Peer Effects on Social Competence Development in Positive Youth Development Programs

Background:  Positive youth development (PYD) programs promote healthy youth outcomes by reducing risk exposure and teaching valuable social skills. Past research demonstrates the value of these programs, especially for youth from vulnerable circumstances, yet little still is known about the mechanisms within programs that contribute to positive outcomes (Anthony, Alter, & Jensen, 2009; Durlak, Weissberg, & Pachan, 2010).  Interactions with peers at PYD programs may be an important mediator for exploration (Smith, 2003). As such, the primary aim of this study is to examine how social competence development during a sports-based PYD program is influenced by peer social competence-related skills.

 Methods:  Seven hundred and thirty youth aged 9-15 years old participated in a 4-week sports-based PYD program designed to promote social competence among youth. Participants were primarily African American (84%; 8% Multiracial; 3% White; 5% other), Male (60%), and living in poverty.  Each youth was randomly assigned to groups stratified by age. In total, there were 27 different groups, with an average of 23 youth per group (SD = 6.81). Youth completed pre- and post-surveys assessing their perceptions of competence in the areas of Self-Control, Effort, Teamwork, Social Competence, and Transfer.  Peer Skill was calculated for each individual youth as the mean of all other youths in their particular group at pre-test.  A series of hierarchical linear regression models (HLM) were conducted, nesting youth within groups.  Specifically, each youth’s individual score at post-test was predicted from Peer Skill and the child’s pre-test score (group mean centered) for each of the five outcomes.

 Results:  Relative pre-test scores were significantly predictive of post-test scores on four of the five outcomes, as would be expected. For all five outcomes, the HLM analyses found that, after controlling for pre-test, youth’s post-test scores were significantly influenced by the average level of Peer Skill. For example, Peer Skill was significantly predictive of social competence (Estimate = 0.65, p < .001), with the other four analyses following the same pattern.  Results indicate that youth who were assigned to groups where Peer Skills related to social competence was higher at pre-test made greater gains in their social competence development during camp.

 Implications:  Consistent results across all five examined constructs confirmed that peer effects were present.  Youth’s perceptions of their social competence across multiple domains (i.e., self-control, teamwork) were significantly influenced by the skills of the peers in their group. Findings suggest the degree of skills among peers involved in PYD programs is an important mechanism of change. Focusing on peer interactions and skills, especially ensuring peers’ with pro-social skills are involved in programming, is important for social workers and others working in practice. Further research should explore peer influences in PYD programs further.