Children face increased demands for interpersonal as well as learning-related social skills, especially by the vulnerable stage of school entry, due to the more structured setting, new academic requirements, and the fact that children are supposed to interact successfully within a larger and heterogeneous peer group. Although a plethora of…

This article offers some explanations for the simultaneous expansion of special educational services and personnel, with the increasing inclusion in mainstream education of more young people with disabilities and learning difficulties. Following discussions with some 70 professionals, administrators and others in a study in four countries, it…

Children and youth develop the ability to surmount difficult life challenges through a combination of external supports and internal strengths. Positive peers can contribute substantially to growth in resilient coping and problem-solving skills. Positive Peer Culture (PPC) programs are designed to strengthen supportive social bonds, competence,…

Focuses on school violence in Germany by presenting a discussion on the topic "violence in regard to schools." Offers results on current research about violence in German schools. Addresses whether violence has increased over time in schools, exploring the results of research on students' own reports of deviant behavior. (CMK)

Presents results of a study of the school experiment "Integrative Elementary School" carried out in Hamburg (Germany) that aimed at keeping children with learning, language, or behavioral problems in the (regular) elementary school, which is furnished with additional teachers trained in special education. (CMK)