Prosocial Peer Research Articles

Collateral Consequences of School Suspension: Examining the ‘Knifing off’ Hypothesis

School exclusionary practices are routinely used in response to undesired behaviors in the school environment and have been shown to have resulted in unintentional or collateral consequences for youth, including increased risk of arrest, offending behavior, and incarceration. Little research has been done on how school exclusion impacts interaction with prosocial peers and involvement in prosocial opportunities. This study applies the labeling perspective’s knifing off concept to examine whether prosocial exposures and deviant peer associations mediate the relationship between school suspension, arrest, and offending behavior. Using data from the LONGSCAN study, we examined whether suspension led to changes in prosocial peer association and activity involvement, increases in deviant peer association, and ultimately arrest and offending behavior. Results provided support for the labeling perspective’s hypotheses, finding school suspension was indirectly associated with both arrest and offending behavior via decreases in prosocial exposures and increases in deviant peer associations. Findings suggest policy makers should consider alternatives to school suspension where possible to avoid collateral consequences like reductions in prosocial exposures and deviant peer associations and should consider applying restorative approaches following a suspension experience to reintegrate youth into prosocial communities.

Cybervictimization, Depression, and Adolescent Internet Addiction: The Moderating Effect of Prosocial Peer Affiliation.

Although vast research has shown that cybervictimization is a significant risk factor of adolescent’s internet addiction (IA), little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms behind this relationship. The current study examined whether depression mediated the relationship between cybervictimization and adolescent’s IA, and whether the direct and indirect effect was moderated by prosocial peer affiliation (PPA). A sample of 1,006 adolescents (Meanage = 13.16; SD = 0.67) anonymously completed the questionnaires. The results revealed that the positive association between cybervictimization and adolescent’s IA was mediated by depression. Moderated mediation analysis further showed that PPA moderated the association between cybervictimization and adolescent’s IA. However, this indirect effect was stronger for adolescents with high PPA than for those with low PPA, which means that the protective effects of PPA are limited. These findings highlight the mediating and moderating mechanisms between cybervictimization and adolescent’s IA, and provide guidance for the prevention and intervention in adolescent’s IA.

Video games and close relations: Attachment and empathy as predictors of children's and adolescents' video game social play and socio-emotional functioning

This cross-sectional study examined the differential associations between attachment patterns and empathy and children's and adolescents' aggressive, prosocial and interpersonal video game play and peer relations. The sample was composed of 1391 Israeli children and adolescents, aged 9–15 who rated their recent video-game involvement in terms of violent, prosocial and interpersonal interactions. Dispositional attachment styles and empathy were measured, as well as social satisfaction, prosociality, peer support, subjective well-being, and aggressive behavior in daily life. The results confirmed the relationship between type of video game involvement, social functioning, and well-being. Prosocial and interpersonal video game play were related to greater social satisfaction, peer support, and prosocial behavior, which led to increased well-being, whereas violent video game play was related to increased school bullying, and lower social satisfaction and prosociality. Secure attachment was related to increased empathic concerns and higher levels of prosocial and interpersonal interactions in video game use. Children with attachment anxiety or avoidance engaged in significantly less prosocial video game behavior. These findings challenge the assumption that violence in video games is inevitably related to negative social consequences and points to the potential of video games to serve basic attachment and prosocial needs that can promote close relations.

The Enhanced Critical Incident Technique Investigation of Girls’ Perceptions of Prosocial Connectedness in a Wraparound Program

