Explores the experiences of English youths who have been excluded from school and are young offenders. Identifies four main themes in their stories: bullying, home life in relation to school, peer pressure, and truancy and exclusion. Examines the peer pressure-deviancy relationship in greater depth. (DSK)

Structured interviews with 555 Puerto Rican youth aged 16-24 found that the impact of risk factors on drug use was offset by cultural knowledge, being culturally active, group attachment, and identification with Puerto Ricans. Ethnicity variables also enhanced the protective effect of other protective factors. Contains 36 references. (Author/SV)

Rites of passage are a normal part of a young person's growth from adolescence to adulthood and many are marked with the use and abuse of alcohol. Describes three phases of the rites of passage (separation, liminal, and reincorporation) that youth undergo. Suggests that educators and advisors help them create meaningful rituals without resorting…

Notes that kindergarten children often use invented spelling but want to learn the correct way to spell. Presents components of a spelling program that allows a variety of learning procedures while maintaining a reasonable amount of independence for students. Program includes weekly homework assignments, daily spelling efforts, picture/word…

Discusses a school-based prevention program initiated to reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among adolescents. Investigates changes in reported ATOD use from 1987 to 1991. Significant decreases were found for use of most drugs with the exception of alcohol. Involvement in problem behaviors was the most salient risk factor whereas…

Racial differences in adolescent premarital childbearing were largely explained by racial differences in neighborhood quality. These neighborhood effects were attributed to peer attitudes and behaviors, adolescents' more tolerant attitudes toward unmarried parenthood, and greater residential mobility in distressed communities. Neighborhood effects…

Reports findings from the College Alcohol Study to help institutions develop intervention campaigns with binge drinking. Findings address the prevalence of binge drinking, the inadequacy of alcohol education alone, student support for tougher policies, the value of marginalizing the heaviest drinkers, the easy availability of low cost alcohol, the…

Short-term longitudinal study compared influence of 6th, 8th, and 10th graders' closest friends (CF) and friendship groups (FG) on cigarette and alcohol use. Results showed that CF influenced initiation of cigarette and alcohol use. Only FG use predicted transition into current cigarette use. Only CF use predicted transition into current alcohol…

Investigated the relationship between participation in school and non-school based extracurricular activities and peer influence on adolescent substance use. Surveys of 3,189 11th graders from 33 midwestern high schools indicated that while school and non-school based extracurricular activities significantly influenced substance use, peer…

Study creates and tests a comprehensive model of adolescent problem drinking. Results indicate that high levels of parental support and a positive school climate in the 8th grade influence the formation of relationships with peers with positive values in the 10th grade that guard against problem-drinking behavior in the 10th grade. (Contains 40…

Female minority students at an urban alternative high school completed interviews regarding perceptions of risk factors for female gang involvement. Peer pressure was the largest influence on female gang involvement. Respondents believed girls might turn to gangs for protection from neighborhood crime, abusive families, and other gangs. Lack of…

Examines school troubles, attitudes, and performance of same-sex attracted youth within the context of four relational domains: family, teacher, social, and peer. Results indicate that each domain plays a role in the negative attitudes about school held by sexual minority youth. However, feelings about teachers play an important role in explaining…

Examines what sociodemographic and criminogenic factors discriminate between inmates in a boot camp for non-violent offenders who commit crimes against persons and other offenders. Stepwise discriminant analysis results are discussed. The intervention implications of the findings are also discussed. (Author/MKA)

Examined predictors of children's moral reasoning development over 4-year period. Found that parental and friend interaction during moral conflict discussions influenced development differently. Minimal moral development was predicted by friends' cognitive challenges to the target child's moral reasoning and by parents' interfering interactions.…

Examines the relationship between loneliness and depression among 6,356 Chinese students from grades 4 through 9. Reports a close relationship between loneliness and depression. Peer-related loneliness and aloneness were more predictive than parent-related, and among primary students loneliness was more predictive of overall depression. Includes…