Writing studies has been an intellectual playground dominated by the "big kids." If we are to understand how writing becomes "relevant" to children as children, then we must study them, not for who they are becoming, but for who they are in life spaces shared with other children. This essay on the methodology entailed in…

African-American student achievement outcomes have been and continue to be a critical concern for education researchers. Much of the framing of African-American student outcomes centers on what is known as achievement gaps that exist between African-American and White students. Unfortunately, these gaps have remained roughly the same since the…

Argues that any comprehensive theory of peer socialization requires attention to these five constraints: (1) characteristics of the influence source; (2) characteristics of the children being socialized; (3) age constraints on peer influences; (4) paradigm considerations; and (5) domain relevance. (SD)

Cummings (1979), citing evidence from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, reports that one of every eleven adult Americans suffers from a severe addictive problem. Drug addiction is epidemic among teenagers; one of every six teenagers suffers from a severe addictive problem. This paper focuses on adolescent drug/substance abuse. (Author)

Discusses the increasing problem of drug abuse among young people in terms of social causes, including the disappearance of childhood, the changing family unit, changing value systems of the peer culture, prevailing social norms, and parental attitudes. Examples are given of mass media messages that promote drug use. (CB)

Children growing up today face unprecedented perils and problems, and for many children the world frequently seems to be an unpredictable place. Pressures on children come from a variety of sources, such as family, peer relationships, and changes in society. (JD)

Examined natural behavior contingencies as mechanisms by which peers influence children's school motivation. Found that the more students were motivated, the more likely they were to receive approval from peer-group members following active, on-task behaviors. The less students were motivated, the more they received disapproval from nonmembers…

Identifies children's basic social needs; describes the effect of social pressures provided by family, schooling, peer groups, and television on children's social needs; and provides suggestions for balancing social priorities for children. (BB)

Studied role of nonshared parent and peer influences on siblings as predictors of adolescent cigarette smoking onset. Found peer influences were predictors of smoking onset when shared influences were controlled. Nonshared peer influences on siblings were stronger in educated families. Findings highlight utility of controlling for shared…

Followed students annually from sixth through eighth grade to determine: (1) susceptibility to peer influence to misbehave, exposure to peer drinking, and alcohol overindulgence; (2) cohort and gender differences; and (3) moderating influences. Found that the exposure/overindulgence relationship varied as a function of initial susceptibility.…

Tested hypothesis that primary-influence processes in adolescent friendships are social interactional and that quality of friendship has little to do with development of delinquent behavior. Found that antisocial boys showed poor-quality friendships and low levels of relationship quality. (Author)

Race and socioeconomic class differences in children's reading performance are influenced by social and motivational factors. For example, children from poverty backgrounds are more likely to attribute success to conditions outside personal control, and thus do not experience as much pride in achievement as middle class students who have learned…

Claims that children's peer relations are significant in their social, cognitive, and moral development, and are correlated to later problems in social adjustment. Includes a brief historical perspective on the subject, and explores direct and indirect influences. Claims that peer relations develop within ecological frameworks, and identifies the…

Peers are rarely credited as the source of positive behaviors; rather credit is given to the child or the parent for doing a good job. This introduction provides an overview of some of the methodological complications involved in studying peer influence, and discusses a new model for conceptualizing peer influence. (Author/SD)

Examined influences of friends and friendships on adjustment to junior high school via self-reports, peer nominations, teacher ratings, and school records. Found that sociability and leadership increased if students had high-quality friendships, and behavior problems increased if students had friends with behavioral problems. Separate and…