ally with you, it’s easier to stay focused and to make sure you cover everything you want to cover.
• Leave younger children at home. Small children aren’t always cooperative when parents need to be focused. If you can’t afford a sitter, ask a neighbor or relative for a child care swap. If you really, truly can’t find someone to take care of your younger child, make sure you bring a snack and something to keep the child busy while you talk.
• Work with the school personnel, not against them. That means being open-minded as they try to find ways to meet both your child’s needs and the needs of the other children they serve. Sometimes there are creative, less expensive ways to provide support beside adding staff or sending a child to an out-of-school placement. Interns from local colleges, some parent participation, or in-home support are options that should at least be explored. There is usually more than one way to help a child be successful.
• Keep your cool. It is never helpful to approach with anger and threats people who have something we need. It only makes the other person defensive and resistant. Keep your sense of humor. If you find yourself reaching the boiling point, end the phone call or meeting before you say something you’ll regret or that may backfire on your child. You don’t want to have school personnel running for cover when you want to talk to them. You want their willing participation in solving your child’s problem.
• When following up, don’t wear out your welcome. Yes, you do need to have regular contact about how your child is doing and whether supports are in place. But if you attempt to micro-manage, school personnel are going to become “deaf” to your requests. Keep calls to a minimum. Always have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish before you call or ask for a meeting. School staff are legitimately busy with often a dozen or more other parents who have equally compelling needs.

A few months ago, he was under scrutiny for standing up to the Rockets’ lawyers and officials. He requested that his anxiety issues be treated the way other players’ physical illnesses and injuries are treated. For instance, NBA players are expected to fly frequently to cities where their games are played. White’s anxiety disorders makes it so that sometimes he is unable to do so. He requested to be able to travel by bus, and if he is delayed he doesn’t want to be fined the same amount as players who miss practice because they overslept.

Both parties struggled to reach a resolution, but after many discussions and meetings, the Rockets and White were able to reach a compromise in some areas. He was reassigned to the Houston Rockets’ D-league team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

White’s story is of interest to many who are afflicted by mental illness. He is not in denial of his challenges, but he is not being quiet about it either. He has taken on the cause to help decrease the stigma society continues to place on mental health issues.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that there are “40 million American adults who suffer from anxiety disorders and only one-third of those suffering from an anxiety disorder receive treatment.” Anxiety itself has found its way into everyday language by many who experience stress. Yet, there are still many people who have no idea that anxiety disorders can be paralyzing and should not be trivialized.

Many individuals are embarrassed about their illness because they fear discrimination or that it’ll be a stumbling block in their careers or jobs. White has taken the risk and has decided that his basketball career is important, but becoming a “poster child” to decrease the stigma is more significant.

If you personally are struggling with mental illness or have a loved one who is, how are you handling it?

• Acknowledge it.

  Mental illness does not discriminate against race, gender, age, religion, or economic status. However, many sufferers may be in denial because they believe that asking for help, taking medication, or seeking therapy is a sign of weakness and irresponsibility. They don’t want to admit they have a problem and will only accept help when their normal functioning has deteriorated significantly, and they can no longer afford to suffer alone.People in prominent positions may be embarrassed to admit they have a mental illness. I’m not necessarily talking about movie stars or other celebrities. I am referring to individuals who have been able to succeed in life despite their mental adversities. They need to speak up to help normalize the disrespect many still receive due to their mental ailments.

• Speak up.

  When people share their struggles, others will become aware and even be surprised that their friend, boss, best friend’s daughter or spouse also is experiencing emotional and mental pain. Successful men and women with a mental illness can be an example to society and can contribute to the idea that a mental disorder does not define the person. The media seem to highlight the negative situations and many sufferers feel embarrassed and despondent. Thus, they choose to continue their silence.

• Connect with others.

  A dear friend has found that when he shares the challenge of having a son with mental health struggles, others connect emotionally with him. They trust him and are able to share their own journey with him. Your story of having been there may make a difference to someone who is feeling hopeless.

Society needs to understand that a person can be “normal” and still have mental health challenges.

Royce White is a hero. We need more heroes to stand up and speak up for mental health. Depression and ADHD are becoming more accepted as those in the limelight continue to talk about their experiences. Even people not in the public eye can tell our stories and help someone.

Will you be a hero for someone else? Take a stand. It will be worth it!

Other factors, including cultural context and faith, play an enormous role in implementing crisis interventions. This paper will compare and contrast some of these elements and models to examine how crisis interventions can be best handled now and in the future.

Crisis Intervention

Crisis management after a natural disaster is critical. Going about it properly is key to the success of crisis aversion.

There are many elements to examine when looking at a natural disaster. These include: disaster type; disaster zone environment; available resources; and delivery of resources to the area in which the disaster occurred.

Psychological First Aid

It is important to consider psychological first aid when talking about crisis management for natural disasters. This model examines the needs of the first responders and those involved with crisis recovery and management. Such people can include rescue workers, police officers, firefighters, humanitarian relief workers and any others who are in a position to help out during a natural disaster. This model includes key aspects such as education, providing support of peers, speedy recovery, mental health accessibility and a continuum of care (Castellano & Plionis, 2006).

As Castellano and Plionis (2006) discuss, first responders view themselves as having to be strong for others. Showing emotion is considered a type of weakness. This often develops into a hesitancy to seek help, which ican lead to worsening mental health. This creates a domino effect. The first responder needs to be psychologically and physically healthy enough to assist others. However, if their own physical and psychological health is ignored, the person in need may not be taken care of either (Kronenberg, Osofsky, Osofsky, Many, Hardy, & Arey, 2008).

However, psychological first aid is not applicable only to the first responder. It also is a model of how the first responder is able to help those in need. Providing compassionate engagement is key to helping those who are faced with a natural disaster, as well as allowing those in need to know that the first responder’s purpose is to provide safety and emotional comfort (Vernberg, Steinberg, Jacobs, Brymer, Watson, Osofsky, et al., 2008).

The first responder also must be able to collect information pertinent to disaster victims’ immediate needs. The first responder must be clear-headed enough to recognize the population’s needs and resources available to meet those needs. This requires the first responder to maintain psychological steadiness (Vernberg, Steinberg, Jacobs, Brymer, Watson, Osofsky, et al., 2008).

Stabilization is another key to psychological first aid. A first responder must be able to calm those who are in crisis due to a recently experienced trauma. This is applicable to those who are helping the first responders as well. However, the level and immediacy of stabilization may be different according to the different scenarios and to the needs of a crisis victim vs. those of a first responder. (Vernberg, Steinberg, Jacobs, Brymer, Watson, Osofsky, et al., 2008).

Cultural Considerations

As with most other topics, cultural considerations come into play when looking at crisis management for natural disasters. For instance, within an Asian setting, emphasis may be placed in different areas of a crisis intervention model than it would in a Western one (Udomratn, 2008).