Women and girls are being implicated in gang-related operations at alarming rates. Anti-social gang behaviours such as drug trafficking, sexual exploitation, gun violence, and street entrenchment are of particular concern. British Columbia has seen a rise in gang-associated violence and homicide directed at or involving women over the last decade. Positive youth development initiatives such as the one in this study aim to support youth currently involved in or at risk of being involved in gangs. School personnel identify students who are exposed to anti-social gang behaviours and refer them to a wraparound program where they are matched with an adult mentor who works with them and their families to facilitate prosocial connections to five life domains: (a) school, (b) community, (c) home, (d) prosocial peers, and (e) the self. A 2012 evaluation report determined the program to be effective in reaching its objectives with a predominantly male population (84%). However, between 2015 and 2016, the program dramatically increased its responsiveness to girls, with a nearly 50% increase in female referrals. Using the enhanced critical incident technique (ECIT), the purpose of the study was to describe how female-identifying students articulate “prosocial connectedness” within the context of their experiences in a school-based wraparound gang prevention program. Critical incidents were collected by the first author, who interviewed eight girls and asked them the following: “What has helped/hindered/would have better helped facilitate your prosocial connectedness?” Findings were organized into 34 categories. ECIT analyses point to the effectiveness of using a relational/attachment model to inform strategies for gang prevention and school-based intervention in female youth.

Longitudinal Links Between Mothers’ and Fathers’ Warm Parenting and Children’s Subjective Well-Being: The Roles of Children’s Prosocial Behavior and Peer Relationships

Objective The aim of the present study was to explore the longitudinal links among mothers' and fathers' warm parenting, children's prosocial behavior, peer relationships, and their subjective well-being. Specifically, the research tested indirect relations between mothers' and fathers' warm parenting and children's subjective well-being via children's prosocial behavior and peer relationships. Methods The participants were 1,661 parents and their children (T1: M age = 7) from the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC). Direct and indirect relations among the study variables were explored using path analysis. Results Mothers' warm parenting was directly related to children's subsequent subjective well-being, while fathers' warm parenting was not directly associated with children's subsequent subjective well-being. Fathers' warm parenting was linked to children's subsequent prosocial behavior, which in turn predicted the number of close friends, social adjustment with peers, and frequency of peer conflict. In turn, children's diverse types of peer relationships predicted their subjective well-being. Children's prosocial behavior was also positively related to their subsequent subjective well-being. Conclusion The present findings suggest children's prosocial behavior and peer relationships are intervening mechanisms that account for how fathers' warm parenting predicts their children's subsequent subjective well-being. This study also highlights the protective role of mothers' warm parenting in children's subjective well-being. Keywords: warm parenting, prosocial behavior, peer relationships, subjective well-being, children

Carbon Capture, Employment, and Coming Home from Prison

ABSTRACT Finding and securing employment is a huge challenge for those who have been released from prison. In this paper, we argue that carbon capture technology carries the unique potential to positively impact employment opportunities for those who are undergoing the reentry process. Notably, these careers exist nearly entirely in industries which already employ ex-felons. If carbon capture technology were implemented throughout the United States, our estimates suggest that ex-felons would be eligible for nearly 3.6 million careers. Many of these jobs would be created in industries which directly or indirectly support natural resource extraction, ethanol production, electricity generation, and iron, steel, and cement production. In addition to benefiting the economy, these careers would provide returning individuals with financial security and supportive, prosocial peer relationships. Accordingly, carbon capture carries the unique ability to promote environmental justice while simultaneously providing relief to a tremendously overburdened criminal justice system.

Adolescent Sexual Development and Peer Groups: Reciprocal Associations and Shared Genetic and Environmental Influences.

Peer groups influence the emergence of sexual behaviors in adolescence, but many details regarding the mechanisms underlying these effects have yet to be described. We examined the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental links between both antisocial and prosocial peer characteristics, and several sexual behaviors from middle childhood to late adolescence (ages 11, 14, and 17years) using a longitudinal twin sample (N = 3762). Antisocial peers predicted greater engagement in both normative (e.g., dating) and non-normative (e.g., early sexual intercourse) sexual behaviors, while prosocial peers were associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in non-normative sexual behaviors. Reciprocal effects were also observed such that early sexual experiences were associated with a more antisocial and less prosocial peer groups later in adolescence. Behavioral genetic models indicated that most of the overlap between peer group characteristics and sexual behavior was due to shared environmental influences. That is, some features of the adolescent environment exert a press toward (or against) antisocial peers and sexual behaviors. Together, the results extend the existing literature by highlighting the ways through which peer affiliations are related to sexual development in adolescence.

