A study exploring friendship relations of homeless, male drug users (aged between 21 and 50 years) through 27 in-depth interviews in Atlanta (Georgia) found that subjects were engaged in friendship networks that offered social support and that there was a relationship between friendships and patterns of crack cocaine use. (JB)

Asserts that alcohol and drug abuse among Russian adolescents and young adults is a social disaster. Reviews results of study of parents and teachers which indicates that drugs and alcohol are considered major problems in Russian schools. Finds that both teachers and parents believe that parental use of alcohol is a primary factor in student…

Four high school students and one 1993 graduate interviewed about school shootings identify contributing factors: parent neglect, ignorance of emotional problems among students, peer pressure exerted by cliques, stress caused by pressure to excel, and alienation resulting from large schools and overworked teachers. Prevention measures include…

Interviews with 10 linguistically diverse elementary students revealed that they felt lonely because they could not communicate with their peers. Loss of self-esteem and development of learned helplessness syndrome were directly related to length of time they experienced loneliness. Teacher's nonverbal communication and social interactions that do…

Questions the multiculturalists' vision that an ethnic group's self-esteem and subsequent academic achievement can improve through the study of its culture. Cites the paucity of studies supporting the effectiveness of interventions to improve inter-ethnic group attitudes. Maintains that some multiculturalists are more interested in superficial…

Examines the occupational, managerial, and personal factors contributing to teacher burnout. Briefly reviews the relevant literature covering key characteristics and definitions. Includes a discussion of active and passive coping strategies. (MJP)

Observes the activities and characteristics of Aboriginal children in an Aboriginal school and compares these to the culture shock and alienation experienced when they transfer to a mainstream school. Identifies five major stressors of culture shock as mechanical differences, communication, attitudes and beliefs, customs, and isolation. (MJP)

Reports the findings of a longitudinal study of women pursuing degrees in science or engineering at the University of Washington, which utilizes a retention program called Women in Engineering. Study objectives include determining a more accurate measure of retention of women in science and engineering by tracking individual students through their…

In an effort to assess students' perceptions of victimization in their schools, as well as their schools' safety, over 1,900 students from elementary, middle, high, and alternative schools were administered a 154-item questionnaire. The responses on the items were used to establish the psychometric properties of 19 theoretically driven scales and…

Parent involvement in schools is related to children's increased academic achievement and can be an important resource for school personnel. Parents of racial and ethnic minority groups, however, have been found to be less likely to become involved in their children's schools. This study investigated whether white and racial and ethnic minority…

This article examines causes of the high rate of attrition of college freshmen during the first few weeks of school and describes a plan for mentorships between successful college students and college-bound secondary seniors prior to entrance into college. In discussing the challenges facing freshmen, the article suggests that they suffer stress…

This study examined a new measure of ecological dissonance (ED), whether different degrees of ED existed within levels of a university's power hierarchy, the relationship between ED and worker morale as a function of administrative power levels, and ED theory. Ninety-four faculty members at Mississippi State University completed the Index of Power…

A research study of 245 students from Korea, the Arab nations, and Nigeria was conducted to determine whether there are significant relationships between any of the three measures of the level of stress (anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints) among international college students. Variables analyzed in the study included English language…

The decontextualized nature of literacy has been a recurrent issue in discussions of the consequences of literacy over the last twenty years. The central thesis of these discussions is that the nature of written discourse itself leads directly or indirectly to changes in cognitive processing, linguistic progressing, cultural development, and/or…

Difficulties of Puerto Rican children in adjusting to school in the U.S. mainland can be attributed to their family background and early schooling experience. Unlike the isolated, independent nuclear family unit usually found on the mainland, Puerto Rican families are extended and prize cooperation, socialization, respect for the male patriarch,…