ArticleLiterature Review

The Relationship of School Connectedness to Adolescents' Engagement in Co-Occurring Health Risks: A Meta-Analytic Review

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  • Deloitte Consulting
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Abstract

School connectedness is an important factor in the lives of youth and are a leverage point for optimizing youth's social, emotional, and physical health. This study presents a meta-analysis examining the relationship between school connectedness and four health domains that are prevalent in adolescence, have implications for adult health, and often co-occur: mental health, sexual health, violence, and high-risk substance use. Ninety articles published between 2009 and 2019 were included in the analysis. The study found that school connectedness had a protective average effect size across all health domains (Hedges' g = -0.345, p-value<0.001). When examined separately, school connectedness had a significant protective relationship with substance use (g = -0.379, p < 0.001), mental health (Hedges' g = -0.358, p < 0.001), violence (Hedges' g = -0.318, p < 0.001), sexual health (Hedges' g = -0.145, p < 0.001), and with co-occurring risks (Hedges' g = -0.331, p < 0.001). These results provide strong evidence that school connectedness has the potential to prevent and mitigate multiple health risks during adolescence.

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... PCEs can have a profound impact on childhood health-particularly mental health-and well-being, with effects throughout the lifespan (CDC, 2019a; Center on the Developing Child, 2010; Sege & Browne, 2017). There is robust literature documenting the benefits of several specific types of PCEs, such as having positive parent-child relationships (e.g., Chapman et al., 2016;Crosnoe & Thorpe, 2022;Gorostiaga et al., 2019;Laursen & Collins, 2009;Mak & Iacovou, 2018;Morris et al., 2017), prosocial friendships and a sense of belonging at school (e.g., Alsarrani et al., 2022;Bond et al., 2007;Homel et al., 2020;Neal & Veenstra, 2021;Rose et al., 2022), and a mentor (e.g., Grossman & Tierney, 1998;King et al., 2021) on mental health and well-being in childhood and beyond. These PCEs are also associated with less risk for substance use, violence, and suicidal behaviors (e.g., Austin et al., 2022;Bond et al., 2007;Gorostiaga et al., 2019;Grossman & Tierney, 1998;Mak & Iacovou, 2018;Marraccini & Brier, 2017;Rodriguez-Ruiz et al., 2023;Rose et al., 2022). ...
... There is robust literature documenting the benefits of several specific types of PCEs, such as having positive parent-child relationships (e.g., Chapman et al., 2016;Crosnoe & Thorpe, 2022;Gorostiaga et al., 2019;Laursen & Collins, 2009;Mak & Iacovou, 2018;Morris et al., 2017), prosocial friendships and a sense of belonging at school (e.g., Alsarrani et al., 2022;Bond et al., 2007;Homel et al., 2020;Neal & Veenstra, 2021;Rose et al., 2022), and a mentor (e.g., Grossman & Tierney, 1998;King et al., 2021) on mental health and well-being in childhood and beyond. These PCEs are also associated with less risk for substance use, violence, and suicidal behaviors (e.g., Austin et al., 2022;Bond et al., 2007;Gorostiaga et al., 2019;Grossman & Tierney, 1998;Mak & Iacovou, 2018;Marraccini & Brier, 2017;Rodriguez-Ruiz et al., 2023;Rose et al., 2022). Emerging research suggests the accumulation of PCEs has a dose-response relationship with reduced risk for depression and other indicators of poor mental health in adulthood (e.g, Bethell et al., 2019;Crandall et al., 2020). ...
... Our findings align with research documenting the importance of specific types of PCEs for improving children's mental health. For example, studies have documented the impact of PCEs involving parent-child relationships and peer relationships on reductions in poor mental health in childhood or adolescence (Alsarrani et al., 2022;Bond et al., 2007;Chapman et al., 2016;Crosnoe & Thorpe, 2022;Gorostiaga et al., 2019;Homel et al., 2020;Laursen & Collins, 2009;Mak & Iacovou, 2018;Morris et al., 2017;Neal & Veenstra, 2021;Rose et al., 2022); our results align with this research. Notably, we did not find relationships between having a mentor and examined mental health conditions; this may be due to differences in study design and measurement between this analysis and previous research (Grossman & Tierney, 1998;King et al., 2021). ...
Article
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... Existuje řada výzkumů zabývajících se jejími benefity pro koncového žáka. Jejich výsledky naznačují, že žáci, kteří se cítí se školou více propojeni zároveň vykazují větší spokojenost (Watson & Haktanir, 2017), menší míru (kyber)viktimizace (Paniagua et al., 2022;Wilson, 2004), agresivity (Rose et al., 2022;Wilson, 2004) (Gowing & Jackson, 2016;Hicks, 2021) propojenosti (tedy hlavně pocity ze vztahů s různými lidmi ve škole) zahrnuje i další, širší kontexty jako jsou třeba školní normy a pocit bezpečí (García-Moya et al., 2019;H. Kim et al., 2022). ...
... , méně pocitu "ztracenosti" v životě(Ja & Jose, 2017) a depresivity(Joyce, 2019;Joyce & Early, 2014;McLaren et al., 2015;Rose et al., 2022). Zdá se tedy, že školní propojenost působí proti rozvoji sociálně-patologických jevů a do určité míry zřejmě dokáže zmírňovat i jejich důsledky.(Goetschius ...