Peer-relationship patterns and their association with types of child abuse and adolescent risk behaviors among youth at-risk of maltreatment

IntroductionThis study investigates underlying patterns of peer relationships using diverse concepts (i.e., peer dynamics, peer popularity, and deviant peer affiliation). It also examines whether the patterns of peer relationships differ by type of child abuse, as well as the association between peer relationships and adolescent risk behaviors. MethodsThis study included a sample of 659 youth (328 boys, 331 girls) at-risk of maltreatment, primarily low-income and living in the U.S. Peer dynamics were assessed using five separate components (self-report). Peer popularity was measured using teacher's estimation of child's peer status. Deviant peer affiliation was assessed using a modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior and Monitoring the Future Survey. Each type of abuse was assessed at age 12 using a self-report method. Self-reported adolescent sexual risk behaviors and substance use were assessed at age 16. ResultsLatent class analysis identified 4 distinct patterns: 1) Friendly, with prosocial peer groups (10.2%); 2) Socially ignored, with prosocial peer groups (55.2%); 3) Severely antisocial peer groups (6.8%); and 4) Moderately antisocial peer groups (27.8%). Among all types of child abuse, emotionally abused youth were more likely to be involved in severely antisocial peer groups. Additionally, youth in the severely antisocial peer groups were more likely to exhibit adolescent risk behaviors. ConclusionsThese findings argue clearly for the need to gain a deeper understanding of the role played by peer relationships, and of the effect of emotional abuse on the likelihood of membership in severely antisocial peer groups.

SALaMA study protocol: a mixed methods study to explore mental health and psychosocial support for conflict-affected youth in Detroit, Michigan

BackgroundFamilies resettling to the U.S. from conflict-affected countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) face countless challenges. These families must cope with experiences of armed conflict and forced migration while also assimilating to a new society. According to the ‘immigrant paradox,’ time spent in a new country can compound the effects of migration and assimilation challenges and lead to deteriorated mental health. This study aims to assess the psychosocial wellbeing of MENA-born or first-generation adolescents attending school in the Detroit metropolitan area (DMA) to understand how schools, families, and communities play a role in supporting these adolescents’ wellbeing.MethodsThe quantitative component of this mixed methods study will involve a self-administered survey with a sample of students whose responses will be linked to academic records and behavioral assessments. The survey will utilize validated instruments to measure depressive and anxiety symptoms (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-37A), hope (Children’s Hope Scale), resilience (Child and Youth Resilience Measure-12), externalizing and prosocial behavior (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-37A, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), school belonging (Psychological Sense of School Membership), and peer relationships (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support). Differences in outcomes will be analyzed across two strata: students born in the MENA region and first-generation students whose parents immigrated to the US from the MENA region. The qualitative component will involve semi-structured key informant interviews with parents, school administrators, educators, and mental health providers, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with a purposive sample of adolescents born – or whose parents were born - in the MENA region. The FGDs will include a participatory ranking activity where participants will be asked to free-list and rank ideas about how schools can better support students like them. Thematic content analysis will be conducted to identify common themes.DiscussionThis study will contribute evidence about the wellbeing of adolescents who come from – or whose parents come from - conflict-affected countries currently living in the U.S. Findings can be used to inform program and policy development to enable schools and their community partners to serve this population more effectively.