In India, the Nitte Rural Psychiatric Project was adapted for those with limited access to resources. This project offers free care. Its goal is to overcome the stigma of mental health care by utilizing respected community members of, such as religious leaders and local doctors. Education, lectures and awareness are components to mental health care and crisis management. (Akiyama, Chandra, Chen, Ganesan, Koyama, Kua et al., 2008).

However, in another part of Asia, Senior Peer Counseling may be viewed as important in crisis intervention. In Singapore, the respect given to elders may play a valuable role in developing models of overcoming crises after a natural disaster (Akiyama, Chandra, Chen, Ganesan, Koyam, Ku., et al., 2008). In Korea, the Seoul Mental Health 2020 project offers a review of key components of the community mental health resources available to those in the area. This includes looking at adequate coverage, diversifying services in particular areas and also an integration of services. This model is looks at the overall structure of mental health and crisis intervention and aims to improve it (Akiyama, Chandra, Chen, Ganesan, Koyam, Ku., et al., 2008).

Holistic support also may be an important consideration in crisis intervention needs within an Asian population, as discussed in the Yuli psychiatric rehabilitation model for Taiwan.

Faith-based Interventions

Faith-based models also may be considered when dealing with crisis intervention following natural disasters. One model in particular, called the Camp Noah model, focuses mainly on children who have been affected by natural disasters. It is a week-long camp that allows children to express their trauma and be in an environment that supports their faith. It also relies on fun activities to provide therapeutic relief of trauma for these children (Zotti, Graham, Whitt, Anand, & Replogle, 2006).

The Camp Noah model is similar to some of the culturally-based Asian models in that it takes the context of the individual and community to heart. However, its format differs. It does not take on the viewpoint of therapy, but of a therapeutic means of expression. The Camp Noah model is more of a strategy, whereas the Asian-based models are more of an implementation. The Camp Noah model utilizes Bible study, therapist consultation, music, games and crafts. It also has the elements of low participant ratios for quality care and highly trained staff to provide adequate care for children (Zotti, Graham, Whitt, Anand, & Replogle, 2006).

Camp Noah seeks to improve disaster trauma processing and coping skills related to natural disasters. Most of the Asian-based models focus on reducing the stigma of seeking mental health care when a natural disaster does occur. There also are similarities between these models: the community setting is taken into account, and the community and its available resources are included.

Integrative Reviews

An examination of the purpose, sample, method, procedure and results of differing models is a good means of conducting an integrative review for crisis intervention models. Walsh (2009) examined different means of cultural crisis interventions for relief workers after natural disasters had occurred. A cross-cultural sample was examined in-depth to see what governmental and non-governmental agencies could do to intervene.

Walsh (2009) focused primarily on the incidence of reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and how each model worked within the context of cultures such as New Zealand, Germany, the United States, Australia, Turkey, Taiwan, Israel and Iran. Walsh found that three key elements in the data reduction model were relevant to each culture. These three elements included: debriefing, team building and preparation. These elements were different according to the cultural context; however, each proved effective in each of the cultures (Walsh, 2009). Walsh notes that long-term effects on relief workers should be further researched for future crisis intervention models (Walsh, 2009).

Conclusion

Crisis intervention has many elements in the context of a natural disaster. There are the considerations toward the population involved in the natural disaster and the aftercare of not only this population, but the relief workers as well. Models based on cultural contexts are necessary to provide effective intervention and treatment to particular populations. There is also the element of faith when developing crisis intervention models, so as to look at ways of coping with and overcoming trauma. And finally, there is the relevance of examining a model within the cross-cultural context that integrates key elements so as to be globally applicable and efficient in reducing such traumas as post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health concerns.

References

Akiyama, T., Chandra, N., Chen, C., Ganesan, M., Koyama, A., Kua, E., et al. (2008). Asian models of excellence in psychiatric care and rehabilitation. International Review of Psychiatry, 20(5), 445-451. doi:10.1080/09540260802397537.

Castellano, Cherie, and Elizabeth Plionis. 2006. “Comparative analysis of three crisis intervention models applied to law enforcement first responders during 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.” Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 6, no. 4: 326-336. PsycINFO, EBSCOhost.

Kronenberg, M., Osofsky, H., Osofsky, J., Many, M., Hardy, M., & Arey, J. (2008). First responder culture: Implications for mental health professionals providing services following a natural disaster. Psychiatric Annals, 38(2), 114-118. doi:10.3928/00485713-20080201-05.

Udomratn, P. (2008). Mental health and the psychosocial consequences of natural disasters in Asia. International Review of Psychiatry, 20(5), 441-444. doi:10.1080/09540260802397487.

Vernberg, E., Steinberg, A., Jacobs, A., Brymer, M., Watson, P., Osofsky, J., et al. (2008). Innovations in disaster mental health: Psychological first aid. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(4), 381-388. doi:10.1037/a0012663.

Walsh, D. (2009). Interventions to reduce psychosocial disturbance following humanitarian relief efforts involving natural disasters: An integrative review. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 15(4), 231-240. doi:10.1111/j.1440-172X.2009.01766.x.

Zotti, M., Graham, J., Whitt, A., Anand, S., & Replogle, W. (2006). Evaluation of a Multistate Faith-based Program for Children Affected by Natural Disaster. Public Health Nursing, 23(5), 400-409. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.2006.00579.x.

The Boy On The Lake: He Faced Down the Biggest Bully of His Life and Inspired Trevor’s Law tells the true story of Trevor Smith Schaefer, his fight to survive cancer, and his determination to find answers concerning the much higher than average rate of childhood cancer around the town of McCall. Penned by writer Susan Rosser with help from Trevor and his mother, Charlie Smith, the book chronicles the the pair’s battles with disease, with an emotionally abusive father and husband, and, finally, with the government’s lack of attention to environment problems.

When her twelve-year-old son’s malignant medullablastoma was discovered, Charlie Smith was trying to deal with a divorce. During Trevor’s surgery and chemotherapy, the author tells us, Charlie felt she practically lived in the hospital’s cancer unit. As she got to know the other mothers and cancer patients, she developed a sinking feeling that something wasn’t quite right in her town. She began her search to find out why so many children in the area were suffering from cancer. Through extensive research, good friends, nerves of steel, and the drive and optimism to keep going, Charlie came across shocking information about McCall and the surrounding area. The beautiful place she called home was actually a chemical cocktail, and the government seemed less than willing to help.

Along with the cancer, Trevor had to fight off a bully who should have been his most steady support through the whole ordeal: his own father. Ballard Smith was there for his son only when it was convenient, and often stood him up as he suffered through the effects of chemotherapy. Ballard’s lack of emotional support eventually led to emotional abuse, in the form of ridicule for walking funny (an effect of the chemo). Charlie and Trevor were finally able to escape from Ballard’s emotional abuse and control issues to team up for their next obstacle.