... Zdá se tedy, že školní propojenost působí proti rozvoji sociálně-patologických jevů a do určité míry zřejmě dokáže zmírňovat i jejich důsledky.(Goetschius et al., 2021;Rose et al., 2022).Jakkoli ale může být tento konstrukt přínosný, zdá se, že v literatuře je s ním nakládáno poměrně inkonzistentně, což je patrně jeden z jeho největších problémů.(García-Moya et al., 2019; Hodges et al., 2018; H. Kim et al., 2022; Too et al., 2022 aj.) Jedna z prvních definic tohoto konceptu pochází od amerického CDC 52 (2009), které školní propojenost definuje jako "přesvědčení studentů, že dospělým ve škole záleží na jejich učení stejně jako na nich jednotlivě." ...
Thesis
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Teacher-student relationship is an integral part of educational psychology; however, its dyadic perspective has mostly been overlooked in the Czech Republic. The study aimed to adapt a measure on the 3-factor construct of teacher-student connectedness (García-Moya et al., 2020b) extending it by "Student-perceived growth mindset of the teacher" based on Carol Dweck´s theory (2017) and to explore gender and age differences within the individual constructs, as well as their relationship with academic performance (report card grade from Czech and Maths). The data from 658 adolescents support the 3-factor and 4-factor solutions for the measure, indicating evidence of factorial validity. Gender and age differences were not found in mean scores. The constructs correlate moderately strongly with each other and weakly negatively with both grades, the correlation with Czech is stronger than with Maths. We suggest shortening the measure and further modifying some items to enhance its validity.
... This report provides the first national prevalence estimates of school connectedness among U.S. high school students stratified by sex, race and ethnicity, grade, and sexual identity and examines the associations between school connectedness and a range of youth risk behaviors and experiences. Previous research links school connectedness with fewer risk behaviors and adverse experiences among adolescents and indicates that this protective effect might improve the health trajectories of adolescents into adulthood (3,9). Findings from the current study illustrate that during 2021, approximately one half of all U.S. high school students (61.5%) reported feeling connected to others at school. ...
... ¶ Prevalence estimates with a denominator <30 were considered statistically unreliable and therefore were suppressed. overall findings align with previous research demonstrating a protective association between school connectedness and substance use (9). However, findings from the subgroup analyses indicate the association with lifetime marijuana use might not exist among all subpopulations, including youths from racial and ethnic or sexual minority groups. ...
... Moreover, this study found that school connectedness was associated with a lower prevalence of all health risk behaviors and experiences, and the association between school connectedness and certain health risk behaviors and experiences varied across racial and ethnic groups and sexual identities. These findings align with previous cross-sectional and longitudinal research linking school connectedness to better health outcomes for youths (9) and highlight the importance of school-based strategies that strengthen school connectedness and protect against multiple adolescent health risks. School programs and practices that promote safe and supportive environments and foster inclusion (e.g., GSAs, multicultural groups, and inclusivity training for staff members) might play an important role in improving school connectedness among all youths, including racial and ethnic and sexual identity minority adolescents (6,18). ...
Article
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School connectedness, defined as students' belief that adults and peers in their school care about their learning as well as about them as persons, has been linked to positive educational, behavioral, and health outcomes in adolescence and into adulthood. Data from the 2021 nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, were used to estimate prevalence of students' perception of school connectedness and examine associations between school connectedness and seven risk behaviors and experiences: poor mental health, marijuana use, prescription opioid misuse, sexual intercourse, unprotected sex, experiencing forced sex, and missing school because of feeling unsafe. Prevalence estimates were generated and pairwise t-tests were used to detect differences among student subpopulations by sex, grade, race and ethnicity, and sexual identity; Wald chi-square tests were used to detect differences in risk behaviors by level of connectedness within a subpopulation. Logistic regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios comparing the prevalence of risk behaviors and experiences of students with high connectedness with students with low connectedness, stratified by demographics. During 2021, 61.5% of U.S. high school students reported feeling connected to others at school. In addition, school connectedness was associated with lower prevalence of every risk behavior and experience examined in this study, although certain associations differed by race and ethnicity and sexual identity (e.g., school connectedness was associated with better mental health outcomes for youths with heterosexual, bisexual, and questioning or other sexual identities, but not for youths who identified as lesbian or gay). These findings can guide public health interventions that promote youth well-being by creating school environments where all youths have a sense of belonging and feel they are cared for and supported.
... School connectedness is associated with stronger feelings of belonging and support from people at school, which can contribute to youths' psychological well-being and promote better behavioral functioning (McNeely et al., 2010;Rose et al., 2024), including fewer internalizing and externalizing behaviors (Eugene, 2021;Loukas & Pasch, 2013;Wang et al., 2023). Additionally, a positive school climate, which includes perceptions of whether teachers treat students well and have an orderly classroom, is associated with improved well-being and fewer internalizing and externalizing behaviors (Hendron & Kearney, 2016;Hung et al., 2015;Kutsyuruba et al., 2015;Reaves et al., 2018;Varela et al., 2019). ...
... These findings corroborate prior research supporting the relationship between school connectedness and positive youth outcomes (Eugene, 2021;Loukas & Pasch, 2013;Wang et al., 2023). Students who feel connected to school are more likely to develop a strong sense of belonging, feel supported and valued, have better attendance and academic performance, and avoid health risk behaviors; all of which can contribute to their psychological well-being and better behavioral functioning (McNeely et al., 2010;Rose et al., 2024). The relative strength of school connectedness emphasizes the importance of building relationships in the most social contexts in youths lives (Eugene, 2021). ...
