BUILDING THE STUDENT ORGANIZATION FOR POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE:

AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY OF A STRATEGY TO

DECREASE AT-RISK BEHAVIORS

by

Sidney Alan Vineburg

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JANET BUCKENMEYER, PhD, Faculty Mentor and Chair
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DONNA WILSON, EdD, Committee Member

MICHAEL SANDERS, PhD, Committee Member

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Feranda Williamson, EdD, Dean, School of Education

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A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Education

Capella University

June 2013
 UMI Number: 3568689

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 Abstract

Teens today face difficult choices. Young people seek more independence from authority

figures such as parents and teachers while deepening relationships with their peers.

Behaviors such as drinking, drug abuse, and violence put students’ health, welfare, and

lives at risk and seem to proliferate in U.S. society. Negative or positive peer pressure,

the influence teens have on each other, plays a role in those choices. Evidence from this

study suggests a student organization for positive peer pressure (SOPPP) is an effective

strategy for addressing at-risk behaviors at a Catholic high school in the Midwestern

United States. Trained peer leaders coming from different school interest groups have

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provided modeling of good decision making and activities that confront at-risk behaviors.
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Administration, staff, and parents provide crucial support by considering an SOPPP a

priority. The greatest challenge for the SOPPP under study is the ineffective
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communication currently used by SOPPP student leaders and committees. These

problems must be addressed for the SOPPP to reach its full potential as the only group at
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the Catholic high school under study whose focus is on creating a positive, healthy school

culture by empowering students to lead.

 Dedication

To my wife, Devorah, and our family for their unwavering confidence, love, and

support.

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 Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my mentor and guide, Dr. Janet Buckenmeyer, for her

patience, encouragement, and advocacy. I would also like to thank my committee, Dr.

Donna Wilson and Dr. Michael Sanders, for their support. I want to express my gratitude

to the students, staff, and parents of Catholic High School and most especially to the

student leaders of the Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure, role models for

students of the future.

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 Table of Contents

Acknowledgments iv

List of Tables viii

List of Figures ix

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1

Introduction to the Problem 1

Background, Context, and Theoretical Framework 1

Statement of the Problem 8

Purpose of the Study 8

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Research Question 9
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Rationale, Relevance, and Significance 9

Nature of the Study 10

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Definition of Terms 11

Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations 12

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Organization of the Remainder of the Study 13

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 14

Theoretical Framework 14

Review of Research Literature and Methodological Literature 19

Review of Methodological Issues 29

Synthesis of Research Findings 31

Critique of Previous Research 31

Chapter 2 Summary 32

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 33

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 Purpose of the Study 33

Research Questions and Assumptions 34

Research Design 35

Target Population, Sampling Method, and Related Procedures 36

Instrumentation 41

Data Collection 44

Field Test 45

Data Analysis Procedures 46

Limitations of the Research Design 47

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Credibility, Dependability, Confirmability, and Transferability 48

Expected Findings
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Ethical Issues 49
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Chapter 3 Summary 50

CHAPTER 4. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 52

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Purpose of the Study Error! Bookmark not defined.

Research Questions and Assumptions Error! Bookmark not defined.

Research Design Error! Bookmark not defined.

Target Population Error! Bookmark not defined.

Research Methodology and Analysis 53

Summary of the Findings 55

Chapter 4 Summary 68

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION 69

Summary of the Results 69

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 Discussion of the Results 73

Discussion of the Results in Relation to the Literature 75

Limitations 78

Implication of the Results for Practice 78

Recommendations for Further Research 79

Conclusion 79

REFERENCES 81

APPENDIX A. PRE– AND POST–LEADERSHIP LESSON TEST 85

APPENDIX B. FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS 86

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 List of Tables

Table 1. Catholic High School Versus State School At-Risk Data 5

Table 2. Catholic High School Enrollment by Grade and Gender 37

Table 3. Catholic High School 2012-2013 Financial Information 39

Table 4. Student Participant Demographics 40

Table 5. Staff Participant Demographics 63

Table 6. Comparison of Staff and Parent Responses to Focus Group Questions 68

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 List of Figures

Figure 1. Catholic High School student religious affiliation. 37

Figure 2. Catholic High School student ethnic background. 38

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 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