Once Trevor had beaten cancer, he and his mother embarked on a mission to raise awareness of the chemicals that infest many towns, with the goal of making the government do something about them. Through years of research, networking with the right people, and the unwavering courage to face down the people who attempted to belittle their quest, Charlie and Trevor were able to make extensive progress in discovering the secrets their town held. The calls began pouring in from all over the country from those suffering in towns like McCall, and Trevor’s Law was born.

The law, if passed, would direct federal funds to areas where the cancer level is particularly high among children so that testing can be done to find possible environmental influences. To help create the law, Trevor and Charlie worked to gain the backing of politicians in Idaho, including numerous state senators. They also worked with parents of children with cancer, people in other cancer clusters across the country, and even the famous Erin Brockovich. Their message gained momentum, eventually leading Trevor to Washington, D.C., to encourage lawmakers to support Trevor’s Law. While there, he pleaded with Congress to see that more effort needs to be made to figure out what’s going on in areas with high childhood cancer rates.

It must have taken Trevor and Charlie tremendous amounts of optimism and courage to not only get through cancer but then campaign to help others with similar problems. Trevor faced the prospect of death before he had the chance to become an adult, yet managed to turn his experience into something positive — something that still may affect the entire country. Charlie, meanwhile, helped the cause even at a time when her family life was falling apart. This perseverance, shown by both mother and son, makes “The Boy on the Lake” an inspiring read.

The Boy On The Lake: He Faced Down the Biggest Bully of His Life and Inspired Trevor’s Law
Morgan James Publishing, October, 2012
Paperback, 300 pages
$21.95

He’d get stuck sitting in one particular chair, hunched over with his head in his hands for hours at a time, was tied to the clock for all activities of daily living, and totally isolated himself from his friends and peers.

I’ve always found it amazing that even though things were this difficult for him the last few weeks of his freshman year in college, he still attended classes and managed to successfully complete the semester.

After connecting with many OCD sufferers over the last few years, I’ve come to realize that Dan’s ability to continue on with his life is not that unusual. Of course, everyone’s circumstances are unique, but it seems to me that many people who suffer from severe OCD still get up in the morning and either go to school, work, or run a household. They are incredibly brave, doing this while often dealing with nonstop obsessions and hours and hours of compulsions. And while they may seem okay to the outside world, inside they are truly tormented.

How can those with OCD be so debilitated and yet so “functional?”

OCD sufferers know their obsessions and compulsions aren’t rational; they just can’t control them. Couple this with the very real stigma that still exists around obsessive-compulsive disorder and you have people who live in fear of being “found out.” A mom with OCD who has harming obsessions may be terrified that her children will be taken away from her if her OCD is discovered. Someone else may be afraid of losing his or her job. These are just two examples of why those with OCD may use every ounce of energy they have to appear “normal.” While outwardly they may be smiling, inwardly they are tortured.

There’s Little Benefit in Hiding OCD

Unfortunately, hiding OCD rarely benefits anyone. Something as basic as receiving a proper diagnosis and treatment is delayed if the sufferer does not seek help or is not honest with his or her therapist. A diagnosis of OCD involves the disorder causing significant disruption in the sufferer’s life. If a person gets up and goes to work, or fulfills whatever his or her daily obligations might be, then the consensus might be that his or her mental health issues can’t be “that bad.” Indeed, the sufferer may believe that also. “If I can work (or go to school, or run a household), I must be okay.” But being able to function does not mean that your life is not significantly affected. And so valuable time that could be used working toward recovery is spent suffering instead.

Another drawback of keeping severe OCD a secret is that it perpetuates the misconception that it is a “cute, quirky disorder.” While inaccurate media portrayals definitely play a role in this misunderstanding of OCD, the fact that so many of those with the disorder mask their suffering so well might also be a factor. Even if an OCD sufferer’s compulsions are visible to others (a need for symmetry at work, for example), what is obvious is their odd behavior, not the depth of their pain.

Additionally, for those seeking accommodations either at school or in the workplace, the belief that OCD is “no big deal” can be a roadblock to receiving the assistance for which you are entitled. Dan experienced this firsthand when the academic resource director at his school remarked at how well he seemed to be functioning. Why should he need any accommodations?

While I believe we have made some headway in reducing the stigma associated with all mental illness, we still have so far to go. If people feel the need to hide their disorder, then we obviously still have a lot of work to do. We have to continue advocating for OCD awareness and spread the word as to what OCD really is and is not. Also, we need to remember that things are not always what they seem. Your smiling co-worker may actually be severely debilitated by obsessive-compulsive disorder; you’d just never know it by looking at him or her.

I believe what happened to Dan could have been prevented if he’d had the proper support systems in place. Ideally, parents and students can work together to begin establishing these important relationships, even before arriving on campus. In my opinion, your support system, at the very least, should include a mental health professional, appropriate school personnel, and family.

The logical place to begin your search for a mental health professional is at the counseling center on campus. A word of caution, however: Many therapists at college and university mental health centers are not trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Even if they are, the number of appointments each student is allowed per semester often is quite limited. Staff at a good college counseling center will be able to give you local referrals to area therapists who specialize in treating OCD with Exposure Response Prevention Therapy.

Even if you feel that a therapist won’t be necessary at school, I encourage you to at least make an initial contact with one. That way, if problems do arise, you will already have a therapist in place. If you currently have a therapist at home that you are happy with, talk with him or her about the possibility of scheduling phone (or Skype, etc) sessions with you, either on a regular basis, or as needed. The most important thing is that you have a therapist available to you. Additionally, if you are taking medication, talk with your psychiatrist at home about getting any necessary prescriptions, and what the plan will be for communicating with him or her. If you or your doctor feels it would be beneficial to have a psychiatrist closer to school, you can get referrals from your current doctor or your campus counseling center.

Next, I recommend connecting with the appropriate school personnel, as mentioned above. Most colleges have an academic support center that assists students in need of accommodations. Again, a word of caution: Accommodations for obsessive-compulsive disorder can be a tricky business. There is a fine line between helping and enabling those with OCD. Also, it is not always clear what accommodations might be helpful to each OCD sufferer. For example, the common accommodation of untimed testing may not help students with OCD, and actually could make matters worse. More time for testing and handing in assignments means more opportunity to ritualize, and more ritualizing may intensify the OCD.

In Dan’s case, the staff at his academic support center had little to no understanding of what OCD really is, and while they seemed willing to help him, they had no idea how. A letter written by your current therapist outlining appropriate accommodations can be extremely helpful, but what might even be more important is the open-mindedness and flexibility of the college support staff. This is because the truth of the matter is that sometimes those with OCD don’t even know what they need until after the fact.

