This article examines recent research and developments relating to the role of phonemic awareness and phonics in early literacy education and the relevance of these findings for school counsellors and teachers. It defines and reviews the role of phonemic awareness and phonics in theoretical models of reading processes, including whole-language, code-based and balanced literacy programs, to determine the varying degrees of significance attributed to these components in early reading instruction. It critically reviews recent national and international government research, reports and recommendations to examine how phonemic awareness and phonics are conceptualised and translated into educational policy. In doing so, the article highlights the need for establishing a comprehensive and explicit theoretical and practical framework for the teaching of phonemic awareness and phonics, and a thorough analysis of the range of traditional and contemporary methods of teaching phonemic awareness and phonics in the classroom. The importance of school counsellors having a greater understanding of research about contemporary best practices in literacy education, and a key role, in partnership with teachers, in ensuring such knowledge is put into practice, is emphasised.

School psychologists who contribute to the assessment of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are required by various Australian state government authorities to use standardised testing of cognitive skills, adaptive behaviour and some autism-based symptomatology to demonstrate the eligibility of those children for support funding in the school environment. However, this process does not always address the needs of parents and teachers for detailed and particular analysis of the reasons for the pervasive behavioural difficulties often shown by children with an ASD. Such difficult behaviour has been shown to contribute to high levels of stress among caregivers and often prevents the child with an ASD from successful school inclusion. Therefore, it would be advantageous for parents and teachers to have access to information obtained from an analysis of the child's behavioural difficulties as one outcome of the formal testing process that is conducted to examine the possible presence of an ASD. This paper presents a brief example of how a basic behavioural investigation might be incorporated into the assessment of children with a suspected ASD.

Life satisfaction is an important component of psychological health and wellbeing. Although personality is consistently linked to life satisfaction, its ‘innate’ and stable nature can make it a difficult target for intervention by practitioners. More malleable and context-specific factors such as multidimensional self-concept may prove to be better targets for such intervention. However, the extent to which multidimensional self-concept predicts life satisfaction over and above personality is unclear. The present study, then, examines the extent to which these two factors predict life satisfaction with a view to ascertaining their relative salience for subsequent research and practice. Among a sample of 523 (predominantly young) adult students from two universities/colleges in Sydney, structural equation modelling using LISREL examined a process model of personality, multidimensional self-concept, and life satisfaction. Results suggest a strong direct role for the personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness but also an important mediating role for parent, same-sex peer, physical ability, and appearance self-concepts. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

School-based approaches to addressing aggression in the early grades have focused on explicit curriculum addressing social and emotional processes. The current study reviews research on the distinct modes of aggression, the status of current research on social and emotional processing relevant to problems of aggression amongst young children, as well as the social-relationship processes that occur in schools that hold transformative potential for children's aggression and behavioural development. A framework incorporating peer-to-peer, teacher–child, and teacher-parent relationship components within a social–emotional curriculum is outlined to inform a multisystemic approach to addressing young children's aggression.

In this study international and domestic students were compared on variables such as accommodation and financial satisfaction, social support, mismatched expectations, academic stress, dysfunctional coping, and psychological distress. International and domestic students (N = 86 for each group), enrolled at a large Australian university based in a capital city, completed a battery of questionnaires. Results demonstrate that in comparison to domestic students, international students had less social support, used more dysfunctional coping strategies and had greater incongruence between their expectations and experiences of university life. The results endorse the significance of providing high quality supportive and orientation programs to international students, to enhance their social support and coping strategies, which, as demonstrated, are lacking.

Challenging behaviours in young children impact upon schools and families and can lead to more serious challenges in adolescence and adulthood. In the last decade, there has been an increasing trend towards the development of early intervention and prevention programs that serve to draw on child competencies to ameliorate some of the factors that may increase a child's susceptibility to ongoing challenging behaviours. This article reports on a recently evaluated program titled the Early Impact (EI) Program. Some of the unique features of the program are examined, including the home and school components of the intervention that emphasise the strength-based philosophy that underpins the program. A summary of key findings of a recent evaluation of the EI program are also presented that highlight the program's effectiveness and utility for early childhood practitioners working with at-risk children in regular school communities. Finally, recommendations for specific practices in the implementation of intervention programs as well as areas for future research are identified that would serve to extend the current body of knowledge focussing on effective early intervention and prevention frameworks for young children and their families.

This article reports on part of a commissioned research study into students with severe challenging behaviour in primary schools serviced by the Catholic Education Office (Parramatta Diocese) in western Sydney. The data reported in this study relates to support services accessed by schools and their perceived efficacy as well as impacts of dealing with challenging behaviour on the school community. A total of 51 students were identified as having severe challenging behaviour using very conservative criteria. In-school supports were most frequently used and rated as most efficacious. External supports services tended to be used less frequently and were rated as less efficacious. Parental support was seen as limited and a range of family factors was viewed to both facilitate and hinder support of students. A range of significant impacts on the school community was documented. The support of students with severe challenging behaviour in regular school settings will clearly present an ongoing issue and several suggestions arising from the present research are offered.