Introduction to the Problem

Teens today face difficult choices. Young people seek more independence from

authority figures such as parents and teachers while deepening relationships with their

peers. Behaviors such as drinking, drug abuse, and violence put students’ health, welfare,

and lives at risk and seem to proliferate in U.S. society. Negative or positive peer

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pressure, the influence teens have on each other plays a role in those choices.
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Background, Context, and Theoretical Framework

Catholic education in the United States began as a reaction to the Protestant

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nature of public schools in the 1840s. The common schools of the 19th century were not

only based on Protestant values but also taught rhetoric that was aggressively anti-
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Catholic (Boers, 2007, p. 37). Catholics believed that they could not achieve equality in

the common schools and held a series of meetings called plenary councils to formulate

their own school system so that Catholic students could be educated in both citizenship

and in Catholic religious values. Even though anti-Catholic sentiment waned through the

20th century, Catholic schools continued to expand throughout the country, offering a

religious alternative to public schools. Catholic schools in the United States are funded

primarily by tuition and parish budgets. Some funding comes from the diocese, but

parishes (whether they actually have a school or not) are responsible for the majority of

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the finances. Therefore, there has been a tendency for Catholic schools to suffer from

elitism based on socioeconomic status.

As the decline in numbers began, a dilemma increasingly developed which

gradually compromised the average American Catholic family’s financial ability
to avail itself of Catholic secondary education. Catholic high school tuition has
risen steadily at a rate consistently higher than both family income increases and
the rate of inflation. Over a 30-year period, this trend has forced Catholic high
school demographics to involuntarily shift from working class families to families
of significantly higher income levels. This reality challenges Catholic high
schools in light of the mission of Catholic education to be accessible to all.
(Huber, 2007, p. 271)

Because Catholic schools are not fully funded by public tax dollars, they are not

required to fulfill state and federal educational mandates.

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Catholic High School (a pseudonym) is located in the Midwestern United States
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and has about 800 students. Founded in 1990, Catholic High School was formed through

the consolidation of three other Catholic high schools, some whose history went back to
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the 19th century. Although this consolidation was difficult for the current students and

alumni of the individual schools, funding issues made the change inevitable.

The consolidation was necessary to provide the best high school education to area
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students. Students and staff from the previous three high schools joined together
to create Catholic High School; they chose the school’s name, colors, crest, and
mascot with the mission of building upon the strong foundations established and
built by Catholic High School’s predecessor schools. (Catholic High School
organizational materials)

During this research, Catholic High School had about 800 students on one

campus. Each grade had about 200 students, and both retention and recruitment were

positive and solid.

Catholic High School follows the predominant hierarchical structure of schools

which fosters the creation of boundaries within the school community by its design

(Senge, 2000). Administration is on a different level than staff and staff is divided by
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discipline, teaching methodology, and school culture, except in the international

baccalaureate program, in which cooperative learning is mandated for certification. Self-

organization is difficult to discern at Catholic High School because of the pervasive

boundaries between the stakeholders at the school. Even without a discussion of change,

interest groups, such as administration and staff, do not extinguish boundaries easily

(Eoyang, 2009). Often, boundaries are only breached at planned events such as in-service

and faculty meetings. But with set agendas and defensive routines in place, these

discussions do not produce transforming feedback or model II theory organizational

learning (Argyris, 1996; Eoyang, 2009). Stakeholders talk about the importance of

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change, but usually reference their own area or concern. Without breaking these
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boundaries, the espoused theory of the school will continue to be misaligned with the

theory in use (Argyris, 1996).

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Youth Risk Behavior Survey

The impetus for the creation of the Student Organization for Positive Peer
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Pressure (SOPPP; a pseudonym) at Catholic High School was data obtained from the

Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 2010 composed by the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) and distributed electronically by the school’s state Department of

Public Instruction.

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) includes a national

school-based survey (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) conducted by the CDC and state,

territorial, tribal, and local surveys conducted by state, territorial, and local education and

health agencies and tribal governments.

