Examines how undergraduate students who became social justice allies during college understood their development. Results reveal that critical factors included pre-college egalitarian values, gaining information about social justice issues, engagement in meaning-making processes, developing confidence and the presentation of opportunities to act…

Clarifies authors' position on the Social Information Processing (SIP) model. Argues that a definition of social competence free of reference to social desirability to assess links with bullying skills and motivations is possible. Asserts that focusing on motivations might provide a clearer theoretical understanding of bullying and a more…

Examined genetic and environmental contribution to self-reported peer-group characteristics among adoptive and nonadoptive adolescent sibling pairs. Found that although peer preference is influenced, in large part, by nonshared environment factors, genetic influence is present. Substantial genetic influence emerged for college orientation, and…

Describes different girls' groups and organizations and discusses how to start a girls' group in a community. Presents a sample outline of activities in a creative arts and writing group conducted at a middle school in New York City. Identifies issues to consider as a girls group develops. Includes lists of print and Internet resources. (AEF)

Explains the institutional research process used by the Oregon University System to identify peer comparators for the state's seven diverse public universities. The process combined detailed statistical information with a sensitivity to the political dynamics and judgments of campus presidents and staff. Identifies 10 conditions that contribute to…

Understanding the processes of acculturation in ethnic minority populations is one of the central tasks of crosscultural research. Addressing challenges of theory, methods, and application in acculturation research requires ongoing advancements in methods and theoretical and model development. The current study was designed to explain a…

This article describes and evaluates the Go Grrrls Program, a preventive intervention specifically designed for early adolescent girls. The 12-session curriculum was designed to address developmental tasks considered critical for healthy psychosocial development, such as achieving competent gender role identification, establishing an acceptable…

This paper, based on the perspectives of young men, explores the relationship between dominant constructions of masculinities and the sexual harassment of young women in Australian secondary schools, within a feminist poststructuralist theoretical framework. Of particular importance in this process are the ways in which sexual harassment is…

In this article, inclusion and exclusion are interpreted not as functions of individual developmental deficit but rather as socially constructed phenomena within the peer group, highlighting the need for teachers to intervene with the entire class rather than focusing on perceived social skills deficits of particular children. The three sections…

This chapter establishes the conceptual framework for understanding the Millennial generation by presenting a theoretical model of generational succession that demonstrates the value of studying how the values of one generation interact with and are influenced by others.

This study attempted to distinguish two types of social withdrawal in early childhood: (a) one based on social fear and anxiety despite a desire to interact socially (conflicted shyness) and (b) one based on the lack of a strong motivation to engage in social interaction (social disinterest). Two samples of preschoolers (n = 119 and n = 127) 3-5…

This study tested the independent and interactive influences of classroom (concentrations of peer prosocial behaviors and victimization), family (household moves, mothers' education), and school (proportion of students receiving income assistance) ecologies on changes in children's social competence (e.g., interpersonal skills, leadership…

The relative importance of a number of predictors of binge drinking and of high- versus low-frequency binge drinking among undergraduate students was studied. Findings demonstrated that race, class, fraternity or sorority membership, use of other drugs in the past 30 days, positive alcohol expectancies, perception of minimal risk, perception that…

A comparative observational study was undertaken of the spontaneous social interactions of children with high-functioning autism and Asperger's disorder. The sample comprised 20 children with high-functioning autism, 19 children with Asperger's disorder and 17 typically developing children matched on chronological age and overall mental age. A…

This case study examined the thinking and practices of one university supervisor with a small group of interns to examine the boundaries and possibilities of learner-centered supervision. This case study enriches and extends the idea of learner-centered supervision by demonstrating what is possible when caring communities of interns are carefully…