NCJ Number
16101
Date Published
1974
Length
170 pages
Annotation
A REVIEW OF PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES INVOLVED IN THIS STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEMS OF YOUTH BY TEACHING STUDENTS TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR HELPING ONE ANOTHER AND MOBILIZING POSITIVE PEER GROUP INFLUENCES.
Abstract
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSITIVE PEER CULTURE (PPC) AND A SUMMARY OF ITS ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES ARE PROVIDED. THREE CENTRAL CONCEPTS UNDERLYING A PPC PROGRAM ARE THEN REVIEWED - THE POWER OF PEERS, THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GIVING, AND THE ROLE THAT PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS CAN PLAY IN HELPING OTHERS OF SIMILAR BACKGROUND. THIS PROGRAM IS THEN CONTRASTED WITH MOST CURRENT APPROACHES, ITS ASSUMPTIONS ARE OUTLINED, AND A SYSTEM OF CLASSIFYING 'PROBLEMS' IS PROVIDED. THE SPECIFIC PROCEDURES THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED TO RETURN RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO TEND TO DENY IT, THE FORMATION OF PPC GROUPS AND THE STAGES THROUGH WHICH THEY PASS, THE ROLE OF STAFF, AND THE PROCEDURES FOR OPERATING A GROUP MEETING ARE DESCRIBED. ALSO CONSIDERED ARE SPECIAL ISSUES OF PPC PROGRAMS IN RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTERS, INCLUDING A MODEL OF STAFF ORGANIZATION. THE AUTHORS PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES CONFRONTING PPC PROGRAMS TODAY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)