Though we didn’t realize it when Dan started college, he, like many OCD sufferers, often had trouble with time management, the balance of details within the big picture, and over-thinking. Once this became evident, we requested regular, detailed feedback on his work (he is an artist). Another example could be a new college student who might not anticipate getting “stuck” while reading a textbook. Because the OCD sufferer’s needs will likely evolve as the semester gets underway, periodic communication is essential. Again, even if you don’t think accommodations are necessary, you should have them in place. Better safe than sorry.

Other appropriate school personnel to connect with might include your dean of students, academic advisor, and professors. The more people who are aware of your OCD, the more overall support you will have.

The final support system, family, can make all the difference in the world. It is crucial to keep the lines of communication open with your parents and other family members who have been helpful to you in the past. Aside from regular contact with them, consider allowing (through written consent required by law) your parents access to your academic records. This will help assure them that you are on track with your classes, and also alert them early on to any potential academic issues which could be related to your OCD. If this is something you’d rather not do, talk with your family about how much you are willing to share with them.

A final word of caution: While the advent of college often is associated with independence, it is a sign of maturity to ask for help when you need it, and then be willing to accept it. I was fortunate that Dan allowed me to advocate for him when necessary. I believe this is especially important when you are in a new environment where people do not know you well. If you are having problems, an advocate who knows you and understands your OCD can be invaluable.

There is no question college can be stressful, but if you have your support systems in place and address any issues (OCD-related or not) sooner rather than later, chances are your experience will be positive. Here’s to a great year at school!

At this time of year in 2011, those of us in the northeastern U.S. were all reminded that nature can play terrible tricks. We had a blizzard resulting in power outages so severe some lasted for weeks. Halloween was cancelled. We went into survival mode.

We certainly weren’t alone in this. Any family that has dealt with the devastation of tornado, earthquake, blizzard, hurricane, flood or wildfires knows that life can change dramatically in a matter of hours. During such times, people can experience tremendous challenges to their sense of security, their sense of home, and their sense of personal strength. They also can experience what it means for family and community to come together to help and support one another.

The UN General Assembly established the International Day for Disaster Reduction in December 1989. Its purpose is to raise awareness of ways to reduce trauma following disasters. Governments are encouraged to set up systems to prepare for inevitable disasters. Parents and teachers are encouraged to be proactive in their efforts to protect their students and families.

We can’t prevent the unexpected. But we can build our capacity, and that of our family, to cope. Personal strength is only partially a result of genetics and temperament. It is primarily a function of the coping skills we’ve learned and our willingness to put some time into strengthening our inner resources and outer connections. Parenting well in danger zones means becoming an emotional rock our children can cling to and giving them the resources they need to come through hard times.

But preparing for emergencies is most effective when everyone in the family is involved. An international day is as good a time as any for parents to put good intentions about preparedness into action:

• First, deal with your own anxieties and fears about weather events. Kids pick up our feelings, no matter what we say. If you have fears grounded in something that happened to you when you were young, do the psychological work you need to do to heal. You deserve to feel more secure. Your kids need you to be someone they can hang onto if there is an emergency.
• Talk to kids about weather events that historically have happened in your area. Read young children stories as a low-key way to introduce the topic. If you need some help with finding titles, take a look at the University of North Carolina Extension Service list of age-appropriate books that talk about how kids dealt with natural disasters.
• Open a discussion about what your family could do. Strike a balance between being honest with kids about possibilities and reassuring them that there are usually people around to help. Validate their fears and feelings. Then move the discussion to how they can get help and how they can use their own good skills to manage if a disaster happens. Listen to their ideas and support their sense of personal strength.
• Prepare an emergency supply kit. We all know what we should do: Stock up on nonperishable food and water; keep a supply of prescription medications on hand; have a plan for reaching those we need to reach. (See a checklist here.) Many of us become inured to the reality that a disaster may happen here, to us. It’s time we all get busy and just do the tasks of emergency preparedness that we all intend to get around to and don’t. An emergency is far easier to handle when we can reach our loved ones and basic creature comforts are taken care of.
• Involve the children in making the emergency supply kit. Even preschoolers can help put together a first-aid kit and stock a shelf with nonperishable foods. Make sure everyone knows where the flashlights and extra batteries are kept. Post phone numbers for fire, police, and ambulance in a central place. Post phone numbers of relatives and neighbors who need to know you’re okay there too.
• Make sure your children understand whether they should come home or stay put if there is a natural emergency. It is likely that they’ll be at school or daycare if the unexpected happens. Make sure the children know who to call and where to go if they are caught outside.
• Promise to use your own good sense. Take the weather service seriously. Protect your home if you can but put people’s safety first. Stay home or evacuate as the authorities advise. Inconvenience is better than trauma.

Be Prepared

Kids, like adults, do better when they have a plan. We don’t get as fearful if we have an idea of what to expect or what we’re supposed to do. It’s when we don’t know what to do that we get the most anxious and upset.

I wish International Day for Disaster Reduction had a snappier name. With a nod to the Boy Scouts, it would be more kid-friendly if it were called something simple like “Be Prepared Day.” But whatever we call it, having a special day can be just what we need to get us to build our family’s preparedness for the unexpected.

Richardson highlights the significant role Knox played in devising methods of screening immigrants for mental deficiencies during Knox’s brief four years as an inspecting physician at Ellis Island, from 1912 to 1916. Knox and his colleagues were charged with assessing immigrants’ mental capacities, because federal law then mandated that anyone deemed to be an “idiot,” an “imbecile” or “feeble-minded” be denied admittance to the country on the grounds that they would pose a burden to the state.

Under significant public pressure to carefully cull the arriving groups for those deemed mentally deficient, Knox, with help from colleagues, devised a battery of pioneering “performance tests.” They were the first to attempt to measure intelligence in a “culture-free” way — one that would not penalize test-takers whose first language wasn’t English or who had grown up with skills and cultural knowledge very different from those one would acquire living in the United States.

As Richardson shows, Knox’s contributions to intelligence testing ultimately reached far beyond the immigration center in New York Harbor to influence towering figures in the field. Richardson discusses the eugenics movement that flourished during this period and, most significantly, provides a comprehensive history of intelligence testing in the first half of the 20th century.

The result is an exhaustively researched book that will surely appeal to historians of intelligence testing and historians of science, as well as professionals with a particular interest in the developmentally or mentally disabled. However, it is likely to prove too detailed and scholarly to sustain the attention of most general readers.

Knox is a fascinating figure, a young general physician who seems to have fallen into this area of research almost by accident. He was posted to Ellis Island during a time when screening immigrants for mental deficiencies was both a legal mandate and a topic of broad public concern. As Richardson writes:

For just four years, between 1912 and 1916, Knox was not just a conscientious physician and government employee; he was also a highly prolific scientist at the forefront of developments in the construction of intelligence tests.

