This article describes an Irish program linking mainstream pupils (n=30) and their counterparts with severe and profound learning difficulties (n=16) and assesses the social and educational benefits for all involved. The program had a positive impact on the emotional reactions of young people toward interacting with their peers with learning…

This study introduces a social context model within which peer acceptances of prosocial-leadership, aggression, and social withdrawal were examined as functions of the contextual norms of these behaviors. The major postulate of the model is that the extent to which a behavior permeates a social context facilitates peer acceptance of the behavior.…

Residential programming has become an important treatment modality for adolescents with psychiatric disturbances. The importance of peer relations in treatment settings suggests a need for an objective assessment of these relations. Sociometric procedures were used to study the peer relationships of adolescents in a 15-bed residential treatment…

Two parallel studies evaluated the manner in which variations in sociometric formulations highlight differing effects of academic status on social acceptance in the classroom. The contingency between sociometric formulation and outcome was consistent with level of aspiration and social exchange theories. (Author/LMO)

This study compared the perceptions of 227 ninth- and tenth-grade students with learning disabilities in regular and special secondary classrooms. Students' perceptions of their classroom environment and their social competence were assessed. Results showed that students with learning disabilities perceived regular classes as being better…

Noting that a child's peer competence and sociometric status not only are important indices of the child's current social functioning, but may also predict adolescent adaptation, this study examined the antecedents in peer competence and sociometric status in early and late elementary school years of five peer reputation dimensions. These five…

A questionnaire of 500 pupils (ages 16-17)in Zimbabwe investigated their attitudes toward being integrated with students with disabilities. Results showed the students had more positive attitudes towards integration of students with disabilities than negative ones. No significant differences were found in attitudes of female and male students.…

Information on children's academic achievement and social adjustment was gathered from multiple sources over two years, beginning in grades four and six. Found that children's academic achievement predicted their social competence and peer acceptance; and children's social competence, aggression, leadership, and peer acceptance contributed to…

Well-being was assessed in 568 low-achieving Dutch students (ages 7-15) by means of a self-image scale consisting of 39 statements and peer acceptance through sociometric nomination and rank-order procedures. Students in special education had a slightly better self-image and were more accepted by peers than low-achieving students in regular…

A study of the attitudes of 821 secondary-level students in British Columbia (Canada) found that the majority supported mainstreaming of handicapped students in their classes, females were more positive than males, older students were more positive than younger students, and physical contact with handicapped students did not automatically lead to…

This paper describes an awareness project involving presentations to secondary school students on the nature of learning disabilities. A university student with learning disabilities gave the presentation to approximately 450 students in 24 Newfoundland schools. Participants rated the presentation highly and demonstrated better understanding of…

A study examined the relationship between phonological awareness skills and social-emotional competence among 98 Israeli preschool children, 39 at risk for developing learning disabilities. Children at risk had lower phonological awareness measures, viewed themselves as more lonely, felt less confident, and were less accepted by peers. (Contains…

Interviews and focus groups with five 9- and 10-year-old girls from rural Nova Scotia (Canada) clearly revealed the power and influence of the media in manipulating young girls' perceptions of themselves and others. Goffman's interactionist perspective of the "theatrical performance" provided a framework for the study. (Contains 47…

A multi-method project was conducted in a Local Education Authority (LEA) in the north of England. The relationships between girls' friendships, bullying, school attendance and transfer were explored through documentary analysis, LEA school admission statistics, group interviews and q-sort technique. This paper reports selectively on those…

In the classroom, young people in their role of pupils are supposed to focus on and respond to the teaching plan. At breaks, the norms and rules may differ and are more similar to life outside the school. Peer rejection is part of this life. According to Swedish school legislation, schools shall counteract all forms of insulting treatment. Still,…