Research has shown that peer influence can be negative, by increasing the likelihood that a youth will engage in high-risk behaviors and make risky decisions. However, peer influence can also be positive and protect a youth from these same high-risk activities. This article examines the extent of peer influence and then describes the Alternative…

The role of context in the development of child aggression was studied. The effects of peer aggregation and group composition on aggression development in intervention contexts and classroom contexts were compared using 71 elementary school children. We hypothesized that, due to peer group effects, group-trained children would benefit less from a…

For more than 50 years, adolescent peer group treatment has been both glorified and criticized. Quality control has been a problem for the Positive Peer Culture (PPC) treatment modality throughout its history. The following article includes observations and commentary on the history, strength-based elements, and criticism of PPC.

Successful peer helping or peer group treatment interventions for at-risk youth engage the curative power of some primary child development strategies. Coaching at-risk adolescents to help others has been a primary therapeutic tool in peer helping programs for over 50 years. High and moderate risk youth can benefit greatly from programs that…

Two groups of students with disabilities (n=14, ages 8-10) in self-contained classes participated in a teacher-directed peer confrontation system used in conjunction with a token economy system. Results showed that the system was effective in modifying inappropriate behavior and that students had positive reactions to the system. (Author/JDD)

The Group-Oriented Adapted Levels System teaches students with behavior disorders the skills needed for being members of a successfully functioning peer group, while providing the classroom teacher with an effective classroom management approach. Student behaviors are mediated by peers; students work toward a common goal; and opportunities are…

Twenty students (ages 11-15) with disabilities used a consensus-based group evaluation system to evaluate their group's behavior during a specified time period. Comparing team ratings to teacher ratings and delivering reinforcement (based on group behavior and team accuracy in rating behavior) was found to be an effective strategy for modifying…

It is well documented that perinatally HIV-infected children experience difficulty in learning as well as behavioral and social problems in the school setting. While the research is mixed on the effect of the HIV virus on behavioral and social problems, it is much clearer on the effect of this virus on learning. This exploratory study identifies…

The problem is well known to every parent of a teenager, every high school teacher, every clinical practitioner, and every social policy maker: vulnerable adolescents risk becoming more deviant through association with deviant peers and peer groups. Deviant peer influences are among the most potent factors in the development of antisocial…