Correlates of stealing behavior were investigated in non-delinquent 10 to 15 year-olds (N=167). Stealing was related to youths' attitudes toward parents and school, as well as reasons for stealing. It was most frequent among older males. Attitude toward school was most consistently related to stealing behavior, though perceptions of family's…

Investigates perceptions of adolescents concerning relationship between chronic peer abuse and suicidal behavior, contending chronic peer abuse is a risk factor for adolescent suicidal behavior. Results upheld this contention, adding that bystander perceptions supported victims' views. Suggests interventions to stop bullying should be expanded to…

Using a framework drawn from recent social psychological work on shame and related feelings, this study collected qualitative data from twelve college students. Findings indicate that negative emotions play a role in peer influence, particularly feelings of inadequacy and isolation, as well as feeling ridiculed, all of which are indicative of…

Analyzes responses to the College Student Experiences Questionnaire from 51,155 undergraduates at 128 institutions to develop a student typology based upon their patterns of engagement in educationally purposeful activities and the progress they reported making toward important outcomes of college. The typology reported yields new insights into…

Study considers variables that distinguish between attempters, ideators, and nonsuicidal youth in a sample of homeless and runaway adolescents. Analyses reveal five variables that best distinguish among the three groups: self-esteem, depression, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and having a friend who attempted suicide. Suggests that accumulation of…

Identifying factors that contribute to delinquency and recidivism is critical in predicting the success of incarcerated youth transitioning back to the community. The task of identifying these salient factors becomes increasingly complex when compounded by the disproportionate representation of youth with disabilities in juvenile corrections.…

This paper reports findings from a qualitative study examining young people's perceived motivations for "binge drinking", and the associated harmful outcomes. Sixty-four, in-depth, one-to-one interviews were carried out with 14 to 17 year olds in southern England who had experience of binge drinking. Given the underage sample, most of…

Used longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children to examine factors explaining the higher school dropout and lower high school graduation rates in socioeconomically distressed communities. Results suggest that educational performance of peers is a key mechanism linking neighborhood disadvantage to youth educational attainment. Some of…

The purpose of the current study was to test whether perceived peer influence is related to image of a typical smoker, and whether image of a typical smoker is associated with beliefs about the effects of smoking among preadolescent nonsmokers. Two hundred and ninety-two preadolescents completed a survey indicating their perceptions of the…

"Underachievement" has been one of the dominant discourses in education in recent times, but it is unclear what is meant by the term "underachievement", and there is no widely accepted way of defining or measuring it. This paper describes the final stage of a large study which used contextualised models to identify students who…

The confessions of Augustine of Hippo can be read as a lesson in reading, one in which Augustine teaches by example as well as precept. Throughout this work, the relationship between faith and reading is clearly on Augustine's mind, as is his desire to teach others what he has learned. As we consider our own approaches to the confluence of faith,…

For many children, the transition to secondary school is marked by both anxiety and excitement, particularly in relation to friendship. This article draws upon the concept of social capital--the resources individuals and collectives derive from their social networks--in order to understand the significance of change and continuity in children's…

Children's problem solving while working by themselves or with a partner was investigated to explore whether young children are susceptible to social facilitation and social loafing. Five-year-olds were asked to complete easy or hard puzzles, either alone or with a partner. Half of the children were given instructions indicating that their…

Purpose: To examine if attitudes toward premarital sex, beliefs about peer influence, and family communication about sexual relationships differ by sexual experience status. Methods: Data were collected from a randomly selected ethnically diverse youth sample (N = 1,318) residing in two Midwestern cities. The primary method used in data analysis…

A growing number of K-12 districts are taking the open source plunge, both to cope with tight budgets and to escape proprietary vendor lock-in and expensive upgrade cycles. With the potential for cost savings and a growing number of educational applications, open source software is proving to be an effective alternative for schools willing to make…