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 The YRBSS monitors six categories of priority health-risk behaviors among youth

and young adults, including

 behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence

 tobacco use

 alcohol and other drug use

 sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually

transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus infection

 unhealthy dietary behaviors

 physical inactivity

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In addition, the YRBSS monitors the prevalence of obesity and asthma.

In Table 1, Catholic High School’s individual results in the at-risk categories are
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compared with the averages from the state provided by the Youth Risk Behavior System
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(CDC: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, 2013).

Catholic High School, although not averaging higher than the state in any

category, still presented evidence of at-risk behaviors. In the category of alcohol

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involvement, Catholic High School scored a 32.3%, meaning that approximately one-

third of the entire student body has had some sort of alcohol involvement (CDC: National

Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, 2013). Catholic High School

students were also involved in marijuana use (14.1%) and sexual relationships (15.4%).

Traffic safety was also found to be an issue (CDC: National Center for Chronic Disease

Prevention & Health Promotion, 2013).

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Table 1. Catholic High School2009 Versus State School At-Risk Data

At-risk factor Catholic High School State schools

Traffic safety 12.5% 15.9%

Weapons 3.4% 4.5%

Physical fighting 8.4% 12.5%

Threats/personal safety 5.9% 8.4%

Depression/suicide 7.3% 10.5%

Tobacco use 7.7% 14.5%

Alcohol use 32.3% 40.0%

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Marijuana use 14.1% 19.6%

Other drug use IE4.4% 5.9%

Sexual behavior 15.4% 24.5%

Nonsocial adult support 3.4% Not available

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Note. CDC: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, 2013.
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The Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure

The Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure (SOPPP) was created 2 years

ago as the school’s response to the data. Peer-led, the organization began by asking

students to sign a pledge about avoiding risky behaviors in the following areas: alcohol

and drugs, sex before marriage, and bullying/harassment. The goal of the organization is

to reduce the number of at-risk behaviors by promoting the growth of positive peer

pressure through student leadership.

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The Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure Mission

The mission of the Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure (SOPPP) is

“[Students] uniting to eliminate alcohol and drug use, bullying, and premarital sex

through positive peer pressure and fostering good decision making supported by Catholic

values” (Catholic High School organizational materials).

The three basic activity categories were chosen because of the areas of concern

manifested in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (CDC: National Center for Chronic

Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, 2013) as well as anecdotal information provided

by students, particularly in the area of alcohol abuse and drunk driving. A fourth

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category, Restorative Justice, was identified in 2012 as necessary to reintegrate student
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SOPPP members who have violated the school’s code of conduct. A separate training,

unconnected with this study, will be established to teach students how to adjudicate cases
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in which students apply for readmission to SOPPP membership.

Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure General Membership

Requirements
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SOPPP members are required to sign a pledge in which the student promises to

 recognize that every day presents opportunities to help or harm, to build up or

knock down

 do everything in one’s power to make decisions that will support one’s goals,
health, and overall well-being

 not use alcohol until age 21, and use it in moderation thereafter

 remain drug-free

 treat others with respect, and do all that one can to prevent bullying

 build respectful, caring relationships, and avoid sex outside of marriage

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  promote and positively represent SOPPP

 support one’s friends, especially those who also take this pledge, and others
who share these values (as noted in the group’s organizational materials)

Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure Leadership Structure

In 2010, the SOPPP leadership structure was envisioned to be a guiding council of

seniors, each of whom would be chairs of the three operative SOPPP committees.

However, as the end of 2011 approached, the seniors fell away from the group for various

reasons, leaving SOPPP effectively leaderless. Currently, SOPPP has two presiders

(because the group meets during the two lunch periods), two recording secretaries, and

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four committee chairs. There are no class restrictions on leadership, which is now chosen

yearly by vote. Presiders over the past 2 years have been seniors or juniors and the
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committee chairs were current sophomores and one freshman. This system is
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advantageous because it allows for the training of upcoming students for leadership

positions. The only caveat is that the Restorative Justice committee, which will hear

student cases for readmission to SOPPP after violating the school code, will be run by
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seniors and juniors.

Student Organization for Positive Peer Pressure Leadership Requirements

SOPPP leaders are held to the same basic requirements as SOPPP members, but

are additionally responsible for committing to meetings and stricter accountability for

their behavior. Any violation of the school code will result in the loss of leadership

position in the organization.

