1. Positive Peer Culture
By: Ali James

2. What is it?
Positive Peer Culture (PPC) – a peer-helping model designed to improve social competence and cultivate strengths in troubled and troubling youth.
The central position – young people can develop self-worth, significance, dignity, and responsibility only as they become committed to the positive values of helping and caring for others.
PPC asks youth if they are willing to give help, not if they want to receive it.

3. History
First started in the late 1950’s in New Jeasery by Charles A. Lindbergh.
treatment program for delinquent youth
First called Guided Group Interaction (GGI)
Structured peer groups met 5 times a week in group counseling sessions
Outside of meetings, youth took on responsibility of their peers behavior
Harry Vorrath and colleagues began implementing this model in different settings
Term Positive Peer Culture coined in their by Harry Vorrath and Larry Brendtro

4. Who is it for? First developed for delinquent youth Now seen in…
Schools- mainstream, private, …
Community programs
Juvenile courts
Group homes
Other childcare facilities

5. Purpose and Implementation
Adults assign responsibility to youth and they teach them to follow through on the responsibility.
Teachers are still in control, but without controlling.
Examples:
A student hurls a book across the room, laughs, and blurts out a remark designed to disrupt the class. Before the teacher can respond, other students in the room confront the offender for being "inconsiderate" and tell him to "check" himself. The youth, having received no peer support for his actions, slumps quietly into his seat. The teacher resumes her instruction without having said one word about the behavior problem.
A group home for troubled girls had severe drug abuse problems. The result of the many attempts to suppress the activity was a cold war between staff and youth. Suspicion, searches, and restriction became commonplace. That was a year ago. Now staff members no longer police students for drugs, and the climate of intrigue is gone. As a new girl enters, her peers confiscate any drugs she may have and tell her, "We don't have to use dope around here." Drug problems are dealt with openly in a helpful, matter-of-fact way. Group members state with strong conviction that when a person has good feelings about herself she no longer needs to get high on drugs.

6. Purpose (Cont.)
The only rule is that people must care for one another or to want what’s best for another.
Caring for others is not common, negative, harmful behavior is usually more acceptable
Once caring is implemented, hurting becomes less common.
The more a person gives and becomes of value to others, the more they increase their own feelings of worthiness and builds a positive self-concept.

7. Major components = Peer Influence
Peer influence is a huge factor during adolescence so it is important to have a positive peer environment to support adolescents.
Positive peer groups offer:
Acceptance
Emotional avenues for catharsis
A place for testing new values and judgments
A chance to help others and encourage them to develop a positive support network
Interaction among peer can create:
New meanings
Perceptions
Solutions
Feedback
A model to alternative perceptions and behaviors
PPC offer:
Opportunities to check out the effectiveness of their communication
Behaviors
Values
Result = they feel that they are not alone in their struggles

8. Some Obstacles Involved in Implementing the Program
The concept is easily understood, but creating a positive culture of young people is not simple.
Grows from practice
Goes against traditional practices/systems
Working with people is always a challenge
Beliefs
Past (how they were raised & how they know to act)
Pride
What’s needed?
planning and organization
pay attention to many different variables
a trained staff who are committed to developing positive potentials of the youth
Patience

9. Why use PPC? Clear and viable alternative to existing programs
Peers have a stronger influence on each other than rules have
Greater influence = help to solve problems that teachers can not
Teaches students to help others
Teaches basic values
Teaches students to assume responsibility for others

10. Conclusion There are many advantages of PPC.
They help students care and be responsible for others, grow as a person, know that they are not alone, and feel accepted.
When first implementing PPC
be patient
work along side students
Don’t give up

11. Sources Positive Peer Culture by Harry Vorrath and Larry Brendtro.

12. QUESTIONS?