Article
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The social ecological model illustrates the complex relationships between a person and their environment. Reviews of the literature highlight a need to increase our understanding of how social processes affect youth across multiple environmental contexts. We use data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study to test social connections and observant adults in three contexts: neighborhood, school and family; as predictors of wellbeing, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in a sample of youth. Our findings suggests that social connections in the neighborhood, school, and family are associated with positive youth outcomes. Observant adults in the school and family are associated with greater wellbeing and fewer externalizing symptoms whereas observant adults in the neighborhood was not associated with youth outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of developing spaces where youth feel included, and the positive impact that observant adults in proximal contexts can have on youth. Understanding how social processes operate across contexts can help practitioners create synergy across the most salient contexts that affect youth.
... Magier et al., 2022). It also coheres with research that has identified school connectedness to protect against CU (Matteau-Pelletier et al., 2020;Rose et al., 2022). It is hypothesised that schools characterised by weak relationships, insufficiently focused on the needs and values of their students, fail to engender a sense of school connectedness which results in an increased likelihood that students engage in risk behaviours e.g. ...
... This echoed a range of research on school connectedness (e.g. Rose et al., 2022) and mirrored the strategies that staff perceived as being most supportive (Humphreys, 2020). It is recommended that AP staff utilise a relational approach with cannabis using students to build a sense of school connectedness (Matteau-Pelletier et al., 2020). ...
... As children transition from childhood to adolescence, they begin to explore their place in the world as they form independent connections outside of the family structure (Lourenço, 2016). These connections have profound impacts on future social, health, and achievement outcomes (Raniti et al., 2022;Resnick et al., 1997;Rose et al., 2022;Weatherson et al., 2018). Children's perceived sense of connectedness in school has the potential to influence many aspects of children's lives, especially since children spend over 1000 h a year from age 5-18 in school settings. ...
... Previous research on the microsystem of school suggests that greater attachment to and success in school reduces sexual risk behaviors (Kirby, 2001) such as unprotected sex (Wilkins et al., 2023) and number of sexual partners (Rose et al., 2022). School connectedness could delay the onset of sexual activity, but individual choices (e.g., pledge of abstinence) may be more indicative of reduced sexual risk taking (Resnick et al., 1997;Santelli et al., 2004). ...
Article
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The CDC reports that 30% of high school students have engaged in sexual intercourse. Evidence suggests biological, personal, peer, societal, and family variables affect when a child will initiate sex. The school environment plays an important role in a child’s development. Evidence suggests that greater attachment to the school community can modify sexual risk-taking activity in adolescents. Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) comprises a cohort of approximately 4,700 families of children born in the U.S. between 1998–2000, over-sampled for non-marital births in large U.S. cities. Adolescents (N = 3,444 of 4,663 eligible) completed the wave six teen survey at approximately age 15. School connectedness was self-reported with four items measuring inclusiveness, closeness, happiness, and safety felt by the adolescent in their school environment. Sexual intercourse and nonconsensual sex were self-reported by the adolescent. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted examining sexual intercourse, nonconsensual sex, risk factors, and school connectedness. In this sample of adolescents (48% female, 49% Black, 25% Hispanic, ages 14–19), school connectedness appears to reduce boys’ risk of nonconsensual sex (OR = 0.29, p < 0.01), and reduce girls’ risk of engaging in sexual intercourse (OR = 0.55, p < 0.01). Findings suggest gender differences in the association between school connectedness and sexual practices in adolescents. School connectedness may confer protection for boys’ risk of nonconsensual sex, and for girls’ risk of engaging in sexual intercourse. Further exploration of the relationship between school connectedness may allow for recommendations into preventative measures for teenage sexual behaviors.
... The framework built by the US Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the CDC, the Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (SDKI), and the BNN has the same categorization: the consumption of alcoholic beverages (alcohol or adulterants), Narcotics, Psychotropics, and other Addictive Separately, school connectedness significantly impacts preventing narcotics use, violence, mental health issues, sexual health issues, and other related behaviors. This provides strong evidence that school connectedness has the potential to prevent and mitigate multiple health risks during adolescence (Rose et al., 2022). ...
Article
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The research background highlights the increasing number of adolescents exposed to risk behaviors both in school environments and in society at large. This phenomenon is worsening. Thus, this study aims to examine whether the theoretical model of adolescent risk behavior aligns with empirical conditions in society. Additionally, the study examines the influence of variables within the model. The model is derived from Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory (1994). This research was conducted using a quantitative approach with a correlational study design involving 628 adolescents aged 15-17 years from various demographic backgrounds, utilizing cluster sampling. Data collection was carried out using Google Forms. The study employs the adapted Teacher-Student Relationship Scale, Self-Regulation Scale, and Risk Behavior Scale, all validated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis, with analysis conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings of this study conclude that environmental factors, specifically teacher-student relationships, have a significant influence on adolescent risk behavior and self-regulation. However, self-regulation does not have a significant influence on adolescent risk behavior. Furthermore, the teacher-student relationship does not have a meaningful influence on adolescent risk behavior through self-regulation as a mediator.
