Empowering teen peers to prevent bullying: The Bully Busters Program for high school (Peer leader guide and CD) by Horne,A. M., Nitza,A., Dobias,B. F., Jolliff,D. L., Raczynski,K. A., & Voors,W.

This article describes low-cost and tested procedures which may be used by the social work pracritioner-researcher for collection of data about what takes place in groups in natural setting. Some technical issues in uses of tapes of group sessions obtained by portable cassette recorders are explored. Content analysis as a research technique is explained and illustrations provided. Process analysis through measurement of such dimensions as frequency and initiator of speech is described.     

Networks of Attachment Relationships in Low-income Children of Mexican Heritage: Infancy through Preschool

Eighty-three low-income Mexican-heritage children (44 girls) and their mothers participated in this research. Children were observed with alternative caregivers at 14, 24, and 36 months of age using the Attachment Q-Set. Most children received regular care from infancy through preschool from relatives and childcare providers. Children had high attachment security scores with both mothers and caregivers. Child–mother and child-alternative caregiver attachment security scores were independent of each other. Children whose mothers did not participate in family clusters were lowest in child–mother attachment security at 14 months. More emotionally sensitive mothers and responsive alternative caregivers were associated with more secure child–adult attachments. Mothers who had more contact with relatives still in Mexico were more likely to have somewhat more positive relations between intrusive interaction and positive attachment relationships than mothers who had less contact.     

A Genetic Analysis of Differential Experiences of Adolescent Siblings Across Three Years

Environmental factors work to make siblings in the same family different from one another rather than similar. The Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience (SIDE; Daniels & Plomin, 1985) was constructed to evaluate how differently siblings perceive their experiences to be across three domains: parental treatment, sibling treatment, and peer characteristics. The goals of the study were threefold: to assess the degree to which siblings agree about their differential experiences; to examine the stability of perceived differential treatment across three years; and to assess genetic and environmental contributions to the SIDE using both the twin design and the stepfamily design. These goals were explored using a genetically sensitive sample of 719 same-sex sibling pairs ranging from 10 to 18 years of age of whom 94% of eligible pairs were retested three years later. Results indicated moderate agreement between siblings, and considerable stability across 3 years. As in previous research on the SIDE, MZ vs. DZ results indicated greater genetic influence than did results for full siblings vs. genetically unrelated siblings. The results suggest that, although intended as a measure of nonshared environment, the SIDE is not impervious to genetic influence as assessed by the twin design.     

Whose agenda? Issues of power and relationship when listening to looked‐after young people

Listening to children and young people is for social workers a legal requirement, it is also believed to lead to better outcomes and is increasingly promoted in policy. The practice of listening is, however, rarely straightforward, and this is particularly the case with socially excluded groups. As a result, the voices of the marginalized are less likely to be heard. In this paper the author draws on interview data from a research study into communication between social workers and looked‐after children for the light it sheds on why effective dialogue with disaffected young people can be hard to achieve. It is argued that much that appears unsuccessful in an interaction can be understood in terms of power plays, with young people resisting the adult's agenda and trying to impose their own. True listening to disaffected young people requires time, so that a trusting relationship can be developed. It also demands an acceptance that the adult agenda may be flawed and a willingness to consider alternative possibilities. This can challenge the preconceptions, not just of individual workers, but of agencies and of national policy‐makers.     

Psychosocial,Motivational, and Contextual Profiles of Youth Reporting Different Patterns of Substance Use During Adolescence

This research examined patterns of substance use and academic factors among a sample of 733 African‐American and European‐American adolescents from a metropolitan area. First, youth were classified into 11th grade high, moderate, or no substance use groups and classified as users, initiators, desistors, and nonusers based on eighth and 11th grade use. Nonusers did not differ in eighth grade from 11th grade moderate users and initiators over time. Eighth graders who reported misbehavior and having low‐achieving friends were more likely to be high 11th grade users and users at both grades. Direct achievement effects were not found; however, interactions indicated achievement was protective when paired with having fun at school, high task value, and low levels of socioeconomic status (SES); and was a risk factor when paired with positive self regard, low fun at school and high SES. Cluster analyses indicated the most prevalent group of substance users reported high grades, social reasons for going to school, and having friends who do well in school.     

THE RHETORIC OF DEMOCRACY IN INTERNATIONAL ON-LINE EDUCATION

On-line education has been heralded as the next democratizing force in education, particularly in higher education (Daniel 1996; Jones 1997). By opening access to populations which have not had access either because of geographical location, job status, or physical handicap, the rhetoric of on-line education suggests that this new technology will democratize education, breaking down the elitist walls of the ivory tower. However, it is not at all clear that the reality of implementing distance learning solutions have in fact any potential, much less actual value for democratizing higher education. Much the opposite, founded on the myth of the meritocracy, on-line education has the potential to exacerbate already intractable views of individual achievement through education as rectifying failures to meet disadvantaged populations' needs. This paper presents several cases of international on-line education and the rhetoric that surrounds its introduction. In some cases we are able to share stories of implementation of distance learning programmes or governmental promises made to those interested in distance learning. In each case, we attempt to tell a story that sheds light on the ways in which the noble goals of democracy are and aren't met in the harsh reality of on-line learning.