Richardson argues that even though Knox’s contributions to intelligence testing were largely overlooked and forgotten, especially in the decades after the Second World War, he should be looked at as “a major figure” in the field. His work provided a key link between earlier pioneers, such as those whose work formed the basis of the famous Stanford-Binet IQ tests, and later, even present-day, researchers.

In particular, Richardson convincingly argues that Knox’s approach was groundbreaking because he set out to create tests that, at least in theory, would not rely on immigrants’ verbal knowledge or familiarity with norms of American or Western European culture. These “performance tests” were adapted and incorporated into intelligence testing and cross-cultural research around the globe in ways, Richardson says, that Knox himself “could scarcely have imagined.” 

Knox’s ideas about the importance of nonverbal testing were an inspiration for the developers of many later tests, including large-scale mental testing carried out on Army recruits during the First World War; cross-cultural research on ethnic minority populations around the globe; and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, which are still among the most commonly used assessment methods. One included a version of one of Knox’s tests until its 2008 revision.

Despite his obvious respect for Knox’s achievements, Richardson is ultimately critical of Knox-style performance tests’ ability to be truly “culture-free” and to rely on completely nonverbal means of administration and execution. Richardson cites research, for example, showing that ethnic minorities’ scores on performance tests in many different areas of the world have been higher depending on the extent to which they were exposed to Western culture by being educated in Western-style schools. In the end, Richardson writes:

The tests are artifacts constructed within a specific culture, and they cannot be expected to transfer to different cultures from the one in which they were constructed.

Unfortunately, most of Richardson’s apt analysis doesn’t come until the end of the book. He spends most of Howard Andrew Knox presenting a straightforward and detail-laden history that relies heavily on archival research but tends to bury the readers in facts, with little guidance as to how to interpret their significance.

Richardson seems to have combed the historical record thoroughly, so the lack of analysis may be due in part to gaps in the available source material. For example, although he provides a thorough examination of Knox’s academic and popular writings describing and publicizing the tests, Knox doesn’t seem to have kept personal journals or to have carried out extensive personal correspondence that would allow more in-depth insight into the rationale and motivation behind his work.

As a result, we get a detailed picture of the tests he developed – or helped develop, since evidence is lacking about exactly what role his colleagues at Ellis Island played in devising the tests. But the picture of Howard Andrew Knox the man is more thinly fleshed out, including the intriguing question of why his involvement in the field of intelligence testing was so brief. After just four years, he left Ellis Island to become a “country doctor” with no involvement in the field of research or even in administering the tests he created.

Still, the book provides an important account of the role that one man played during a fertile and important period in the history of American immigration and intelligence testing.

Howard Andrew Knox: Pioneer of Intelligence Testing at Ellis Island
By John T.E. Richardson
Columbia University Press: November 22, 2011
Hardcover, 352 pages
$55

One such topic is stereotypes — specifically, the question of whether they are accurate. Perhaps you hold a stereotype about a certain group and feel kind of bad about that, and try to watch yourself and not rely on the stereotype when you meet someone from the group, because you believe it is “bad” to believe in and rely on stereotypes. At a minimum, it’s politically (if not morally) incorrect. If so, this book will probably make you uncomfortable.

Lee Jussim is professor and chair of psychology at Rutgers University. He is not shy about looking hard at data or asking the uncomfortable question, and is willing to say as clearly as possible what the data actually tell us, rather than what we may prefer they say. Throughout his long career, he has studied and written about various aspects of social perception, including stereotyping, self-fulfilling prophecies, and person perception. However, the questions he raises and the issues he examines in this fascinating book go beyond those issues to include questions about the way the field approaches the subject, undertakes programs of research, examines data, and presents findings.

This thick book is organized into six sections. Their titles hint not only at the content but at the author’s unique, personal voice.

The first section introduces the book and its basic ideas, and presents the early research that established this area of study.

Part Two, “The Awesome Power of Expectations to Create Reality and Distort Perceptions,” comprises two chapters focusing on the power of self-fulfilling prophecies and expectancies.

Part Three, “The Less Than Awesome Power of Expectations to Create Reality and Distort Perceptions,” comprises four chapters. This seeming imbalance between it and Part Two is important: Jussim finds a lot to quibble with in the basic party line that says we human beings are sloppy, biased, inaccurate perceivers.

Part Four covers the thorny issue of accuracy, and Part Five goes on a quest for the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Part Six covers stereotypes. Jussim had originally planned to write one chapter on the topic but ended up with a five-chapter section on this long-studied subject. In the final section, he includes material that didn’t fit elsewhere and draws some conclusions about biases in perception.

It becomes clear very quickly — on page 5 of the Introduction — that Jussim will be taking a contrarian position to much of the established view of these topics. After presenting a comparison of people as either low wattage (i.e., not that bright, fundamentally lazy, leading them to reach irrational and invalid conclusions) or high wattage (i.e., engaged in the world, energetic, motivated to reach valid conclusions about the world), Jussim notes that the prevailing view from the field of psychology is the low wattage perspective. He then writes:

In over 25 years of performing original research and reviewing the evidence on relations between social beliefs and social reality, I have reached the conclusion that psychological and social science data—not the claims or the conclusions, but the data itself—inexorably lead to the conclusion that the glass is 90% full. People are not perfect, but they are pretty damn good. And a large part of my inspiration for writing this book has been to expose some of the extraordinary divergences between the conclusions and emphases of so many social scientists (the low wattage conclusions) and the actual data (which, as far as I can tell, typically paints a picture of people as pretty high wattage).

With such a weighty focus on stereotype, it is good to know what Jussim means by the word. As he says on page 302, his favorite definition is quite simple:  “a stereotype is a set of beliefs about the personal attributes of a social group.” This is, he says, a neutral definition because it makes no claim about whether stereotypes are accurate and rational; are widely shared; are consciously held; are rigid; exaggerate group differences; assume group differences are biological; cause or reflect prejudice; or cause biases and self-fulfilling prophecies. A stereotype may at times be any of these things, but it need not necessarily be any of these things in an assumptive way. The word has, over the years, taken on substantial weight and nasty baggage to become a kind of pejorative, a political (and personal) hot button, but he argues that the business of scientific inquiry is to test hypotheses, not to begin with a bias and then seek evidence of it.

This is a dense book, presenting decades of social science data and conclusions and an occasional table for good academic measure. It’s a serious book, a serious argument by a serious scholar, and anyone with an interest in the topic (especially those who study or teach the issues raised in the book) should have a copy on a nearby bookshelf. It is also written in a great voice — a somewhat cranky, fist-raised voice trying to make the reader sees what the author sees, because it’s important.