... This domain emphasizes collaboration and communication among diverse critical perspectives to establish goals, assess progress and results, and foster effective partnerships with community organizations, which are essential to sustaining MTSS and facilitating students' academic and social success. Parents and families also play a vital role in promoting the mental health and well-being of their children and in promoting a sense of school connectedness [37,38]. Numerous studies have established that school connectedness is a significant indicator of both present and future mental health, with positive connections being linked to resilience and overall well-being while negative connections are associated with symptoms of mental illness [39,40]. ...
Article
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For many autistic students, to experience more successful outcomes, school processes must be restructured and given necessary resources. The probability of success can be increased by implementing a school system that integrates research-based academic and behavioral instructional support, along with collaborative data-informed decision-making routines. This paper presents an example of a transformational framework and technical assistance that were provided to six schools to reshape and increase the schools’ capacity to implement and sustain an equity-based multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) with intensified instructional decision making. Statistical analyses were used to examine the outcomes of autistic students (n = 23) who participated in a state assessment over three consecutive years in the same state. The results demonstrated an increase in academic scores, and many students transitioned to less-restrictive educational environments.
... However, students with greater school belonging are psychologically healthier (e.g. fewer anxiety and depression symptoms), perform better in school (e.g. higher levels of academic achievement and motivation; higher levels of engagement; less absenteeism and dropout), are at lower risk for violence and substance abuse, and perceive their classrooms as being more fair and focused on mastery (rather than performance oriented) (Allen et al., 2018;Korpershoek et al., 2020;Rose et al., 2022;Shochet et al., 2006). Therefore, improving school belonging appears to be a pathway to addressing this disconnection. ...
Article
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Addressing worldwide declines in adolescents’ school belonging requires identifying factors to target in reversing this trend. We hypothesized that adolescents with higher levels of teacher connection and perspective-taking would have greater school belonging and that the joint association of both factors with school belonging would be more than additive. We analysed cross-sectional survey data from 15-year-olds in 62 countries (N = 392,096) collected in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment. Measures were expressed in standard deviation (SD) units. Based on regression models with both factors plus covariates, school belonging increased 0.12 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.13) units for a 1.00 SD increase in teacher connection and 0.09 units (95% CI: 0.08, 0.10) for a 1.00 SD increase in perspective-taking. The observed (joint) association of both factors with school belonging was 19.0% greater than the expected (additive) association. Efforts to increase teacher connection and perspective-taking could improve school belonging.
... Feeling connected to school enables individuals to behave in ways that strengthen their social bonds and conform to their school norms (Chapman et al., 2013). In fact, substantial empirical studies have demonstrated the benefits of school connectedness in preventing students' participation in risky behaviors (e.g., violence, suicidal thoughts, violence, and sexual health) and promoting their school success and psychological well-being Liu et al., 2020;Rose et al., 2022). Thus, to address SDOMH, school counselors could promote school-wide messages for acceptance and inclusion (Shim et al., 2018). ...
Article
Social determinants of mental health (SDOMH) are conditions in which students live that significantly contribute to their mental health challenges. School counselors can utilize the Advocating Student-within-Environment (ASE) theoretical lens as a liberation approach to strengthening students’ capacity to overcome persistent adversity while addressing root causes of systemic oppression through policy change and advocacy at the school, community, and national levels. School counselors can use increased personal awareness of the oppressive nature of SDOMH and the bidirectional approach offered by ASE to influence systems and students through preventative programming and proactive advocacy to affect institutional change. This study provides school counselors with an overview of ASE as a theoretical foundation for addressing SDOMH in schools. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Counseling & Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Counseling Association (ACA).
... Gaete et al. [59] found that the risk of smoking was reduced in schools with higher school bonding. In a meta analyses of 90 studies, Rose et al. [60] found a significant protective relationship between school connectedness (school affiliation, school belonging, and attitude about school importance) and high risk substance use, violence mental health, and sexual health. It appears that if children do not have a positive experience within school, they may look for such experiences in behaviours and relationships that could place them at risk. ...
Article
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Continuing progress with preventing smoking initiation is a key to the tobacco endgame. Home-and school-based social networks shape the health behaviour of children and adolescents. This study described the relationship between social connectedness and smoking behaviour in school-aged children in Ireland. The 2014 Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveyed self-reported smoking status and measured perceptions of social connectedness and support with validated and reliable questions across a random stratified sample of 9623 schoolchildren (aged 10-19). Overall, 8% of school-aged children reported smoking, in the last 30 days 52% reported smoking daily, and prevalence increased with age (p < 0.001). Compared with schoolchildren who did not smoke, perceptions of social connectedness and perceptions of support at home, from peers, and at school were significantly poorer for schoolchildren who smoked across all measures examined (p < 0.001). The poorest rated measures were for school connectedness and teacher support for smokers. Policies and practices that build and support positive environments for schoolchildren must continue to be prioritised if progress on preventing smoking initiation is to be sustained.
... As children move from childhood to adolescence, they spend increasingly more time in school settings where feeling connected and respected takes on heightened significance. Indeed, a large body of empirical research has documented that middle school and high school students have more positive attitudes about school, are more motivated, and achieve better academic and health outcomes as feelings of belonging increase (see reviews in Allen et al., 2018Allen et al., , 2022Korpershoek et al., 2020;Rose et al., 2022). Many motivation researchers are therefore concerned with examining factors that protect students against school experiences that leave their belongingness needs unfulfilled. ...
