This study examined the role that peer groups play in shaping students' academic re-engagement across their first year in middle school and whether influences are stronger from peers with whom students remained affiliated over time. Data were collected on an entire cohort of 366 sixth graders (48% female) in a small town. Students reported on…

Using data from 1,676 youth who participated in three waves (Grades 6 to 8) of the longitudinal, 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, we tested two series of hierarchal linear models to examine the role of peer support, associating with "problem-behaving" friends, and bullying involvement in the development of behavioral and emotional school…