Serum cytokines associated with behavior: A cross-sectional study in 5-year-old children

Nearly 10% of 5-year-old children experience social, emotional or behavioral problems and are at increased risk of developing mental disorders later in life. While animal and human studies have demonstrated that cytokines can regulate brain functions, it is unclear whether individual cytokines are associated with specific behavioral dimensions in population-based pediatric samples. Here, we used data and biological samples from 786 mother-child pairs participating to the French national mother-child cohort EDEN. At the age of 5, children were assessed for behavioral difficulties using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and had their serum collected. Serum samples were analyzed for levels of well-characterized effector or regulatory cytokines. We then used a penalized logistic regression method (Elastic Net), to investigate associations between serum levels of cytokines and each of the five SDQ-assessed behavioral dimensions after adjustment for relevant covariates and confounders, including psychosocial variables. We found that interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, and IL-15 were associated with increased odds of problems in prosocial behavior, emotions, and peer relationships, respectively. In contrast, eight cytokines were associated with decreased odds of problems in one dimension: IL-8, IL-10, and IL-17A with emotional problems, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α with conduct problems, C-C motif chemokine Ligand (CCL)2 with hyperactivity/inattention, C-X-C motif chemokine Ligand (CXCL)10 with peer problems, and CCL3 and IL-16 with abnormal prosocial behavior. Without implying causation, these associations support the notion that cytokines regulate brain functions and behavior and provide a rationale for launching longitudinal studies.

Factors associated with self- and other-directed aggression in Slovak adolescents

Abstract Background We investigated differences in intrapersonal and interpersonal characteristics of adolescents with and without reported aggressive behaviours (AB). We distinguished two types of intrapersonal factors (self-esteem (SE), self-control (SC)) and three types of interpersonal factors (prosocial peers (PP), supportive relationships at home (SRH), supportive relationships at school (SRS)). We separately examined self-directed aggressive behaviours (self-destructive thoughts, self-destructive behaviour) and other-directed aggressive behaviours (using vulgar words, fighting, physical harm, intimidation, mockery of classmates). Methods A representative sample of 1101 adolescents (50.1% female, mean age of 13.5 years) was collected from primary schools in Slovakia. The respondents completed the SE Scale, the SC Scale, the Resilience and Youth Development scale and they were also asked about the frequency of AB. In each form of AB (self- and other-directed) two groups were created: those who reported some AB and those who did not report any AB. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used for the data analysis. Results Almost 75% of the adolescents reported some AB towards others and 41% reported self-harming thoughts or behaviours. Statistically significant differences were observed for both self-directed AB (SE: p<.001, SC: p<.001, PP: p<.001, SRH: p=.013, SRS: p<.001) and other-directed AB (SE: p=.034, SC: p<.001, PP: p<.001, SRH: p=.039, SRS: p=.016). In all cases adolescents who reported AB typically had a lower level of intrapersonal and interpersonal variables compared to those who did not report AB. Conclusions The study contributed to the understanding of factors linked to aggressive behaviour of adolescents and confirmed the associations with self-esteem, self-control, supportive relationships at home and at school and having prosocial peers. Key messages Aggressive behaviour of adolescents can be linked to interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. The above holds for both self- and other-directed aggression.

The role of popularity and digital self-monitoring in adolescents' cyberbehaviors and cybervictimization

Popularity in adolescence predicts heightened prosocial behavior, aggression, and peer victimization in face-to-face contexts. According to Resource Control Theory, individuals who employ both prosocial and aggressive strategies have an enhanced ability to dictate the social functioning of the peer group. Despite the advantages associated with high status, individuals become targets of others seeking to establish their influence through peer victimization. Whether these processes generalize to digital contexts and are the same for boys and girls remains unclear. Furthermore, adolescents are able to carefully monitor their digital self-representations, which may affect associations between popularity and digital social interactions. The current study tested hypothesized associations between popularity, cyberbehaviors, cybervictimization, and digital self-monitoring using data collected in the fall and spring of one school year. Adolescents (N = 299; 169 girls) completed peer-ratings of popularity, cyberprosocial behavior, cyberaggression, and cybervictimization and self-ratings of digital selfmonitoring. Popularity predicted heightened cyberprosocial behavior, cyberaggression, and cybervictimization. For boys, digital selfmonitoring predicted lower levels of cyberprosocial behavior and higher levels of cyberaggression. At low levels of popularity, digital selfmonitoring was predictive of heightened cybervictimization. These findings highlight the contribution of popularity to adolescents' digital interactions and reveal potential liabilities of monitoring digital selfpresentations.

