Early adolescent girls and boys (N = 33) with known histories of relational aggression and/or victimization gave detailed accounts of the nature, frequency, intensity, course, and impact of relational aggression among their peers. They also described reasons for, and forms of, aggression after being prompted by a series of hypothetical vignettes.…

The International Baccalaureate's (IB) branding and reputation targets academic high achievers aiming for university entrance. This is an empirical examination of the growing popularity of this transnational secondary credential amongst local populations in Australia, focusing on its uptake across the community, and the discourses underpinning its…

This article takes a look at the rising popularity of professors as the latest YouTube stars. The popularity of their appearances on YouTube and other video-sharing sites is making it possible for classrooms to be opened up and making teaching--which once took place behind closed doors--a more public art. Web video has generated a new form of…

Based on theory and research, social aspects like friendship and sense of relatedness are fundamental in the development of children's cultural identity and achievement of outcomes. It is argued that this is a motivational aspect often neglected in research studies focusing on students' motivation and learning. Theory and research on motivation…

The reported problems of today's Australian adolescent are identified and described, and the effects of age and sex on these problems are assessed. Relationships between peer acceptance and sex role identity are investigated; whether changes in sex role identity occur during adolescence is discussed. (Author/GK)

This study examined the effects on 6- and 8-year old children (n = 160) of rejection versus acceptance by an initial group, the reason for the rejection or acceptance (personal versus category-based), and the norms (inclusion versus exclusion) of a new group to which the children were assigned, on their negative affect and attitudes towards the…

This paper, based on the perspectives of young men, explores the relationship between dominant constructions of masculinities and the sexual harassment of young women in Australian secondary schools, within a feminist poststructuralist theoretical framework. Of particular importance in this process are the ways in which sexual harassment is…

A study investigated perceptions of friendships faced by five Australian adolescents with Asperger syndrome. Participants struggled to describe their understanding of friendships, but were better able to describe a number of characteristics of peers who would not be friends. The use of masquerading to cope with social deficits is discussed.…

The main purpose of this report is to provide guidelines for a study on educating for leisure. The authors proceed on the theory that to understand fully the leisure time activities of individuals it is necessary to take into consideration their whole life of home circumstances, work, and schooling and examine this in relation to their…

Developmental changes in the encoding of unfamiliar faces was studied in three experiments with Australian 7- to 12-year-old children (N=24 in experiment 1, N=48 in experiment 2, and N=32 in experiment 3). Results showed that younger children encoded unfamiliar faces in terms of striking isolated features and that avoidant children made more…

This article considers common dilemmas faced by schools undergoing change. The dilemmas are related to three areas: autonomy, focus, and acceptance. How teachers and administrators resolve these dilemmas is fundamental to the way change in schools is implemented. This study examines the way curriculum leaders in a regional Australian government…

Classroom and playground behaviors of 95 integrated mildly intellectually handicapped and mildly disabled students were compared with those of 95 nonhandicapped, age- and sex-matched regular class students. All subjects attended state government primary schools and were between 8 and 13 years of age. Subjects' behavior was observed in the…

Results of using the "Peer Attitudes toward the Handicapped Scale" with Australian intermediate grade children (N=368) indicated its suitability in its present form (including U.S. norms) for sixth grade students, though it is suggested separate norms need to be developed for other grade levels. (Author/DB)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between sex, social status and social behavior in a sample of Australian preschool-aged children. Social behavior has emerged as an important predictor of social status for children in middle childhood however, although early childhood may be an optimum period for implementation of…

This study investigated the relation of loneliness in middle childhood to behavioral, sociometric, and attributional measures of social functioning. Data for 128 third- through sixth-graders were collected on three occasions during a 1-year span. Teachers completed a rating scale assessing students' social behavior. Children's peer acceptance was…