Objective: The study examined teachers' perceptions of bullying by other teachers to see what causes and characteristics were attributed to such bullying teachers, and how often teachers were themselves bullied by students. Method: 116 teachers from seven elementary schools completed an anonymous questionnaire reflecting their feelings and perceptions about theirown experiences of bullying, and how they perceive colleagues over the years. Results: Resultsconfirmed that teachers who experienced bullying themselves when young are more likely to bothbully students and experience bullying by students both in classrooms and outside the classroom. Factor analysis revealed two types of bullying teacher: a sadistic bully type and a bully-victim type. Conclusions: The implications for the mental health of children and for effective teaching are discussed, in the light of widespread recognition of the traumatic effects of bullying on childhood development.

Abstract Employing a community sample, Irwin (1999) used the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ; Bernstein et al, 1994) and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; Bernstein & Putnam, 1986) to show that trauma predicts pathological dissociation as measured by Waller, Putnam, and Carlson's (1996) DES-T (dissociative “taxon”) scale but does not predict ostensibly non-pathological DES absorption. Yet Irwin merely studied DES-T scores as a continuous variable rather than classifying participants with respect to taxon membership, as the DES-T items were designed to do. The present study hypothesized that, in a traumatized clinical sample, trauma would be associated both with dissociative taxon membership and with absorption. An inpatient sample of 235 women were administered the CTQ and DES. Even in this relatively homogeneous trauma sample, taxon membership showed good discriminant validity with respect to clinical diagnosis and reported childhood abuse. Furthermore, whereas the effect of reported childhood sexual abuse on absorption was accounted for by taxon membership, reported childhood emotional abuse related to absorption independent of taxon membership. The authors discuss the diagnostic utility of computing taxon membership as well as the clinical significance of highly elevated absorption scores in a trauma population.

Using a community sample of 115 young adults, this study applied a range of statistical techniques to five measures of adult attachment to gain a better understanding of what they assess. First, we determined comparability of measures, using both categorical and dimensional approaches to model the association. Agreement among classifications was modest. Next, we examined the relation of attachment classifications and attachment measure subscale scores to criterion variables (i.e. dyadic adjustment, interpersonal sensitivity and severity of psychiatric symptoms). Classification predicted severity of psychological symptoms better than it predicted other measures of adjustment. Finally, using a principal components analysis, we mapped the relationship among underlying constructs, the subscales of the five measures and three criterion measures of psychological adjustment. We discuss our findings from the perspective of underlying constructs of attachment insecurity and strategy for coping with insecurity in relationships, noting implications for further research.

The authors designed a Sleep Disturbance Screening questionnaire to assist clinicians in disentangling trauma-related factors that contribute to sleep disturbance from other common factors, such as depression. They administered the questionnaire to 129 female psychiatric inpatients, most of whom were treated in a specialty program for trauma-related disorders. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses distinguished four sleep disturbance scales, two pertaining to sleep disturbance generally (Insomnia, Hypersomnia) and two pertaining to sleep-related fear (Intrusive, Phobic). Correlations of the sleep disturbance scales with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Bernstein et al., 1994), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (Weiss & Marmar, 1997), Dissociative Experiences Scale (Bernstein & Putnam, 1986), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck & Steer, 1993), and selected scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III; Millon, 1994) show evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the Sleep Disturbance Screening. The findings point to the potential diagnostic value of screening for trauma-related sleep disturbance, with the Sleep Disturbance Screening providing a small set of key questions that may be used in psychometric form or incorporated into routine diagnostic clinical interviews. Key Words: Sleep disturbancechildhood traumadissociationdepressionpost traumatic stress disorder