Social smoking is a newly identified phenomenon in the young adult population that is poorly understood. We investigated differences in social smoking (smoking most commonly while partying or socializing) and other smoking within a convenience sample of college smokers (n = 351) from a large midwestern university. Results revealed that 70% of 351…

This article examines the explanations behind these questions: (1) Why do American teenagers behave the way they do?; (2) Why are many obsessed with the brands of clothes they wear, their lunchtime seatmates, the parties they are invited to, the latest popular music, the intrigues of school cliques, and who is hooking up with whom?; (3) Why do…

Leading researchers from the United States and Europe report on new findings on the effect of education on equal opportunity, using economic and statistical techniques to assess the results of education policy reform in countries including the United States, Britain, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. Much educational research today is focused on…

The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model based on theoretical and empirically supported relationships related to the influences of weight perceptions, weight concerns, desires to change weight, friends, age and location in relation to physical activity (PA) and smoking in adolescents. A total of 1242 males and 1446 females (mean…

The primary research question in this study was whether adolescents' experiences of and responses to teasing were related to the content of a tease and to particular ethnicity. Caucasian (n = 27) and African American adolescents (n = 22) between 12 to 17 years of age were asked to write about an experience of being teased regarding an aspect of…

Organizations and institutions often measure progress in concrete facts, such as how many structures they have and how high they are. Osborne High School in Marietta, Georgia, measures its success by how many walls it can tear down. Staff members see walls as limiting and, perhaps more important, as objects that allow people to make excuses for…

Approximately 3 million teens are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) annually; STDs rates for American Indian young adults are among the highest of any racial/ethnic group. An important risk factor for STDs is early initiation of sex. In this study, we examined risk for early initiation with 474 American Indian youth ages 14-18,…

A social worker and a psychologist, working with troubled youth in a day treatment setting, describe unique ways to use the concepts of Positive Peer Culture (PPC) to facilitate groups from the elementary to high school levels. The authors have adapted the well-known PPC concepts and incorporated them into their strength-based program, SPLASH, to…

This paper examines some of the factors that affect the college choice of students from low-income families, specifically as it relates to college costs, and presents the results of a qualitative study on the factors that motivated the college attendance and choice of eight students from low-income families enrolled at a small, moderately…

This study examined the cognitive representations of culture contact situations for second-generation immigrant and non-immigrant youth to identify differences between socially and individually oriented cultures. Subjects were 8 immigrant and 8 non-immigrant female secondary students with an average age of 17.44 years selected from 156 students of…

This paper examines structural antecedent classroom interventions to assist general classroom teachers in educating children with Attention Deficit Disorder-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD-HD). The effectiveness of early classroom intervention models is explored. Modifications to physical classroom arrangements are evaluated, including open…

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. The mediator does not have the power…

The Centre for Alcohol and Drug Studies, Johannesburg (South Africa) commissioned a study of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among historically disadvantaged black youth aged 10 to 21 years. A national survey explored the prevalence of substance use in this age group through responses of 1,376 children and youths. An in-depth study examined…

In this study of students in a combined kindergarten-first grade class, the impact of students' ways of speaking on their classroom social identities was considered. The study focused on discourse in "first circle," a daily event in which teacher and students meet to start school by taking attendance, filling in a calendar, and planning…

This manual describes Teens As Community Resources, Incorporated (TCR) in Boston (Massachusetts) for those interested in how to start youth-run philanthropic efforts, using a peer leadership model or for those wanting to incorporate youth leadership and empowerment in a youth services organization. The introduction provides a brief description of…