Twenty-six suggestions for setting up a class environment in which children with learning or behavior problems can develop friendships are presented, including integrating friendship into the curriculum, teaching necessary social skills, structuring successful recess and lunch periods, honoring children's friendships in placement decisions, and…

Examines the causes and nature of teacher-coach role conflict and discusses its impact on regular students and student-athletes at four-year colleges. Recent research suggests that it is difficult for student athletes to receive a quality education and that teacher-coaches are often indifferent to academic achievement. (MDM)

The article presents advisory activities to help middle school students understand and strengthen relationships with peers and adults. The article also includes seven tips for setting up a sound advisory progrram. (SM)

Describes a peer helper program initiated by the University of Iowa Student Health Services to prevent active tuberculosis development among foreign national students. Before instituting the program, compliance with tuberculosis prevention efforts for those students was less than 5%. Since the peer program was instituted, compliance has risen to…

Observed four fifth-graders who collaboratively solved problems integrating concepts related to fractions and area. Compared features of learning through peer collaboration with teacher-directed learning, including whole solution versus component parts, appropriation versus scaffolding, analysis versus synthesis, conflict versus errorless…

An African-American student protest against a Hispanic-American celebration was resolved using mediation as a teachable moment. This scenario underscores "Leading for Diversity" study findings: proactive school leaders contain and prevent interethnic violence by building a strong foundation of respect and understanding across lines of…

This article recounts the experiences of a family with a son with autism. Jean-Paul's two sisters, his brother, cousin, grandmother, father, and mother contribute their perspectives. Jean-Paul also speaks for himself. This account traces his life from his early childhood to independent adulthood. (Author/CR)

Studied Baumrind's approach to parenting style to examine the relations between parenting style and preschool children's social competence manifested through peer play. Found that mothers' and fathers' parenting style is related to children's play with peers, with an authoritative parenting style correlating to more complex levels of play. (SD)

Two studies examined the moderating role of dyadic friendship in the developmental pathway to peer victimization. Both studies found that early harsh, punitive, and hostile family environments predicted later victimization by peers for children who had a low number of friendships. Predictive associations did not hold for children with numerous…

Thirteen suggestions for preventing the growing problem of peer cruelty at school include: adopt a schoolwide character education effort; create a classroom community; allow children to help set rules; teach empathy; practice cooperative learning; allow children of different ages to work together; teach social skills to end victimization; empower…

This study surveyed Hispanic and Caucasian parents' (N=377) views of negative classroom and interpersonal school survival behaviors. Both parent groups held similar views regarding these behaviors. In contrast, special and general education teachers (N=117) and parents differed significantly on their views of many of these behaviors. (Contains…

Explores intergroup bias with nonethnic peer social groups by asking 30 children between the ages of 4 and 12 to make attributions about both positive and negative behaviors performed by both someone they liked and and someone they disliked. Discusses the results. (CMK)

A study explored variables associated with engagement in seven inclusive community-based preschool classrooms. Results found disability status did not predict engagement, but activity characteristics were significantly related to engagement. Another variable, coteacher team characteristics, was also found to be a significant predictor of…

Examined 475 adolescents from Grade 7 through early adulthood to identify antecedents and pathways of teen parenthood. Found that teen fatherhood and motherhood were predicted by individual and peer configurations such as a combination of high aggression, low academic competence, low popularity, and low family SES. Peer characteristics, race, and…

Data gathered during a 20-year longitudinal study of New Zealand women were used to describe the extent and timing of pregnancies within the cohort up to age 20; and to examine the extent to which the risk of early pregnancy was related to a range of social background, family, individual, and peer relationship factors measured over the course of…