Article
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The desire to belong has been conceptualized by motivational psychologists as a fundamental human motive (need to belong), which means that it can guide thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Indeed, a growing literature has documented that students who perceive a sense of belonging in school generally fare well—academically, socially, and emotionally. In this article, we bring the racial/ethnic context to the study of school belonging. We review a number of studies from our program of research—both cross-sectional and longitudinal—that describe how feelings of belonging are shaped by important racial/ethnic context variables such as the size of one’s racial/ethnic group in school across critical school transitions, perceived representation of one’s group in critical STEM courses (e.g., 9th-grade math), and how the differences between school-level and course-level representation affect both schools belonging and academic achievement. We make an argument for studying racial/ethnic diversity as a fluid and dynamic construct that impacts motivation and achievement in previously understudied ways.
Article
This secondary analysis of the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (years 2015–2019) examines associations between school-based protective factors (i.e., safe school environments and academic achievement) and HIV risk behaviors among sexually experienced adolescent gay and bisexual men ( n = 644), a population with the highest prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infections. Demographics included Hispanics/Latinos (25%, n = 158), Other race/ethnicity (14%, n = 88), and non-Hispanic Blacks/African Americans (13%, n = 81). Adjusted models showed that protective factors reduced odds for early sexual debut, multiple sexual partners, sex under the influence of drugs/alcohol, and condomless sex, with an additive effect demonstrated when two protective factors were present. Hispanics/Latinos had greater odds of reporting multiple sexual partners and HIV testing, indicating opportunities for school-based HIV prevention and further research. Our findings provide support for school-based programs that aim to improve social and structural determinants of health and ultimately reduce adolescent HIV burdens.
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Introduction Adolescent sexual health interventions are increasingly incorporating content that is inclusive of LGBTQIA+ youth (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and other marginalized sexualities and genders). Evaluations of such programs must also be inclusive to enhance the validity of evaluation results and avoid further marginalization. We present strategies for increasing LGBTQIA+-inclusivity based on our evaluation of SafeSpace, a sexual health curriculum. Methods To design an LGBTQIA+-inclusive program evaluation, we leveraged LGBTQIA+ research staff’s insights, pursued a parental consent waiver, developed an inclusive recruitment plan, and crafted demographic and sexual behavior survey measures with input from youth and equity experts. We conducted a pilot study with 42 youth ages 14–17 to assess the feasibility and efficacy of our strategies. Results We obtained a parental consent waiver and recruited a majority LGBTQIA+ pilot study sample (62%). Using themes from cognitive interviews with youth and experts regarding inclusive framing and use of plain language, we refined demographic measures and expanded sexual behavior measures. Conclusion Findings suggest that the strategies used to enhance LGBTQIA+-inclusivity in our evaluation of SafeSpace were effective in respectfully and more accurately capturing a fuller range of experiences and identities of LGBTQIA+ and cis-straight youth. The strategies and survey measures developed for this study can be applied to increase LGBTQIA+-inclusivity in other adolescent sexual health program evaluations.
Article
BACKGROUND We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness—a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes—from before the COVID‐19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset. METHODS We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian secondary schools that participated during the 2019‐2020 (T1; pre‐COVID‐19 onset) and 2020‐2021 (T2; ongoing pandemic) school years. Fixed effects analyses tested differences in school connectedness changes by gender, race, bullying victimization, socioeconomic position, and school learning mode. RESULTS Relatively greater declines in school connectedness were reported by students that identified as females, were bullied, perceived their family to be less financially comfortable than their classmates, and attended schools in lower income areas. Marginally greater school connectedness declines resulted among students attending schools that were fully online at T2 than those at schools using a blended model. CONCLUSION Results point to disparate school connectedness declines during the pandemic, which may exacerbate pre‐existing health inequities by gender and socioeconomic position, and among bullied youth. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY Effective strategies to improve school climates for equity denied groups are critical for pandemic recovery and preparedness for future related events.
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Purpose: Earlier pubertal timing is an important predictor of emotional and behavioral problems during adolescence. The current study undertook a comprehensive investigation of whether the social environment can buffer or amplify the associations between pubertal timing and emotional and behavioral problems. Methods: Research questions were examined in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a large population representative sample in the United States. We examined interactions between pubertal timing and the shared effects of a range of proximal and distal social environmental influences (i.e., parents, peers, schools, neighborhoods, socioeconomic status) in 10- to 13-year-olds. Results: Results revealed significant interaction between timing and proximal social influences (i.e., the "microsystem") in predicting emotional and behavioral problems. In general, adolescents with earlier pubertal timing and unfavorable (high levels of negative and low levels of positive) influences in the microsystem exhibited greater problems. Both males and females exhibited such associations for rule-breaking problems, while females alone exhibited associations for depressive problems. Results also illustrate the relative strength of each social context at moderating risk for emotional and behavioral problems in earlier versus later pubertal maturers. Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of proximal social influences in buffering vulnerability for emotional and behavioral problems related to earlier puberty. Findings also illustrate the broad implications of latent environmental factors, reflecting common variance of multiple social influences that typically covary with one another.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major disruptor to school systems across the United States since March 2020. As a result, school nurses have had to adapt to these uncertain times. Previous research has demonstrated the impact of school nurses on student health; however, less is known about their role in educating the broader school community about COVID-19 prevention. In Spring 2022, four focus groups were conducted with public health graduate students with school-aged children, to assess perceptions of COVID-19 and public health emergency preparedness communication. MAXQDA was used for thematic analysis. School nurses were viewed as a credible source of COVID-19 information, especially for those who do not have access to healthcare services. While the primary role of school nurses is to provide health services to students, they also have the capacity to provide the community with vital public health emergency preparedness information.
