ABSTRACT

Interactions among peers in residential youth care are an important dynamic factor affecting behavioral adjustment and treatment success. Assessment and monitoring of the quality of peer interactions are potentially important for promoting a positive peer culture at the living group, contributing to a positive social climate. However, currently, there are no measures available to assess peer interactions in residential youth care. The present study describes the development, construct validity, and reliability of the Peer Interactions in Residential Youth Care questionnaire (PIRY) in a sample of 345 adolescents (age M = 15.45, SD = 1.59, 44.9% male) in the Netherlands. Confirmatory factor analysis of a two-factor model (peer support and acceptance, and relational aggression) showed a good fit to the data, and internal consistency reliabilities were good for both scales. Partial strict measurement invariance for gender was established, and no significant differences were found between boys and girls on latent factor means. The PIRY can be used in practice to assess and monitor both positive and negative peer interactions in residential youth care at the group level. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

摘要

寄宿青年护理中同伴之间的互动是影响行为调整和治疗成功的重要动态因素。评估和监测同伴互动的质量对于在生活群体中促进积极的同伴文化具有潜在的重要意义，有助于营造积极的社会氛围。然而，目前，没有可用的措施来评估寄宿青年护理中的同伴互动。本研究描述了在 345 名青少年（年龄M = 15.45，SD = 1.59，44.9% 男性）在荷兰。双因素模型（同伴支持和接受，以及关系攻击）的验证性因素分析显示出与数据的良好拟合，并且两个量表的内部一致性可靠性都很好。建立了性别的偏严格测量不变性，男孩和女孩在潜在因素均值上没有发现显着差异。PIRY 可用于在实践中评估和监测团体层面的青年住宿护理中积极和消极的同伴互动。讨论了对研究和实践的影响。