Describes the application of the Positive Peer Culture (PPC) treatment methodology to a population of troubled girls in a residential setting. The peer group utilizes naturally occurring problems as vehicles to teach girls about errors in behavior and thinking. Community activities are used to practice newly obtained prosocial behaviors. (LSR)

This article examines the qualities of resilient children from difficult life circumstances who manage to beat the odds and succeed, and it discusses ways teachers can help build these strengths in students. The qualities include interpersonal relationship skills, insight, independence, initiative, creativity, and a sense of moral obligation. (SM)

Reports a study of 24 teachers who were mentors for beginning teachers, using information from the second of 2 meetings with each mentor to discuss mentor roles and the benefits of and obstacles to mentoring. Results indicated that teachers considered mentoring valuable, even when under less than ideal circumstances. (SM)

Reports results of a 1984-85 study involving 261 Canadian undergraduates and their degree of sympathy for victims in each of 20 world disasters. Finds culpability singularly influential in determining degree of sympathy. Determines females showed greater empathy and recommended more financial aid than did men. (DB)

Surveyed elderly persons (N=l,224) aged 60+ to determine social network ties and awareness of available services. Found following factors predictive of service awareness: having nonkin advisors; club membership; other community agency contacts; and availability of transportation, education, and moderate-sized kin networks. Found following…

An exploratory study involving 31 families found that chronically ill children and their parents express needs and concerns to their pediatricians in veiled ways. Physicians sometimes provide reassurance too soon rather than attending to the family's underlying pathology. Vignettes describe the families' styles of communication with their…

Nineteen adults with developmental disabilities, judged competent in facilitated communication, participated in a validation study using an information passing design requiring short-term recall of stimulus cards with shapes, colors, and numbers. Results failed to validate facilitated communication for the group as a whole, any individual…

Study investigated teacher preferences for certain modes of helping students (enactive attainment, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and anxiety reduction). Preservice and inservice teachers read six scenarios of students with learning difficulties and ranked helping responses. Overall, they preferred verbal persuasion; they tended to…

This paper describes a five-step therapeutic technique for childhood sexual abuse survivors which utilizes a videotaped disclosure process to assist in generating a therapeutic constituency for the survivor. The technique has been used in 27 cases, and case histories are given to illustrate the procedure. (Author/DB)

Faculty, staff, and students at San Francisco State University (California), most of whose lives are touched by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), have responded by rallying to help AIDS sufferers in need, by including AIDS information in courses, offering confidential testing, and becoming sensitized to gay and related issues. (MSE)

Suggests ways in which parents, teachers, and caregivers can deal with young children's concerns and fears about war. These include assuring children that adults will take care of them; limiting adult television viewing; knowing how much to tell children about war; being good listeners; monitoring children's war play; and helping children deal…

Discusses the effects of divorce on children and suggests ways in which elementary school teachers can help ease the pain of children of divorce in their classroom. (BB)

Preschoolers through second graders were given an opportunity to help another child obtain toys. Help that required a specific form of affective attribution and reconciliation was found to be related to the affective attribution and reconciliation measures when the demands of the helping opportunity matched the social cognition measure demands.…

Describes the experiences of an elementary school resource room teacher in Staten Island (New York) in using community service learning (CSL) with special education and reading resource students. Students planned and carried out a cupcake sale to benefit UNICEF. Parent participation was an important part of the process. (SLD)

Examines the impact of male intimates, external confidants, and approval of the male friend by an external confidant in relation to the quality of parenting among 80 low-income African-American single mothers. Results suggest that male companionship and confidant support cut the risk of maladaptive parenting. (GLR)