My 17-year-old daughter read it over her winter break—for fun—and we had hours of dinner table conversation about the issues. Jussim notes in his dedication that his son and friends are not at all averse to talking about these topics (even if the rest of us become politically correct-squeamish), and my daughter held the same position. Like Jussim’s son, her multicultural friends don’t shy away from talking about the differences they see and readily acknowledge. You may argue with the claims in this book, but you must take them seriously.

Social Perception and Social Reality: Why Accuracy Dominates Bias and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
By Lee Jussim
Oxford University Press, USA: April 6, 2012
Hardcover, 486 pages
$79.99

These relationships run counter to the view that a certain level of political and social freedom is a prerequisite for psychoanalysis’s adoption and growth. For instance, contributors to this book show that under the most repressive military dictatorships in Latin America, psychoanalysis flourished. Thus, most scholars recognize both the emancipatory and repressive aspects of psychoanalysis.

In their introduction, editors Joy Damousi and Mariano Ben Plotkin state, “[W]hat we see in the essays included in this volume is that under authoritarian or totalitarian regimes, psychoanalysts were often persecuted for things that had little to do with their profession and ideas.” This volume is a fascinating, challenging, academic account of the malleable forms under which psychoanalysis appears, is interpreted or is appropriated under authoritarian or totalitarian regimes.

Joy Damousi, Ph.D., professor of history in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne, and Mariano Ben Plotkin, Ph.D., researcher at the National Council of Scientific Research (CONICET) and professor at the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febero, Argentina, organize contributions from scholars of history, politics and psychoanalysis. The book is divided into three sections, each preceded by its own introductions. Regimes examined include Fascist Italy, Vichy France, Spain and Hungary under Fascism and Communism, dictatorships in Brazil and Argentina in the 1960s and 1970s as well as the influence of Hoover, McCarthy and more generally, the Cold War on psychoanalysis in the United States.

As a context for the study of the flow of people, ideas and practice of psychoanalysis in repressive regimes, Damousi and Plotkin present us with a coherent mental framework in which they view their collaborated work. As noted in their introduction:

Throughout its more than century-long existence, psychoanalysis, like any other system of thought or beliefs, has been the subject of transformations, appropriations, and reinterpretation. If we consider that the history of a system of ideas is inseparable from the history of its multiple receptions, then it is impossible to define a ʻtrueʼ psychoanalysis – as it would be impossible, for instance, to define a ʻtrue Marxismʼ – as a yardstick against which all other versions of it should be measured. Although the establishment of a fairly rigid orthodoxy imposed by the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) standardized to some extent the practice and interpretation of psychoanalysis, local conditions introduced important nuances into the IPA standards. Moreover, the existence of dissidents within the international psychoanalytic movement has challenged the IPA-imposed orthodoxy generating alternative ones. . . . since we are not interested in defining what ʻrealʼ psychoanalysis is or has been, nor in evaluating it, but rather in considering it as a complex and evolving cultural phenomena, we consider psychoanalysis to be all practices and discourses that legitimize themselves in the system created by Freud.

The introduction provides clear definitions of authoritarian and totalitarian political regimes. Yet many of the book’s collaborators take a non-reductionistic approach in studying political situations and developments. Thus, politics is not reduced to an epiphenomena of psychic forcers nor are the dynamics of psychoanalysis seen as purely determined by the social or political situations in which they are embedded. Damousi and Plotkin offer us a lens of higher resolution, revealing details of the many fascinating lives, philosophies and backgrounds of analysts under repressive regimes, from the dissolution of the Psychoanalytic Society of Vienna on March 20, 1938, up through the present day.

Psychoanalysis and Politics: Histories of Psychoanalysis under Conditions of Restricted Political Freedom is highly recommended for all scholars interested in the relationship between politics, social movements, and the social and intellectual development of psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis and Politics: Histories of Psychoanalysis under Conditions of Restricted Political Freedom
Edited by Joy Damousi and Mariano Ben Plotkin
Oxford University Press, Inc., USA: February 2, 2012
Hardcover, 320 pages
$49.99

People are hungry for community these days. Cell phones and computers keep us connected more than ever, it’s true. But they keep us connected primarily to people we already know or people we’ve never met. The irony of all that connection is that people’s circles of actual practical support may be quite small. Although relationships made online can certainly be meaningful and intense, it’s also true that people we game with who live hundreds of miles away aren’t likely to drop by for coffee or help out after a storm. The challenge of our times is to figure out how to use the wonderful worldwide resource that the Internet provides but not lose our immediate, in the flesh, daily reciprocal connection with those who live around the corner.

As Adler so eloquently stated, the feeling of belonging is central to our comfort, our safety, and our sense of ourselves as being worthwhile. When people feel part of a larger community, they are more likely to show up and to be supportive, both in times of tragedy and times of celebration. Those who are fortunate enough to belong to a community of faith know how this works. When a family is in need, people they’ve barely said hello to still respond because there is a sense that what happens to one matters to all.

There are only a few other places in present-day towns and cities where people can get to know one another over time simply by being together on a regular basis. Some towns have created lively community centers. But in times of economic hardship, recreation departments and community services often get cut back. The place that usually survives and thrives despite these challenges is the town library. It’s valued as a place that contributes to a town’s identity and that connects people with resources and with each other.

I do have libraries on my mind these days. A local, small (very small) town is trying to collect enough money for a matching grant to build a new library. The current library is certainly dear, but antiquated. It’s so tiny people have to use it in shifts. With no running water, a composting toilet, and a minimal staff, it nonetheless hosts storytimes, provides an Internet hotspot in a town where there’s little access, and creates a meeting place in a community that doesn’t even have a convenience store. (A link to a video about the library is at the bottom of this post.)

Those who use the library are passionate about it. Why? Because, despite those who see libraries going the way of video stores, a library is not just about books. It’s about community, discovery, and valuing the written word. It’s about teaching children to love books and stories. It’s about the value of those fly-bys where we have a minute with a neighbor we haven’t seen in weeks just because we happen to bump into each other when picking out a book. When people regularly connect to each other, even peripherally, they experience themselves as belonging to something larger than their immediate family and their own group of friends. It fosters community pride and community participation.

One of the few truly democratic gathering places, a library welcomes the young, the old, teens, students, professionals and tradespeople. Anyone who wants to read, to search, or to simply be in a quiet place can find information and social connection. There is room for those who want to quietly chat. There’s respect for those who prefer to enjoy the quiet companionship of being with others without verbal exchanges. Regulars soon learn who needs what and find their own niche.

For parents of young children, the library can be a lifesaver. When youngsters are antsy because it’s the third rainy day in a row, all a parent has to do is scoop the kids up and go. A library visit is an inexpensive and rewarding way to spend a few hours. The kids get to choose old favorites or new books to look at. Parents can snuggle up with children to read and look at pictures. Kids and parents can get to know other families. What started out as a stressful afternoon becomes a shared adventure.