From Freud through to modern times researchers have aimed to develop a clearer understanding of therapeutic processes and outcomes. Despite this continued interest in the field, the representation of psychotherapy processes and the applicability of research findings and recommendations to the therapeutic field continue to prove difficult. Quantitative and qualitative studies each purport to provide answers, however, they differ greatly in their research methods and underlying ontological and epistemological views. Efficacy and effectiveness studies and the measures of statistical significance and clinical significance are explored with their inherent strengths and weaknesses highlighted. This paper presents the view that research into psychotherapy should enhance the experiences of both the therapist and client. For this to be achieved it is recommended that quantitative and qualitative data, or objective and subjective experiences, should collude rather than collide.

Cyber bullying or bullying via information and communications technology tools such as the internet and mobile phones is a problem of growing concern with school-aged students. Cyber bullying actions may not take place on school premises, but detrimental effects are experienced by victims of cyber bullying in schools. Tools used by cyber bullies are presented and the impact on victims is discussed. Intervention strategies for school counsellors, guidance officers, and school personnel to adopt with students and parents are presented.

There are increasing demands in schools to provide social–emotional learning opportunities for students. This article reports on the utility of a universal coping skills program for young people at risk for depression in a rural context. The study deals specifically with the utility of the Best of Coping (BOC) program implemented to all students in Year 9 with a view to examining the benefits for students at-risk for depression. Two cohorts of Year 9 students (N = 159) participated in the program across 2006–07. Program effects were evaluated using the Adolescent Coping Scale and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and qualitative interviews. Successful intervention with the BOC was found to help students at-risk decrease dependence on Non-Productive coping strategies and reduce risk for negative mental health outcomes. Findings demonstrated that those in greatest need were able to benefit from a universal intervention program.

Perfectionism has been shown to be related to depressive symptomatology in both adult and child populations. However, there are no known studies of levels of socially prescribed (SPP) and self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) in nonclinical children versus those with a clinically diagnosed depressive disorder. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine SPP and SOP as predictors of depressive diagnoses in a sample of 10- to 11-year-old children. Seven hundred and eighty-six children (390 boys, 396 girls) from primary schools in low socio-economic metropolitan areas completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) as part of a larger study. Children who scored above the clinical cut-off for the CDI also completed part of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents–IV. Fifty children met criteria for a diagnosis of a depressive disorder. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to predict diagnostic status from SPP, SOP, gender, and intervention group. SPP was the only significant predictor of diagnostic status. Implications for the treatment and prevention of childhood depression are discussed.

Beginning with a discussion of current legislation in Australia around inclusion, this paper highlights recent research into the school experience of Same Sex Attracted Youth (SSAY), including the issues faced by students, and the negative outcomes of such experiences. The school experiences of SSAY youth is positioned within a social justice framework. The critical role that school counsellors can play in determining school culture is examined. The role of a school counsellor as part of a pastoral care team within school management is also highlighted. Factors that may influence a more supportive and inclusive school culture are discussed.

Although schools are meant to be safe learning environments for all children, some children are not afforded equal access to the protection of their safety and security. Every day, children who might be same-sex attracted are confronted with a unique set of challenges that are not being adequately addressed by the administrators of educational institutions. Despite increasingly positive shifts in Western societal feelings about homosexuality, educators continue to fail to implement inclusive practices and social justice for children who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT).

Depression is a problem in the student population and may impact students of any age, gender and ethnicity. Previous studies have indicated student demographic characteristics are associated with depression; however, these studies have not utilised scales specifically designed to measure depression in the student population. The aim of the present study was to use the recently developed University Student Depression Inventory (USDI; Khawaja & Bryden, 2006) to examine the effect of demographic factors on student depression. Australian university students (N = 287) completed the USDI and a demographic form that measured student age, gender, ethnicity, year-level, faculty, enrolment status, relationship status, employment-status, satisfaction with their financial position and accommodation. A series of t tests and one-way ANOVAs indicated depression was higher among females, students enrolled part-time, students working full-time, and those enrolled in the Faculty of Law. Students who were satisfied with their financial position and accommodation were significantly less depressed than those who were unsatisfied. The findings highlight the varying effect of different demographic factors on depression using the USDI. These findings are important for identifying and developing strategies to assist those student groups who may be at a greater risk of developing depression.

Many counsellor education programs require students to undergo intensive training in basic interpersonal skills, such as reflection and summarisation. Not only has research failed to demonstrate the value of such skills in improving client outcomes, but the nondirective counselling philosophy upon which many of the programs are based may be incompatible with the needs and expectations of many clients. This article reviews the research evidence underlying these training programs and then provides both counsellors and counsellor educators with alternative ideas about developing productive relationships with a diverse clientele.

The definition and measurement of counsellor trainee competency is an issue that has received increased attention yet lacks quantitative study. This research evaluates item responses, scale reliability and intercorrelations, interrater agreement, and criterion-related validity of the Professional Performance Fitness Evaluation/Professional Counseling Performance Evaluation, a measure used by counsellor educators to evaluate professional fitness. The results identified several scale items that were insensitive to substandard skill levels and indicated that university and site supervisors' trainee ratings did not agree. Both site and university supervisors did identify a majority of students demonstrating substandard skills, and when the site and university supervisors' ratings were combined, the supervisors identified 79% of the noncompetent trainees.