The consequences of gender social and learning interactions in the classroom are of interest to parents, policy makers, and researchers. However, little is known about gender peer effects in schools and their operational channels. In this paper, we estimate the effects of classroom gender composition on scholastic achievements of boys and girls in…

This paper reports on a study of pupils' views about tackling bullying and discusses the findings in the context of related research on "telling" and other coping strategies. The research was undertaken in two related phases. In the first phase, in-depth focus groups were conducted with pupils in Years 5 and 8 in twelve participating…

This article describes the implementation of an innovative curriculum called Drugs-At-Work (DAW), which was evaluated in three phases. In phase-one, data collected after the third year of the study suggested that the curriculum had a significant impact on the fifth-grade participants, who in turn influenced their sixth-grade classmates the…

We investigated determinants of parental monitoring and the association between parental monitoring and preadolescent sexual risk situations among low-income, African American families living in urban public housing. Preadolescents and their parents or caregivers who participated in a longitudinal study of familial and contextual influences on…

Investigating variables associated with the school success and educational resilience of urban youth of color should be a high priority because of the persistent achievement gap in the United States. The current study examined individual and peer factors' relation to the school engagement of 132 seventh- and eighth-grade students from a diverse…

UNICEF data indicates that Iraqi women have lower rates of breastfeeding than other Middle East countries and that breastfeeding rates are usually even lower among refugee women. This low rate of breastfeeding may be a result of refugee women's lack of public and social support and access to health professionals. This study identifies Iraqi…

DARE is a preventive drug education program intended to combat drug use by students before it commences. The elementary school program is the core curriculum of DARE. It is designed to help those enrolled to develop skills that will allow them to resist the pressures to use substances such as illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Students are taught…

This paper outlines a bully-proofing program that aims to shift power away from the fear of bullies to the "silent majority." The Bully Project is a comprehensive systems approach which changes the attitude and environment of the school. It does this by training the staff to recognize the difference between bully and victim behavior and…

This paper explores the ways in which inner-city students' social, cultural, and political relationships and their thinking and behavior patterns that stem from the range of different situations outside the classroom can shape the classroom roles that they develop with their peers as thinkers and learners of English and writing. It presents a case…

Incidences of aggressive and violent actions in schools have been increasing. The goals of this practicum were to reduce aggressive and violent behavior in a large, comprehensive, public high school and to make students and staff aware of peaceful alternatives to conflicts. Solution strategies included teaching conflict resolution skills in the…

The nature of the interactions that occur among peer leaders, peer influence, and the dynamics of the peer reference group in the context of health, interpersonal relations and lifestyle choice were the subjects of this study. Its first stage (of two) employed a case study of a single metropolitan senior high school in Australia. Adolescent peer…

Mediation is a process that enables two or more persons in a dispute to find mutually agreeable solutions to their differences with the aid of a mediator. The mediator does not take sides, but helps the disputants consider their options. Mediation is voluntary, and disputing parties must agree to participate. Furthermore, the mediator does not…

This study compared the social interaction and types of symbolic play found in mixed-age and same-age preschool groups. The sample included 8 groups of 14 to 20 children, which were naturally formed and had been operating since the beginning of the school year. The four same-age groups included a group of 3- to 4-year-olds, a group of 4- to…

Understanding teen attitudes toward alcohol can provide a basis for education, prevention, and treatment programs for alcohol use. This thesis examines gender, grade level, peer attitude, parental attitude, and knowledge as independent variables while alcohol questionnaire scores for Use of Alcohol and Attitude Toward Drinking were employed as…

This non-random survey of 614 high-school students, recent high-school graduates, and out-of-school youth, offers insights into young people's friendships, their peer group relationships and activities, their high-school hierarchies, their personal images and reputations, and the influences of peers and others on their decisions and behaviors. The…