Interventions integrating health and academic education in schools to prevent substance misuse and violence: a systematic review

Background Schools struggle to timetable health education. Interventions integrating academic and health education to reduce substance use and violence offer promise. No current systematic reviews examine such interventions. Objectives To review evidence to explore the following questions: (1) what types of interventions integrating health and academic education in schools serving those aged 4–18 years have been evaluated? (2) What theories of change inform these interventions? (3) What factors facilitate or limit the successful implementation and receipt of such interventions, and what are the implications for the delivery of such implementations in the UK? (4) How effective are such interventions in reducing smoking and violence and the use of alcohol and drugs, and at increasing attainment? Does this vary by students’ sociodemographic characteristics? (5) What factors appear to influence the effectiveness of such interventions? Data sources In total, 19 databases were searched from 18 November to 22 December 2015, updating searches for outcome evaluations for violence on 28 February 2018 and for substance use on 14 May 2018. References were extracted from included studies and authors contacted. Review methods Included studies reported on theories of change, and process or outcome evaluations of interventions that integrated academic and health education to reduce substance use and/or violence. References were screened on the title/abstract and then on the full report. Data extraction and appraisal used Cochrane, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information Centre and other established tools. Theories of change and process data were qualitatively synthesised. Outcome evaluations were synthesised narratively and meta-analytically. Results In total, 78,451 unique references were originally identified and 62 reports included. Search updates on 28 February and 14 May 2018 retrieved a further 2355 and 1945 references, respectively, resulting in the inclusion of six additional reports. Thirty-nine reports described theories, 16 reports (15 studies) evaluated process and 41 reports (16 studies) evaluated outcomes. Multicomponent interventions are theorised to erode ‘boundaries’ (strengthen relationships) between academic and health education, teachers and students, behaviour in classrooms and in the wider school, and schools and families. Teachers, pro-social peers and parents are theorised to act as role models and reinforcers of healthy behaviours learnt in lessons. There was clear evidence that interventions are facilitated by supportive senior management and alignment with the schools’ ethos, collaborative and supportive teaching environments, and positive pre-existing student, teacher and parent attitudes towards interventions. The barriers were overburdened teachers who had little time to both learn and implement integrated curricula. The strongest evidence for effectiveness was found for the reduction of substance use in school key stages (KSs) 2 and 3. For example, a meta-analysis for substance use at KS3 reported a mean difference of –0.09 (95% confidence interval –0.17 to –0.01). A meta-analysis for effectiveness in reducing violence victimisation in KS2 found no effect. There was mixed evidence for effects on academic outcomes, with meta-analysis precluded by methodological heterogeneity. Limitations Study quality was variable. Integration was sometimes not emphasised in theories of change. Conclusions These interventions are undertheorised but involve multiple forms of boundary erosion. There is clear evidence of characteristics affecting implementation. Interventions are likely to have the greatest impact on substance use. These programmes may be effective in reducing substance use but do not appear to reduce violence and findings on educational impacts are mixed. Future work Future evaluations should assess interventions with clearer theories of change and examine academic outcomes alongside violence and substance use outcomes. Study registration This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42015026464. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.

Staying Out: Reentry Protective Factors Among Rural Women Offenders

The current study examines protective factors for women who transition from county jails to rural Appalachian communities, areas with limited health and behavioral health services. The study included drug-using women recruited from three jails in rural Appalachia and followed-up at 12-months post-release. Analyses focused on differences between women who remained in the community and those who returned to custody, as well as a multivariate model to determine protective factors for reentry success. At the bivariate level, staying out of jail was associated with being older, having a job, not using drugs, stable housing, receiving health treatment, and having prosocial peers. In the multivariate model, the most robust predictors of staying out of jail were drug use abstinence, health care utilization, and prosocial peers. Most research on criminogenic needs associated with reentry success have focused on men, and most focused on reentry to urban communities where services and resources are more accessible. These findings have important implications for criminal justice systems to implement reentry programs for women offenders during the transition to the community.

