The study concludes that some 4-H youth smoke and that there are attitude and behavior differences between 4-H youth smokers and nonsmokers (Author)

The author lists several characteristics of an approach to evaluating teaching staff which emphasizes improving teachers' performance rather than criticizing their mistakes. (AK)

Explored critical events during adolescence and coping processes as dependent on the relationship with peers and on the type of peer groups teenagers join. Results with Italian adolescents (n=75) indicated the nature of the group adolescents joined was of minor importance, but the relationship established with peers was crucial. (Author/ABL)

Noting that peer supervision groups are advocated for counselors at all experience levels, this article describes and illustrates a structured peer group format that encourages skill development, conceptual growth, participation, instructive feedback, and self-monitoring. Discusses emphasis on developing cognitive counseling skills and describes…

Explores developmental and intervention evidence relevant to iatrogenic effects in peer-group interventions. Findings from two intervention studies involving 119 high-risk youth and 39 controls and 150 pairs of adolescent boys suggest that high-risk youth are particularly vulnerable to peer aggregations when compared to low-risk youth. Discusses…

Presents a dynamic method of supporting new faculty through a peer support group led by a facilitator. Group members participate in ongoing self-assessment, individualized goal setting, and activities that reflect the changing needs of the group. Explains the history and activities of one such group and the benefits for institutions considering…

Although communication scholars have examined adult group processes, they have paid little attention to the peer group experiences of children and adolescents. Successfully gaining entry to peer groups is significant, in that rejection in childhood affects self-concept, social skills, and school successes. Guided by a bona fide groups perspective,…

This article presents a selective inventory of treatment methods of aggressive behavior. Special attention is paid to types of intervention that, according to research, are frequently used in Dutch residential youth care. These methods are based on (1) principles of (cognitive) behavior management and control, (2) the social competence model, and…

During adolescence, friendship affiliations and groups provide companionship and social and emotional support, and they afford opportunities for intimate self-disclosure and reflection. Friendships often promote positive psychosocial development, but some youth learn and adopt antisocial attitudes and deviant behaviors through their friendships.…

This commentary discusses two seminal articles highlighting Joseph Zins' perspective about the potential utility and advantages of peer-mediated support groups (PSGs) to foster ongoing professional development, support, and career enhancement for school psychologists. Specifically, it discusses past, present and future applications of PSGs for…

Puberty alters the interplay of attachment, sexual, and affiliative systems; initiates the search for a peer attachment; and begins the reorganization of adolescents' attachment hierarchies.

Over the past 40 years the fraction of mixed race black-white births has increased nearly nine-fold. There is little empirical evidence on how these children fare relative to their single-race counterparts. This paper describes basic facts about the plight of mixed race individuals during their adolescence and early adulthood. As one might expect,…

The University of Evansville (UE) is a small liberal arts college in southern Indiana. Through a unique four-year partnership between UE's School of Education and Dexter Elementary School, powerful social studies activities are delivered by preservice teachers to inner-city schoolchildren. The purpose of the afterschool social studies club…

Ten Hispanic university students enrolled in higher education courses were interviewed and considered successful despite the lack of support they received in learning English during their primary and secondary education. Analysis of the questionnaires and personal interviews reveal four major types of mentors who supported and motivated them to…

This article reports a study comparing self-concept among 114 immigrant children and adolescents of Ethiopian origin in Israel and among 164 native-born Israelis, including an exploration of how age, gender, and first-language proficiency affect various dimensions of this construct. For the younger children (aged 8-9 years), self-concept was found…