Chapter
Social interactions are postulated as a crucial part of socioemotional development and significant outcomes in life (Bauminger et al., 2003; Healy et al., 2013). There are different types of social interactions that we experience during our life, like caregiver-child, peer, and teacher-student interactions. Historically, social interactions have been promoted from an ableist perspective in autistic populations (Nario-Redmond, 2020). These modes of interactions expect individuals to conform to neurotypical social exchanges creating a great source of negative experiences for autistic individuals, which translates into stigma and mental health issues due to the impact on affectivity capabilities.Social interactions and their impact on socioemotional development have been stated as an essential mainstay for learning. Learning occurs when meaningful interactions develop, which, in turn, happen in specific shared activities and employ multiple resources.In this chapter, we provide a detailed description of how social interaction, affectivity, and learning interplay in the development of the autistic population. We discuss how the classical development and support models lack the understanding of the relevance of meaningful affection-based interactions to promote learning. We propose, as an alternative, the use of socio-ecological models (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998; Vidal et al., 2018; Vidal et al., 2022) to support a positive learning experience paradigm, promoting the development of social interactions in autistic populations.KeywordsAffectivityLearningAutismSocial interactionsSocioemotional development
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We aimed to determine whether early adolescents who report higher levels of teacher connection have a greater prevalence of flourishing and whether this association is present across levels of parent connection. We analyzed cross-sectional data, collected in the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being (2016–2019), from 33,269 11- to 13-year-olds in 25 countries. The teacher connection score, analyzed as quartiles, asked about care, support, and respect from teachers. The flourishing score (range 0–10) was based on items about self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations, growth, environmental mastery, and autonomy. The prevalence (95% confidence interval) of flourishing (score > 8) was 66.0% (65.4%, 66.5%). The covariate-adjusted difference in flourishing prevalence between those in highest and lowest quartiles of teacher connection was 26.8% (25.2%, 28.5%). This difference was similar across groups with varying levels of parent connection. Teacher connection may contribute to adolescent flourishing, in addition to academic achievement and the avoidance of negative outcomes.
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Cybervictimization has been shown in many studies to be a risk factor for adolescent non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI). In this study we tested the roles of depression and school connectedness in this association. The Integrative Model of NSSI, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Relationship Model of NSSI, and Integrative Model of Social Media and Suicide provided the conceptual framework for the study. A sample of 1106 adolescents (Mage = 13.17; SD = 0.69; 51.78% girls) completed anonymous questionnaires in their classrooms. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the positive association between cybervictimization and adolescent NSSI was mediated by depression. Moreover, this indirect link was stronger for adolescents with low vs. high school connectedness. The results have implications for intervention programs aimed at reducing NSSI among adolescents.
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Objective: The present study explored the ways school professionals adapted school-based mental health supports and services for remote delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We surveyed 81 school professionals (e.g., counselors, psychologists, social workers) and conducted in-depth interviews with a subsample of professionals (n=14) to explore their perceptions and experiences of supporting youth with mental health concerns and suicide-related risk during the fall and winter of the 2020-2021 school year. Results: Commonly endorsed school-based mental health interventions (e.g., counseling services, checking in), ways of communicating (phone, email), and individuals delivering supports and services to students with suicide-related risk (e.g., counselors, teachers) were identified based on school professional survey responses. Qualitative findings point to facilitators (e.g., specific platforms for connecting with students and families) and barriers (e.g., limited communication) to successful service delivery during COVID-19. Conclusion: Findings highlight the creative ways school support professionals adapted to provide school-based mental health supports. Implications for remote school-based mental health services during and following the pandemic are discussed.
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Background Children with disabilities may be at increased risk for engaging in health risk behaviors compared to their peers without disabilities. Objective This secondary analysis aims to assess if Individualized Education Program (IEP) status, a proxy for having a disability, is a risk factor for youth to engage in health risk behaviors such as alcohol use, marijuana use, other substance use, or being the victim of bullying or cyberbullying. Methods Data from Connecticut Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 were combined for a representative sample of 9,243 students, 850 reporting having an IEP. Having a disability was measured by asked if participants received special education services as part of an IEP. Logistic regression that accounted for the YRBSS sample design was used to assess main effects. Results Having an IEP significantly predicted the likelihood of being bullied (OR=1.81), cyberbullied (OR=1.49), and other drug use (OR=1.65), but did not predict engaging in sexual activity. Conclusions Students with disabilities as defined by the receipt of special education services as specified on an IEP are at increased risk for health risk behaviors than are students without disabilities during their high school years. The lack of questions on the national YRBSS about a participant’s special education status or disability further prevents analyses and comparisons across disability status. Secondary Analysis of CT Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) Data by Individualized Education Program (IEP) Status
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A student’s sense of school belonging is critical to school success, yet internationally, a large proportion of secondary students do not feel that they belong to their school. However, little is understood about how schools can address this issue, nor what evidence-based interventions are available to increase belonging among secondary school students. The aim of this study is to identify and critically review the evidence on school-based interventions that increase a sense of school belonging in adolescents. Seven electronic databases and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from 1999 to February 2021 using ‘school belonging’ and ‘intervention’ amongst the key search terms. A total of 22 controlled trials were identified with 14 studies reporting effective school-based interventions for enhancing a sense of adolescent school belonging. Successful interventions targeted students’ strengths and promoted positive interactions between students and between school staff and students. Overall, this review found a paucity of interventions that intentionally aimed to develop adolescent school belonging. Inconsistencies in terminology use and definitions describing school belonging were identified even when similar measurement tools were utilised. Findings of this review have important practice implications and provide information to support schools to select evidence-based interventions to improve students’ sense of school belonging.
