John Cotterell has worked with young people for most of his adult life, as a high school teacher, youth worker, and university teacher and researcher. He has published many journal articles and book chapters in the fields of adolescence, child development, youth leisure, education, psychology, counselling, and environmental psychology. He is married with three adult children.

• Preface. Introduction and Overview. Part I: Networks and Young People. Young People and Development. The Science of Social Networks. Part II: Social Networks. Networks and groups. Friends and Mates. Loners and Outsiders. Part III: Social Influences. Antisocial Behaviour. Academic Motivation. Smoking, Drinking, and Drug use. Part IV: Social Support. Social Support in Schools. Youth and Community Organizations. Conclusion: Networked Youth Futures.

'John Cotterell is the principle pioneer of an approach that I am sure is going to prove extraordinarily important for the field. Along the way, he provides a genuinely useful and wide-ranging review of adolescent social relations and their significance. I will certainly want this book on my shelves and I have no doubt but that this wish will be shared by every researcher/teacher in this area.' - Nicholas Emler, University of Surrey, UK'The book offers a broad perspective on adolescents' peer relations in contexts, which gives the reader a fascinating overview of the complexity and importance of network analyses and the implications for designing developmental contexts (e.g. the school). The book offers a view on adolescents' strengths that can help to facilitate positive outcomes for as many adolescents as possible' - Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen, University of Jena, Germany