The library gets teens out of their personal room-caves and into the community. Not every student has a computer at home. Not everyone knows how to surf the Internet for that tough history assignment or how to write a bibliography. Doing homework and research at the local library opens up the world of information and encourages kids to ask for help when they need it. Librarians show them how to broaden or narrow the search, how to look at databases and how to find new topics.

Some kids use the library inappropriately as a hangout and are inconsiderate of others, it’s true. But most of the time they can be redirected. Hopefully, they learn something about civility and community courtesy in the process.

And for us older folks? Some of us belong to book clubs and would rather borrow than buy the book of the month. Others enjoy reading the local newspapers or exploring international magazines. Still others like to reduce the isolation of working from home and set up in the library for an afternoon of working companionably with others. Those looking for work can surf the want ads, learn more about how to market themselves, and perhaps find like-minded people with whom to compare notes. Those who feel isolated at home can meet at the library to read, to chat quietly, or use a computer without the noise and distractions of the local coffee shops.

Libraries aren’t just a place to borrow books or get on a computer. They are places where we can feed the mind, affirm our membership in our community and maintain our sense of belonging. Adler would have seen them as an essential support for a community’s mental health.

To see the video from the little town that is trying so hard to make a community center and library, click here.

Here are some other fun videos about how libraries serve the community:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac91qqoRL2o&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHD4h5KONP8&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMBHLlswnII&feature=related

Meanwhile, there are the other stories, the ones that concern me more, to be honest. Depression and suicide rates are rising among teens and especially among pre-teens. Mental health problems are a virtual epidemic on college campuses. But the headline that really triggered this column was “School cheating scandal divides N.H. town.”

In Hanover, New Hampshire, where an Ivy League school, Dartmouth College, is located, nine students from the local high school were arrested on charges of breaking and entering. They allegedly carried out a plan that involved stealing keys from teachers, breaking into the school, stealing copies of finals, and distributing them to friends.

There are two interesting aspects to this story. One is that students would go to such great lengths and commit criminal acts to try to get better test scores. The other is how the parents of those accused are furious that the police were brought in and believe the matter should be handled “in house.” That’s another way of saying, please just give our children a little slap on the wrist and forgive their foolishness so their chance for greatness won’t be diminished.

It really does start with the parents, their values and beliefs, from preschool years and on. They are both victims and perpetrators. The former refers to parents being inundated with misleading information from the media and various “experts” that keeps claiming it is academic achievement that will determine your child’s chance for a successful life. Too many parents have bought this story line even though research and common sense make it clear to be a false set of values. Parents then behave in a way to hold their children to these standards and expectations, creating an unreal amount of stress in home after home.

It’s really a shame. Let’s start with preschool. What should children really be learning here? It is their introduction to the educational system. They need to learn to respect and trust teachers as important adults in their lives. Of course, for that to happen, the teachers need to make them feel safe by identifying their strengths and interests and building on them, by using play as the central learning mode because that is most age-appropriate, and by helping children to develop early social skills. If the neighborhood preschool does this satisfactorily, then I urge parents to choose it over the “better preschool” in another part of town that makes life more complicated and, usually, carries with it increased expense, higher expectations, and the start of making school performance a source of great stress for the entire family.

We chose the easy, neighborhood path with our two sons. They had wonderful experiences, walked there with their friends, and it was a relaxed time for all. Being in the Boston area, there were obviously choices that would have put more stress on beginning academic skills just as the option of private schooling was readily available over the rest of their public education. But the boys wanted to stay with their friends and we didn’t really believe private school was necessary for either child.

Please note I do believe that private school is a best fit for some children, whether it is due to the need for smaller classes, the need for a curriculum that emphasizes different strengths (especially the artistic, creative children), or a program better suited to a child with special needs. Beyond that, it’s just not essential to spend all that money and set all those higher expectations.

Both of our sons have very successful careers despite ordinary preschool experiences and just “good colleges.” Their degree of personal happiness, as is the case with nearly everyone, is not determined by academically related factors. It is based on many psychological and social issues that schools never address: Marriage, family, friendships, self-awareness, and self-confidence. It is also impacted by chance events such as medical issues.

As I read the article, I was reminded of an experience I had as a consultant to the Pollard Junior High School in Needham, MA back in the early 1970s. Yes, that is a long time ago! I suppose what I am about to describe was actually a very innovative concept that was ahead of its time.

In the 1970s, Massachusetts had separate funding for special education services for students diagnosed with significant emotional/behavioral problems. Providing these services in junior high schools presented especially challenging tasks for educators. Part of it was the context. Junior highs had always seemed like a bad idea to me and many others. Isolating teenagers when they are feeling disconnected from the world around them (family and community) only seemed to exacerbate their developmental issues. Obviously those teens who were struggling the most would be even more problematic in such an environment.

This was also a time when drug use had begun to reach early teens. (Of course, now this problem starts much younger.) Everyone was grappling with how to deal with this issue and there were few resources or successful interventions that had been established.

At the time, we were fortunate to have a Director of Special Education in Needham who was very open to trying new approaches to solving tough problems. In addition, the principal and assistant principal at the junior high were also very eager to try something new because the old model (isolate in a small class; punish unacceptable behavior) wasn’t working. One of the guidance counselors agreed to be assigned to the program. We had worked together with a number of children he had referred to me in the several years I had been in private practice in Needham. So when he asked me about joining their team as a consultant I was honored and excited. [It was a pro bono arrangement and understood that I could not receive referrals of any of these students.]

The basis of what we evolved relied on the following facts: these students had a long negative history with school, saw the system as being against them, did not see educators as caring or helpful adults in their lives, and viewed themselves as losers. They were all boys (unfortunately still a common finding), frequently explosive, typically arrived late or took off during the day, and came from families that were beaten down by years of behavioral problems at home and in the community.

To these facts we added some assumptions that led to a new approach: everyone has strengths (what Dr. Brooks refers to as “islands of competence”) and success required identifying these strengths and building on them as opposed to the deficit model which tries to fix the weaknesses, an approach that, unfortunately still dominates our educational system and only serves to further damage the self-esteem of struggling students; these students could not spend six hours in school; we needed to get them to believe we actually cared and that we genuinely wanted their involvement in finding solutions; parents needed support and had to also buy into what we were doing.

The most innovative aspect of the program was to have the students get academic credit for time spent volunteering in work or other school settings. This would be supervised by visits from the guidance counselor, supported by weekly classes that were more like support groups where the teens could discuss the challenges of meeting expectations in these settings as well as sharing their successes. In addition, the number of school subjects was reduced (remember they were earning credit in these work placements; that concept was a key factor in changing the students’ perceptions that nothing about school could be positive) and we used high school students to tutor/mentor these teens in the few formal classes they still had to take, reducing the time they spent in the “retard room” as they called their special ed classroom.