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Age-related metabolic and renal changes predispose older people to an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and diabetic kidney disease, respectively. As the prevalence of the ageing population is increasing, because of increased life expectancy, the prevalence of older people with diabetic kidney disease is likely to increase. Diabetic kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes and increased costs to healthcare systems. The management includes promotion of a healthy lifestyle and control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Older people are a heterogeneous group of people from a community-living fit and independent person to a fully dependent individual residing in a care home. Therefore, management in this age group should be based on a patient’s functional level adopting tight metabolic control in the fit individual and relaxed targets in the frail person. However, despite the maximum available therapy, a significant number of patients with diabetic kidney disease still progress to renal failure and experience adverse cardiac outcomes. Therefore, future research is required to explore methods of early detection of diabetic kidney disease and to investigate novel therapeutic interventions to further improve the outcomes.Age-related metabolic and renal changes predispose older people to an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and diabetic kidney disease, respectively. As the prevalence of the ageing population is increasing, because of increased life expectancy, the prevalence of older people with diabetic kidney disease is likely to increase. Diabetic kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes and increased costs to healthcare systems. The management includes promotion of a healthy lifestyle and control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Older people are a heterogeneous group of people from a community-living fit and independent person to a fully dependent individual residing in a care home. Therefore, management in this age group should be based on a patient’s functional level adopting tight metabolic control in the fit individual and relaxed targets in the frail person. However, despite the maximum available therapy, a significant number of patients with diabetic kidney disease still progress to renal failure and experience adverse cardiac outcomes. Therefore, future research is required to explore methods of early detection of diabetic kidney disease and to investigate novel therapeutic interventions to further improve the outcomes.Age-related metabolic and renal changes predispose older people to an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and diabetic kidney disease, respectively. As the prevalence of the ageing population is increasing, because of increased life expectancy, the prevalence of older people with diabetic kidney disease is likely to increase. Diabetic kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes and increased costs to healthcare systems. The management includes promotion of a healthy lifestyle and control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Older people are a heterogeneous group of people from a community-living fit and independent person to a fully dependent individual residing in a care home. Therefore, management in this age group should be based on a patient’s functional level adopting tight metabolic control in the fit individual and relaxed targets in the frail person. However, despite the maximum available therapy, a significant number of patients with diabetic kidney disease still progress to renal failure and experience adverse cardiac outcomes. Therefore, future research is required to explore methods of early detection of diabetic kidney disease and to investigate novel therapeutic interventions to further improve the outcomes.
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Researchers commonly interpret effect sizes by applying benchmarks proposed by Cohen over a half century ago. However, effects that are small by Cohen's standards are large relative to the impacts of most field-based interventions. These benchmarks also fail to consider important differences in study features, program costs, and scalability. In this paper, I present five broad guidelines for interpreting effect sizes that are applicable across the social sciences. I then propose a more structured schema with new empirical benchmarks for interpreting a specific class of studies: causal research on education interventions with standardized achievement outcomes. Together, these tools provide a practical approach for incorporating study features, cost, and scalability into the process of interpreting the policy importance of effect sizes.
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This meta-analytic review examines the relationships between students’ sense of school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic functioning in secondary education. Moreover, it examines to what extent these relationships differ between different student groups (grade level, SES), measurement instruments, and region. The meta-analysis included 82 correlational studies, published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2018. Results revealed, on average, a small positive correlation with academic achievement, and small to moderate positive correlations with motivational outcomes such as mastery goal orientations; with social-emotional outcomes such as self-concept and self-efficacy; and with behavioural outcomes such as behavioural, cognitive, and agentic engagement. A small negative correlation is observed with absence and dropout rates. Similar results are found across different student groups (grade level, SES). Although the results vary to some extent across measurement instruments and region, generally, the results reveal that school belonging plays an important role in students’ school life.
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Purpose: Cross-sectional evidence suggests that school connectedness is an important correlate of health-related behaviors among adolescents, but prospective studies are needed to strengthen the case for a causal relationship. This study investigated the prospective relationship between school connectedness and four health-related behaviors: cigarette smoking, marijuana use, binge drinking, and physical activity. Methods: We analyzed 4 years of data from the COMPASS study. Participants included in this analysis were 33,313 students who provided information on sociodemographic, school connectedness, and the four health-related behaviors for at least two consecutive years. Generalized Estimating Equation models were used to examine whether the change in school connectedness scores predicted the change in an individual child's trajectory of health-related behaviors across 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Results: As students moved to higher grades, school connectedness decreased, and the likelihood of being a less frequent smoker, marijuana user, and binge drinker, and meeting physical activity guidelines declined. An increase in school connectedness scores was associated with an increased likelihood of meeting physical activity recommendations (OR = 1.06, p < .01), being a less frequent smoker, marijuana user, and binge drinker (OR = 1.30, 1.17, 1.10, respectively; p's < .0001) across the 4 years. Conclusions: This study provides prospective evidence supporting the protective effects of school connectedness on substance abuse and physical activity, and highlights the importance of fostering school connectedness to support healthy adolescent development.
