In this article, teens presenting at a symposium on peer-helping programs describe how caring for others fosters personal growth and builds positive group cultures. Their individual thoughts and opinions are expressed.

Those in close contact with trauma survivors are themselves at risk for trauma (e.g., Bride, 2007; Figley, 1995). Family, friends, and professionals who bear witness to the emotional retelling and re-enacting of traumatic events can experience what is called "secondary trauma" (Elwood, Mott, Lohr, & Galovski, 2011). The literature…

Olivia Lima writes in this article that because she is not trained as a therapist or counselor, but rather as a researcher in cognitive development, she cannot speak to the clinical role of empathy. However she does consider empathy central to her work teaching Child Psychology. Keeping that in mind, she begins her first class by telling the…

Positive Peer Culture (PPC) is a strength-oriented approach developed by Vorrath and Brendtro (1985) to prevent or reverse negative peer influence by building a climate of peer concern and respect. PPC operates in a range of settings including residential treatment, alternative schools, juvenile justice, and youth leadership groups. It is an…

Everyone observes rituals. There are birthdays, anniversaries, and special holiday activities where families gather together. There are also the private or personal rituals that were accidentally established but now have become constant markers in one's lives. Often, some chance encounter can lead to lasting change. This is true of mentors and the…

The best intentioned efforts of adults are often sabotaged by coercive climates of bullying among peers and conflict with adults. The solution is to create cultures where youth cooperate with authority and treat one another with respect. In this article, the authors stress the task of the staff to create a condition in which students see more…

Presents the story of an adolescent dying from Ducheenne muscular dystrophy. A transformation in the helping relationship occurs just as the caregiver becomes overwhelmed with the youth's anger and despair. The caregiver uses his insights from battling substance abuse and pain to help transform the youth's attitude of despair to one of living each…

The former United States Attorney General articulated her vision of how our communities can act in creative ways to choose prevention instead of prisons for our troubled children and youth at the Spirit of Crazy Horse Award Ceremony held July 1, 2001, in Custer, South Dakota. (Author)

The recipient of the year 2000 Kellogg's Hannah Neil World of Children Award was Father William Wasson, founder of Neustros Pequenos Hermanos [NPH], a network of orphanages in Mexico and Latin America. Since its beginning in 1953 the entire fabric of NPH is woven around the ethic of service. (Author)

Because youth who are in residential facilities are sometimes dangerous to themselves or others, there are times when physical restraints must be used for the safety of both residents and staff. But the use of restraints is coming under increased scrutiny because of potential dangers. In this article facilities share how training can help reduce…

What are the lessons young people will learn from how adults in their lives deal with terrorist strikes on the United States? What lessons will be learned about justice compassion, and revenge? This article discusses the responsibilities adults have in helping children cope with and understand the recent terrorist attacks. (Author)

Resilience research indicates one of the strongest protective factors a child can have is a close relationship with a caring adult who serves as mentor and role model. Friends of the Children is a nonprofit organization that provides seriously vulnerable children with trained, committed mentors. Evidence indicates these relationships are changing…

Sometimes professionals learn the most from lay persons who overcome difficult experiences. The author ties together what he learned from a Holocaust survivor and from a former foster child who later became a police officer. In each case, it was a childhood experience that shaped the individual's choice of his or her life's work. (BF)

Reflecting on his early days in youth work, Dr. Henry Maier discusses his days on the front lines at Pioneer House as a young colleague of Fritz Redl and David Wineman. Pioneer House, in Detroit Michigan, was a home for boys that provided a treatment approach to behavior problems. (BF)

Fritz Redl challenged professionals to examine situations in which adolescents stir up negative feelings in them. The author also applies Redl's concepts to his own work in administering a school for troubled students. (Author)