A "party riot" is a sure way to strip
away the veneer of a troubled culture.
What problems do your schools and
youth subcultures have?


Are humans group animals or individuals? Are humans lone actors or influenced by others? Are people guided by the top-down, individualistic rules of society imposed by our leaders; or are people guided by the bottom-up norms of group dynamics imposed by peer pressure? Look at the issue of "squealing" or "ratting" on a friend. The adults see it as help and youth see it as hurt. This is an example of the clash between adult rules and youth norms.

In another example, there have been over 210 acting out "party riots" in the United States at mostly large, land-grant universities since the mid-80s. It would seem that these behaviors are learned informally in primary and secondary schools, and concentrated in college towns.

Antisocial behaviors are learned and reinforced by the group. From teen pregnancy to self harm to suicide to underage drinking, risky behavior has now become the norm for many of our children.

There is an antidote to such negative behavior, but it is the adults in authority who have to adopt a new philosophy before there can be any hope of altering youth culture.

The wrong way is to point fingers, find scapegoats and sanction offenders. We adults are also habituated to blaming parents, families, teachers, schools, police, judges and legislators for the failure of our youth to reform their ways.

The only sure way to solve these issues is for all stakeholders to jointly share responsibility for their role in creating an us-versus-them, negative dynamic. This requires a paradigm shift in thinking and a commitment by all stakeholders to alter their approach to youthful offenders.

The following links are an introduction to concepts underlying the normative approach to peer group management.

The ten D's of deviance

The power of powerlessness

Understanding the dynamics of the peer culture

The foundation of the positive peer culture