First five years are identified as a critical period of child growth in scientific literature. In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 10 that appropriated a 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to support early childhood development. As a result, Kern County Children and Families Commission administered over $10…

Presents a network-assessment technique and examples showing how group experiences affect children's behavior. Compares classical sociometry and the use of composite social maps. Discusses quantifying peer-network information, using peer-network profiles as context descriptors, and identifying change in children and networks. Shows that peer-group…

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…