Positive Peer Culture (PPC) - Detailed Report

• Building group responsibility: Group members learn to keep one another out of trouble, much as they would be expected to do with their siblings at home.
• The group meeting: Serves as the problem-solving arena in which youth are able to help one of their peers in a safe environment; meetings are structured: problem reporting, awarding the meeting, problem solving, group leader’s summary. A distinct problem list is used in the program to ensure a universal language.
• Service learning: Youth are engaged in multiple community projects, developed to reinforce the value of helping others; many projects are conducted along side adult service clubs. Youth are taught that community service is an expected part of community living, not a punishment for misbehavior. In the context of a Positive Peer Culture program, service learning is not simply a program component --- service learning is meant to develop a life-style of community responsibility and action.
• Teamwork primacy: A highly successful program management model, which assumes that “teamwork” is the highest administrative priority. Staff teams are organized around distinct groups of children.

Positive Peer Culture (PPC) is rated a "2 - Supported by Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one rigorous randomized controlled trial with a sustained effect of at least 6 months. For more information on the rating of a "2 - Supported by Research Evidence," please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Nas, C. N., Brugman, D., & Koops, W. (2005). Effects of the EQUIP programme on the moral judgement, cognitive distortions, and social skills of juvenile delinquents. Psychology, Crime, & Law, 11(4), 421-434.

Type of Study: Pre-test/Post-test with non-randomized comparison groups
Number of participants: Treatment: 31, Control, 25.
Population:

Age Range: Boys between 12 and 18
Race/Ethnicity: Unknown
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Youths in high-security juvenile correction facilities.

Location/Institution: The Netherlands
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) The study compared youth in an EQUIP program, which employs the Positive Peer Culture model, at their facility with a control group made up of youth from two other facilities. Moral judgment was measured pre-and post-test using the Sociomoral Reflection Measures—Short Form (SRM-SF), which includes indicators of values of contract, truth, affiliation, life, property and law, and legal justice. Cognitive distortions were assessed with the How I Think (HIT) Questionnaire, which looks at self-centeredness, blaming others, mislabeling/minimizing, and assuming the worst. Social information processing was examined by presenting participants with 4 vignettes of hypothetical situations where they were put at a disadvantage by a peer. Participants also took the Attitudes towards Delinquent Behavior Questionnaire, assessing moral beliefs and were assessed on social skills under stressful or problematic circumstances with the Inventory of Adolescent Problems—Short Form (IAP-SF). Results showed that. At post-test, the EQUIP group had lower cognitive distortion scores on covert behavior, self-centeredness, blaming others, minimizing/mislabeling, stealing and lying than did the comparison group. No differences were found for other cognitive distortion subscales. The treatment group also had more negative attitudes toward delinquent behavior. No differences were found for moral judgment, social skills or social information processing.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: None

Leeman, L. W., Gibbs, J. C., & Fuller, D. (1993). Evaluation of a multi-component group treatment program for juvenile delinquents. Aggressive Behavior, 19, 281-292.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of participants: 57 boys
Population:

Age Range: Average age 16
Race/Ethnicity: 67% Caucasian, 31% Black, 2% Hispanic
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Youths admitted to a medium-security correctional facility.

Location/Institution: Midwestern U.S.
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Participants were randomly assigned to receive the EQUIP program, based on the Positive Peer Culture model, or one of two control conditions. Simple control youths were told that measures were being used for research on delinquency. Motivational control youths were given a 5-minute motivational induction urging them to help other inmates. Measures of conduct and mediating variables were taken before and after the intervention. Archival conduct measures consisted of the felony level of the original offense committed, institutional incident reports, and unexcused school absences. Parole revocation or recomitment were also noted. Self-reported conduct was measured using a questionnaire asking about pre-commitment delinquent behavior and institutional misconduct. Moral judgment as a mediating variable was measured with the Sociomoral Reflection Measure—Short Form (SRM-SF) and social skills were measured with the Inventory of Adolescent Problems—Short Form (IAP-SF). All groups gained in moral judgment scores and they did not differ significantly at the end of the study. The experimental group gained significantly more than other groups in social skills. The EQUIP group also showed significant improvements in conduct over the control groups. The EQUIP group also showed lower recidivism rates over 12 months than the control groups. Interpretation of the results of this study is limited by small sample sizes.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: 12 months (recidivism only)

Sherer, M. (1985). Effects of group intervention on moral development of distressed youth in Israel. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 14(6), 513-526.

Type of Study: Non-randomized comparison group
Number of participants: 32 boys and 16 girls
Population:

Age Range: 15-18
Race/Ethnicity: Unknown
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): Street corner gang members who had volunteered for activities directed by a paraprofessional

Location/Institution: Israel
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Participants were assigned to one of three groups. The Positive Peer Culture (PPC) group consisted of gang members who agreed to participate in a PPC course. The first comparison group consisted of randomly chosen members of the same gangs the PPC groups belonged to. Only one gang member was included in the PPC course from each gang. The second comparison group consisted of randomly chosen members of gangs who had no contact with the PPC course or course participants. Measures were taken at the beginning and end of the PPC course. Moral development was measured using the Morality Test for Children (MOTEC). This measure consists of five components: resistance to temptation, moral development, feelings after offense, judgment about severity of punishment, and confession. These are presented to respondents using pictures and stories depicting moral dilemmas. PPC group members scored higher at posttest on resistance to temptation and moral development. For feelings after offense and severity of punishment, the PPC and the same-gang comparison groups scored higher than the other comparison group. No significant differences were found for confession. The authors conclude that the PPC group had a positive effect on other members of their gangs.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: None

Vorrath, H. & Brendtro, L. (1985). Positive Peer Culture (2nd ed.). New York: Aldine.

Laursen, E. K. (2005). Rather than fixing kids – build positive peer cultures. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 4(3), 137-142.

Wasmund, W. C. and Tate, T. F (1996). Partners in empowerment: a peer group primer. Albion, MI: Starr Commonwealth.

Brendtro, L. & Shahbazian, M. (2004). Troubled Children and Youth: turning problems into opportunities. Champaign, IL: Research Press.