ABSTRACT
Group-oriented techniques have been used within a wide range of philosophical orientations including psychodynamic, behavioral, and psychoeducational. One of the most comprehensive systems of mobilizing peer group dynamics is the guided group interaction tradition as represented by McCorkle, Elias, and Bixby, Keller and Alper, Pilnick, Empey and Lubeck, Vorrath and Brendtro, Weeks, Petrock, and others. Group-oriented techniques have been used within a wide range of philosophical orientations including psychodynamic, behavioral, and psychoeducational. Peer group programs originated in residential treatment centers for adolescent delinquents but have since been extended to varied populations in a wide range of settings, including public schools and community agencies. Central to any consideration of peer group treatment is the ethical issue of encouraging the use of group pressure to influence individuals. Obedience to adult rules does not in itself prepare youth to live responsibly in the complexities and uncertainties of the real world.
