Maintains that the study of peer relations has focused heavily on children's dyadic experiences. Argues that an analysis of children's experiences at the network or group level provides an equally compelling perspective on their relations within their peer system. Shows how the dynamics of peer networks determine social experiences and influence…

The Alcohol-related Harm Prevention (AHP) program is a normative education and skill-acquisition program designed to reduce serious, long-term alcohol-related harm in college students. Without admonishing students not to drink, which is likely to fail in many student populations, the AHP program attempts to give students the necessary perceptions,…

This descriptive study focuses on the understandings expressed by nine second graders about themselves as readers and looks at the direct experiences of the students in their reading groups. Findings suggest that these proficient and less proficient readers hold very different perceptions of themselves as readers and that these perceptions are…

This article describes an intervention known as the Peer Family Life Education Project that was designed as an alternate delivery method of an established family life education curriculum in an urban middle school setting. The factors contributing to sexual risk behaviors by urban adolescent populations are identified. A review of previous efforts…

With diminishing returns to the peer group, it is optimal social policy to mix children in schools. We consider what happens when, contrary to the outcome being determined by a social planner, schools and children are free to seek each other out: with some caveats, this leads to perfect segregation by child quality. It is shown that this is the…

Callers to a suicide prevention center concerned about high risk men were randomly invited to participate in one of four programs: Information Session, Information Session with Telephone Follow-up, Rapid Referral to mental health and abuse programs, or Telephone Support. Comparison of pre-test, 2 month post-test and 6 months follow-up with 131…

The developmental significance of children's academic reputation among peers was examined in a longitudinal study of 400 children in Grades 3, 4, and 5. In the fall of Year 1, teachers rated children's academic skills and behavior, and peers provided nominations describing classmates' academic skills, social acceptance versus rejection, and…

This bulletin describes alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention programs specifically designed or customized for fraternities and sororities (Greeks). Approaches to AOD prevention include: (1) peer education programs to help students help themselves; (2) comprehensive health and psychosocial assistance; (3) retreats, to encourage student…

The Listening Partners project examined rural mothers' development of a sense of the power of their own minds and voices and the relationship between this sense of power and mothers' parenting strategies and their children's development. Two cohorts of 60 women from a rural, impoverished region of Vermont participated in the program. Half the…

This instructional guide provides lessons intended to present students with opportunities for building a sense of belonging to a group as well as developing conflict resolution skills. The guide's focus is on developing a positive school climate that enhances intergroup relationships and encourages proactive recognition of potential problems. It…

This document describes the Mentors, Peer Groups, and Incentives (MPI) demonstration project, a model for helping early adolescent underclass males to improve academic performance and reduce the probability of premature fatherhood. A first section discusses the working definition of the underclass as a group where dysfunctional behaviors are…

This study examined attitudes and practices in two risk-taking areas of behavior while under the influence of alcohol--driving and sexuality--within important campus peer subcultures defined by class level and residency associations. Data were drawn from a research project to explore these and other related variables in a major northeastern…

The relationships between maternal disciplinary style and children's consequential thinking skills and how children think about consequences of actions in peer group conflicts were studied in 144 children from grades 1 (N=59) and 4 (N=85) and their mothers. Seventy additional children underwent sociometric testing. Home disciplinary style was…

A study of community college students' use of educational support systems was conducted at the City Colleges of Chicago. The study sought to determine: (1) the level of usage of formal support systems (e.g., teachers, class participation, counselors, tutors, libraries, and other learning resources); (2) the level of usage of informal support…

A year-long ethnographic case study was conducted primarily to investigate the developmental nature of children's spontaneous grouping activities in an elementary school setting. Participant observation and related methods were conducted for two days a week (on average) in a small, traditional parochial school located in a lower-class integrated…