Сравнительное исследование субъективных условий процесса интракоммуникации школьников, переживающих проблемы в разных жизненных областях

The article looks into the structure and unique features of students’ self-concept (including both pro-social and anti-social teenagers) that serve as subjective conditions for their introspection, including their self-interest, self-understanding and expectation of positive attitude of others. Significant differences have been identified in groups of adolescents with different social orientation, sex and age. The article also identifies a connection between various facets of self-concept and problematic experiences of prosocial and anti-social students. The hypothesis of this study is as follows: factors that pose a challenge to students’ introspection, such as a low interest in their Self, a weak understanding of their intentions, strengths and weaknesses, an expectation of a negative attitude of others towards their Self, are reflected in students’ acute problematic experiences in a number of areas of life and hinder their social integration. Study participants included 260 regular secondary school students and 151 evening secondary school students in Saint Petersburg. Total sample size was 411 individuals (boys and girls). All the respondents were between 14 and 16 years old. Pro-social adolescents have been found to have a higher level of such indicators as self-interest and expectation of a positive attitude of others, which reflect a sense of self-worth and the value of their Self for others, than anti-social adolescents. Anti-social adolescents, in turn, generally demonstrate a lower level of understanding of their personality than their pro-social peers. It is shown in the article that optimal subjective conditions for introspection are created by the age of 15 in both groups of adolescents (at a significant level for pro-social adolescents, at a tentative level for anti-social ones). The sample also demonstrates a gradual decline in the level to which teenagers understand their own personality (up to 16 years of age). It is shown that the components of self-concept with a negative modality form negative correlations with students’ problematic experiences, in particular, in such areas as “School,” “Future,” “Own Self,” “Relationship with parents,” “Relationship with the opposite sex” and others and set the tone for their behavior’s social orientation.

Health-Risk Behaviors and Protective Factors Among Adolescents in Rural British Columbia.

This study explores the relationship between rural residency, selected protective factors (family and school connectedness along with prosocial peer attitudes), and health-compromising behaviors (alcohol and tobacco use and nonuse of seatbelt) among adolescents. A subsample of adolescents residing in remote areas was extracted from a province-wide, school-based survey in British Columbia (BC), Canada (weighted N = 2,999). We employed χ2 statistic to test rural-urban differences separately by gender. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between protective factors and behaviors compromising health. In boys, rural residency was associated with multiple problem behaviors (binge drinking, smokeless tobacco use, and nonuse of seatbelt), whereas for girls it was linked to riding without a seatbelt. The final logistic regression models confirmed that rural environment was a significant risk factor for not wearing a seatbelt among both boys and girls, and smokeless tobacco among boys (adjusted odds ratio between 1.44 and 3.05). Rurality, on the other hand, did not predict binge drinking. Logistic regression analyses also revealed that both school connectedness and prosocial peer attitude protected boys against binge drinking and smokeless tobacco, but the results were not as robust for girls. These findings could provide information for location-based intervention efforts promoting adolescent health, highlighting the protective role of the school atmosphere and prosocial peer relationships, especially among boys.

Habilidades de persuasión en niños y niñas de 6 a 12 años. El papel de la teoría de la mente y de la competencia lingüística

Los objetivos de este estudio son: a) analizar la habilidad persuasiva (egoísta y prosocial) de los niños/as de Educación Primaria y b) su relación con la competencia lingüística y la comprensión de la mente. Método. A 103 niños/as de 6 a 12 años se les administró dos tareas de producción persuasiva (una egoísta y una prosocial), el test PPVT-III y una batería de tareas de ToM. Resultados. En la persuasión prosocial los niños/as producen más argumentos distintos y de valencia positiva; en cambio, en cuanto a la calidad, es similar la producción de argumentos mentalistas en ambos tipos de persuasión. Además, los niños con mayor competencia lingüística y mentalista (especialmente atribución de estados emocionales, más que epistémicos) producen argumentos persuasivos más variados y de mayor calidad (la valencia sólo se relaciona con la competencia mentalista); concretamente, la atribución de emociones vinculadas a creencias está relacionada con la variedad de argumentos de persuasión egoísta, y la atribución de emoción a la víctima de una metedura de pata con la variedad y la valencia en la persuasión prosocial. Estos datos pueden ser útiles para guiar la promoción de la influencia prosocial entre iguales en la edad escolar.

