Background: Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA), a significant proportion of youth remains inactive. Studies assessing differences in the correlates of PA among urban and rural youth are scarce, and such investigations can help identify subgroups of the population that may need to be targeted for special intervention programs. The…

This research examined patterns of substance use and academic factors among a sample of 733 African-American and European-American adolescents from a metropolitan area. First, youth were classified into 11th grade high, moderate, or no substance use groups and classified as users, initiators, desistors, and nonusers based on eighth and 11th grade…

Violence is becoming the number one problem in United States schools. Approximately 20 percent of high school students regularly carry guns and other weapons. Several nonviolent measures are appropriate to reduce violence in schools; but only the implementation of multiple ideas and measures, not "quick fix" solutions, will curb…

Conflict and violence on the part of adolescents and pre-adolescents has been a growing problem. Young people will respond to an "anti-gang message" if that message is delivered from their peer group. This manual describes a peer approach to impact young people about productive ways to handle conflict. Older students are trained to operate puppets…

This paper reports on a pilot study of prewriting group discussions, and language of the discussion group, with 22 university students in a freshman English class in Taipei. Students were assigned to groups of Chinese discussion or English discussion on writing assignments. The quality of each group's first and second drafts was compared, and…

EQUIP is a new and effective program that motivates and equips them with social skills young people with antisocial behavior problems need to help themselves and one another. This book provides all the material needed for understanding and implementing the EQUIP program. The first chapter develops the rationale for EQUIP, introduces its basic…

A marketing program implemented in 18 small, rural agricultural communities aimed at increasing enrollment in the daily religious classes held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Approximately 23 percent of the population in the 18 communities belong to this Church. Daily religious instruction is provided in released-time…

This survey was conducted during the spring of 1994 for the purpose of determining the attitudes of student leaders in the nation's high schools. Eight thousand surveys were sent out to students, of which 3177 were returned. All students surveyed were members of the junior or senior class during the 1993-94 academic year. They were selected for…

Students entering high school as freshmen bring with them a variety of issues, problems and strengths. Often, students are uncertain about their academic abilities, their social-selves, and their chances of success in a new environment. Even freshmen with positive educational experiences and a strong sense of self-need support and guidance during…

This report on the Peer Helper's program, assesses the effectiveness of the training and counseling of peer helpers, the training of peer helper facilitators, and its recruitment procedures. This program, introduced into 10 public schools in the 1992-93 school year, provides training to selected high school students to help them identify and…

This study investigated social interactions with peers on the part of 4-year-olds who were playing with a computer. Subjects were 18 preschoolers whose interactions were videotaped while they played with a computer for eight 45-minute sessions. Composition, initiation, and form of interaction were coded. Observations about the composition of…

In an effort to improve the quality of teaching at Oklahoma Junior College (OJC), the college's administration mandated peer coaching as part of a peer evaluation process. Peer coaching, a means of keeping valuable experience from being lost to the college due to death, retirement, or other separation, encourages instructors to learn about the art…

Peer action groups generally begin with adults who form a peer group because they are participating in the education or parenting of a common group of teenagers. This paper contains seven sections which address questions connected with establishing peer outreach groups for junior and senior high school students: (1) Who are "at-risk…

As part of a series of tri-annual studies of youths' substance use and abuse behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge, begun in 1975, this report provides normative and trend data for the 1981-82 study. The research issues which were the foci of this study are: present status and important trends of youths' substance use, attitudes, and knowledge;…

The tutor system within a university hall of residence at Flinders University of South Australia and a method of inquiry used to study the system are examined. Interviews with residence hall tutors revealed four concerns: the need for guidelines, the nature of academic tutoring, pastoral care and its implications, and communication channels within…