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 Statement of the Problem

At the end of the 2011 school year, the formative senior SOPPP leaders graduated

without training younger students in leadership skills. This and extended paternity leave

for the associate principal created a vacuum of leadership and activity in SOPPP. The

first semester of the 2011-2012 school year was dedicated to renewing the leadership of

SOPPP. However, by November of 2011, SOPPP had lost the majority of its leadership,

35 strong at the end of the 2011 school year to seven in the first semester of the 2011-

2012 school year. Meetings were being run by the associate principal and the school

counselors, with agendas set by the adults with no student input. The initial student

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leadership structure no longer existed. SOPPP members had no connection with
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leadership and many no longer had any interest in the organization. In November, SOPPP

had scheduled one activity for the year, intended for December. The activity finally took
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place in mid-February. The peer-led group had ceased to effectively function. Without

student involvement, SOPPP loses its essential core element: student leadership and the
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power of positive peer pressure.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to build the leadership skills of the peer and

potential peer leaders in SOPPP and thereby improve the organization’s effectiveness in

reducing at-risk behaviors at Catholic High School. This dissertation is focused the lens

of action research on SOPPP, a student-led organization at Catholic High School.

The goal, through research and systems analysis, was to help provide guidance for

SOPPP to increase its impact reducing at-risk behaviors by building student participation,

enhancing student leadership skills and integrating SOPPP as a catalyst for school
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organizational change at the research site and gauging and improving the effectiveness of

SOPPP.

Maxwell (2008), Tate (2010), and Vargas (2011) wrote that peer pressure

continues to be a force in both adolescent and adult human interactions. This research

could add to the understanding of the power of peer pressure as well as effective

methodologies for harnessing peer pressure to have a positive effect on high school

students. Furthermore, SOPPP organizational and operational principles can be easily

replicated in other schools. It is also cost-effective, an important consideration in times of

diminishing resources for schools.

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Research Question
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The challenge of this research was to increase the effectiveness of SOPPP so that

the organization is more successful in reducing at-risk behaviors at Catholic High School.
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The research question was, therefore, In what ways did providing leadership lessons to

SOPPP student leaders help make the organization more successful in reducing at-risk
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behaviors at Catholic High School?

Rationale, Relevance, and Significance

The impact of this action research was the renewal of SOPPP so that at-risk

behaviors were reduced in the three areas as identified in the organization’s mission. This

was accomplished by increasing membership, creating transformative feedback within all

sectors of the school and stakeholder community (Eoyang, 2009), and ensuring that the

peer basis of SOPPP brings about deep changes within the culture of the school rather

than allow cosmetic discussion (Argyris, 1996).

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 The value of this study was manifold. First, there was the tacit acknowledgment

that Catholic High School, like most U.S. high schools, was not devoid of students

displaying at-risk behavior (CDC: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention, &

Health Promotion, 2013). “Once the data was set before us, there was no way we could

deny that these behaviors exist in our school” (personal communication, Catholic High

School associate principal, November 29, 2011). These challenges required intervention,

and thus SOPPP was conceived to allow students to lead their own peer organization to

combat at-risk behaviors at Catholic High School.

Research shows a strong link between adolescent at-risk behaviors and peer

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pressure (Connolly, 2009; Shepherd, Lane, Tapscott, & Gentile, 2011; Tate, 2010).
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Creating a student-led positive peer pressure program that can be easily replicated and

proven effective would be of interest to school districts, at-risk behavioral programs and
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educators in general. SOPPP has already garnered interest at the National Catholic

Educators Association 2012 Convention, and several school districts in the northeastern
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part of the school’s state have expressed an interest in replicating the program. The study

could be published in a variety of journals whose focus is Catholic education, public

education, at-risk, or peer leadership issues. Presentations will be made at the National

At-Risk Education Network Convention in Florida and Catholic High School’s state

National At-Risk Education Network Convention.

Nature of the Study

This action research intervention focused on providing Leadership training,

coaching and mentoring for the student leaders of SOPPP. This training dealt with the

following topics: leadership continuity, recruiting new members and volunteers, and
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