An intervention to help teachers establish a prosocial peer climate in physical education

When teachers participate in an autonomy-supportive intervention program (ASIP), they learn how to adopt a motivating style toward students that is capable of increasing need satisfaction and decreasing need frustration. Given this, we tested whether an ASIP experience might additionally help teachers establish a peer-to-peer classroom climate that is capable of increasing prosocial behavior and decreasing antisocial behavior. Forty-two secondary grade-level physical education teachers (32 males, 10 females) and their 2739 students were randomly assigned into either an ASIP or a no-intervention control condition, and their students completed a questionnaire four times over an academic year to assess their need satisfaction and frustration, task-involving and ego-involving peer climates, prosocial and antisocial behaviors, and academic success. Teacher participation in the ASIP increased students' T2, T3, and T4 perceived autonomy-supportive teaching, need satisfaction, peer task climate, prosocial behavior, and academic success, and it also decreased students' T2, T3, and T4 perceived controlling teaching, need frustration, peer ego climate, and antisocial behavior. A multilevel structural equation modeling analysis showed that intervention-enabled increases in T2 peer task-involving climate longitudinally increased students' subsequent T3 and T4 prosocial behavior, while the intervention-enabled decreases in T2 peer ego-involving climate longitudinally decreased students’ subsequent T3 and T4 antisocial behavior. Autonomy-supportive teaching is therefore a precursor to the establishment of a prosocial-boosting and an antisocial-diminishing peer-to-peer classroom climate.

The impact of creative drama activities on aggressive behaviour of preschool children

This article presents the findings of a research study examining the impact of creative puppetry activities on aggressive behaviour in preschool children. The aim of creative drama was to allow for experiences that help children understand interpersonal relations, put themselves in another’s shoes and see alternative possibilities of behaving or acting in given situations. Play with a puppet in small groups offers children opportunities to establish pro-social peer interactions and learn socialisation skills including solving minor conflicts. The research was conducted with 22 preschool teachers in Slovenian preschools and first grades of elementary schools (including 460 children aged 4–7). The teachers completed a scale of social behaviour for each child in the group before introducing the puppetry activities and after concluding them, i.e. after three months of intense, daily creative work with puppets. The paired difference t-test showed that according to the teachers’ assessments after the three-month conduct of creative puppetry activities in the group, the frequency of the occurrence of aggressive behaviour in the total population was diminished, especially in the children who had the lowest scores in the initial assessment.

Prosocial Peers as Risk, Protective, and Promotive Factors for the Prevention of Delinquency and Drug Use

Risk, protective, and promotive factors are instrumental in predicting and, in some cases, explaining human behavior. In the current study, an attempt was made to determine which of these three functions prosocial peers served with respect their effect on future delinquency and drug use. A sample of 2905 youth (51% female, 47% White, 21% Hispanic, 17% Black, mean age = 12.14 years) from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) project were included in this study. Longitudinal analyses, conducted over a period of one year and controlling for age, sex, race, parental knowledge, parental support, unsupervised routine activities, peer delinquency, and prior delinquency/drug use, revealed that associating with prosocial peers led to significant reductions in property offending and drug use. Although there was no evidence that prosocial peers moderated or neutralized the risk generated by delinquent peer associations, they did serve as risk and promotive factors. Hence, associating less often with prosocial peers predicted a rise in property offending and drug use (risk effect), whereas associating more often with prosocial peers predicted a decline in future property offending and drug use (promotive effect).