These tutors were carefully chosen to fit the interests of our students, so some of their time together could be spent talking about subjects of common interest (cars and music were especially high on the list). Obviously, part of the concept was to expose the students to the idea that kids like them could find success in school and have a plan to do something positive after graduation.

I’ll share some examples of what we did. My favorite is about a boy who loved animals. He admitted he once thought about being a vet but soon “realized” he was too stupid to ever become one. We arranged with a local animal hospital for him to “work” there every morning from 8-10am. This student, who usually failed to arrive at school until about 10am, was nearly always on time for his new job. The people at the animal hospital were great and gave him the opportunity to have contact with the animals as opposed to sweeping the floor. He had a natural affinity for the animals, which they responded to, and the staff often complimented him on how helpful he was. This young man suddenly felt good about something in his life and it was a part of his school program! He received credit for two courses since he spent an equivalent amount of time there. And no homework!

The work placement model included assisting an electrician, working with the maintenance staff at the high school, working at a gas station, and in a music store (this last one actually led to giving some lessons to young children because the teen had his own band and was a reasonably skilled drummer). I know there were a few other placements but those are the ones I can still remember after all these years. For some of the teens we used a placement that has remained popular for decades: tutoring elementary school children. The idea that they could teach was off the charts for these students who saw themselves as stupid and lacking academic skills. While they may have been years behind their peers in most classroom skills, they knew enough to teach young children. More important, as has been proven over and over in many contexts, the ability to make a difference in the lives of others can be a life altering experience. It clearly contributed to a very different self-image for these teens.

Creating this new program not only took the support of key people in the system but it also required arranging transportation from work setting to school (or both, because some of the students came to school in the morning and did their placement after lunch). Fortunately the town had a small bus that we were able to utilize. An unexpected positive fall-out from this new model was that the special education teacher no longer needed an aide since her class was usually smaller. In fact, because of the involvement of the high school tutors, sometimes the teacher had free time to consult with other teachers in the school who still had contact with these students or just to work one-on-one with a student.

After a couple of years we were pleased with the progress we observed. It was a mixed bag, not a miracle “cure.” Some of the students made dramatic gains, others modest ones, and only a few were unable to benefit at all (as I recall these were the teens that had the most significant drug problems). We were excited about continuing but, sadly, the program came to an abrupt end. A new director of special education came in and did not support the program. That’s all it took. I was not allowed to continue consulting and the guidance counselor was required to focus his time elsewhere. The program was eviscerated, which only served to emphasize what we all knew going in: you must have full support of the system or even the best of ideas is doomed to fail.

I have enjoyed recalling this experience after it had slipped from my mind many years ago. While, as Dr. Brooks reports in his article, many innovative programs like this can be found all across the country now, there are still too many places where a strength-based approach is not utilized, especially one that reaches out into the community and finds a place where these beaten down students can fit in successfully. I share these memories with you in the hope that it triggers some readers to try to build such a model in their own school for the next school year. If that happens, I would love to hear from you.

Kids at lockers photo available at Shutterstock

For the most part when you enter a school or a classroom, it really isn’t very different than the ones I went to in the 1940s and 1950s or the ones my parents went to in the 1920s and 1930s. Children are still divided by age groups, sitting in box-like rooms, most still in rows of uncomfortable desks, spending most of their day in a passive process of listening to a teacher, doing a lot of rote work, and struggling with homework. In high school, students still move through a day of many disconnected courses and have minimal connection to their teachers. Dropout rates remain high in urban schools.

The problem is the world in which students and families exist today is dramatically different from when I was young or when my parents were young. In addition, much more is known about how children learn. Yet schools have failed miserably to use this information to create meaningful change in how students are taught and certainly have not made changes to keep in step with changes in family systems or our society or our advances in technology. Nor have they incorporated better ways of preparing students to deal with the world they will face when they leave school.

Thus I was excited to read these articles and am hopeful that maybe some meaningful change is taking root and could slowly spread across the country. This is more likely to happen if parents become informed about these issues and push for change. I hope what follows stirs a few of you to seek meaningful changes in the way your children are educated.

The three topics covered in the articles on my desk are lengthening the school day or year, eliminating middle schools, and the problem with homework. I have written previously about the ills of homework so I suggest rereading one of my articles if you need more insight about this issue or read the wonderful book by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish, “The Case against Homework” (to which I was a contributor), which should be required reading for every parent. I was very pleased to read more data and anecdotes supporting the positive effects of the reduced or eliminated homework model in the Wall Street Journal article (1/19/07, section W). I must share just one tidbit. A 2003 study of math and science achievement showed that in three countries that were among the top achievers, Japan, Czech Republic, and Denmark, teachers gave the least amount of homework. In fact, since Japan is often seen as having a superior education system, I must note that many of Japan’s highest-ranked high schools eliminated homework in the mid-1990s!

As for eliminating middle school, most everyone seems to agree this should be done and those who are doing it are reporting very positive results. The main debate is whether schools should be k-8/9-12 or k-6/7-12. The data so far doesn’t support one more than the other. I am strongly in favor of eliminating middle schools. It isolates children at a critical point in their development when they need inclusion, not exclusion. Much of the violence reported in high schools has its roots in the rejection, teasing, and bullying in 7th and 8th grades that generates a deep rage inside those pained children. As for which grade model should be used, I think the debate reflects one of the inherent problems with public education: focusing on finding a one-size-fits-all answer when the best answer is nearly always to have choice. Thus, I would recommend having both options available. Some middle school students will be better off being able to stay children for a couple of more years while others are ready to be part of a more advanced social and academic group.

That leaves the more complex issue of lengthening the school day or the school year which will be the primary focus of this article.

Increasing the Amount of Time Children Spend in School

This is an issue that has been discussed for decades but little has been done about it. American children spend less time in school than most of the rest of comparable countries. Part of the reason lies in the roots of our educational system, which was created to fit around the farming and harvesting schedule of our rural society starting about 400 years ago. But the resistance to substantial change really lies with teacher unions, concerns about costs, and the belief that children need time off to play. There is also the vision of wonderful summer vacations, a reality for only a limited percentage of children in the U.S. and a substantial burden for most of the poor, urban families.

States determine how much time children must spend in school and there are significant disparities within the country. A recent study of this issue reported differences of as much as several weeks of schooling in the 50 largest school districts in the U.S.

Newsweek’s article on this topic (1/22/07 issue, p.12) noted how New York City had added 65 minutes to its school day and, given that the NYC school year is 12 days longer, it adds up to eight more weeks of class time than the city of Chicago, a significant potential advantage for the NYC children. Notice, however, I use the phrase “potential advantage.” Simply more of the same poor educational approach is not going to prove helpful. I strongly believe in a much longer school day and school year. But that requires a very different vision and mission for our schools.