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Problem: Health-risk behaviors contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among youth and adults in the United States. In addition, significant health disparities exist among demographic subgroups of youth defined by sex, race/ethnicity, and grade in school and between sexual minority and nonsexual minority youth. Population-based data on the most important health-related behaviors at the national, state, and local levels can be used to help monitor the effectiveness of public health interventions designed to protect and promote the health of youth at the national, state, and local levels. Reporting period covered: September 2016-December 2017. Description of the system: The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health-related behaviors among youth and young adults: 1) behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; 2) tobacco use; 3) alcohol and other drug use; 4) sexual behaviors related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; 5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and 6) physical inactivity. In addition, YRBSS monitors the prevalence of other health-related behaviors, obesity, and asthma. YRBSS includes a national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted by CDC and state and large urban school district school-based YRBSs conducted by state and local education and health agencies. Starting with the 2015 YRBSS cycle, a question to ascertain sexual identity and a question to ascertain sex of sexual contacts were added to the national YRBS questionnaire and to the standard YRBS questionnaire used by the states and large urban school districts as a starting point for their questionnaires. This report summarizes results from the 2017 national YRBS for 121 health-related behaviors and for obesity, overweight, and asthma by demographic subgroups defined by sex, race/ethnicity, and grade in school and by sexual minority status; updates the numbers of sexual minority students nationwide; and describes overall trends in health-related behaviors during 1991-2017. This reports also summarizes results from 39 state and 21 large urban school district surveys with weighted data for the 2017 YRBSS cycle by sex and sexual minority status (where available). Results: Results from the 2017 national YRBS indicated that many high school students are engaged in health-risk behaviors associated with the leading causes of death among persons aged 10-24 years in the United States. During the 30 days before the survey, 39.2% of high school students nationwide (among the 62.8% who drove a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey) had texted or e-mailed while driving, 29.8% reported current alcohol use, and 19.8% reported current marijuana use. In addition, 14.0% of students had taken prescription pain medicine without a doctor's prescription or differently than how a doctor told them to use it one or more times during their life. During the 12 months before the survey, 19.0% had been bullied on school property and 7.4% had attempted suicide. Many high school students are engaged in sexual risk behaviors that relate to unintended pregnancies and STIs, including HIV infection. Nationwide, 39.5% of students had ever had sexual intercourse and 9.7% had had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their life. Among currently sexually active students, 53.8% reported that either they or their partner had used a condom during their last sexual intercourse. Results from the 2017 national YRBS also indicated many high school students are engaged in behaviors associated with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Nationwide, 8.8% of high school students had smoked cigarettes and 13.2% had used an electronic vapor product on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey. Forty-three percent played video or computer games or used a computer for 3 or more hours per day on an average school day for something that was not school work and 15.4% had not been physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes on at least 1 day during the 7 days before the survey. Further, 14.8% had obesity and 15.6% were overweight. The prevalence of most health-related behaviors varies by sex, race/ethnicity, and, particularly, sexual identity and sex of sexual contacts. Specifically, the prevalence of many health-risk behaviors is significantly higher among sexual minority students compared with nonsexual minority students. Nonetheless, analysis of long-term temporal trends indicates that the overall prevalence of most health-risk behaviors has moved in the desired direction. Interpretation: Most high school students cope with the transition from childhood through adolescence to adulthood successfully and become healthy and productive adults. However, this report documents that some subgroups of students defined by sex, race/ethnicity, grade in school, and especially sexual minority status have a higher prevalence of many health-risk behaviors that might place them at risk for unnecessary or premature mortality, morbidity, and social problems (e.g., academic failure, poverty, and crime). Public health action: YRBSS data are used widely to compare the prevalence of health-related behaviors among subpopulations of students; assess trends in health-related behaviors over time; monitor progress toward achieving 21 national health objectives; provide comparable state and large urban school district data; and take public health actions to decrease health-risk behaviors and improve health outcomes among youth. Using this and other reports based on scientifically sound data is important for raising awareness about the prevalence of health-related behaviors among students in grades 9-12, especially sexual minority students, among decision makers, the public, and a wide variety of agencies and organizations that work with youth. These agencies and organizations, including schools and youth-friendly health care providers, can help facilitate access to critically important education, health care, and high-impact, evidence-based interventions.
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The aim of this scoping review was to map and summarise research relating to school and teacher connectedness, in order to increase current understanding of the ways these terms have been conceptualised in adolescent research. Specifically, this scoping review focuses on the analysis of the actual definitions used and the ways in which school connectedness and teacher connectedness are operationalised in existing measures. Using the terms connectedness, teacher and school as keywords, we searched SCOPUS, Web of Science, ERIC, the Cochrane Library and the EPPI Centre Database of Education Research for relevant peer-review articles published in English from 1990 to 2016. 350 papers were selected for the review. Many studies failed to provide a definition of school or teacher connectedness and there were some differences in the way these constructs were operationalised in the main measures. Future research should be thorough in the definition of these constructs, and ensure consistency between the definition used and the operationalisation of the connectedness construct in the selected measure. Unpacking the global concept of school connectedness and examining the role of its different components (global feelings towards school, teacher connectedness, relationships with classmates, etc.) separately may also contribute to building a more coherent body of evidence in this area. Reflecting on the place of school and teacher connectedness in the broader context of the literature on school climate and bridging distances between the research on school connectedness and that on related constructs is another necessary step to move this field forward.
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Prior studies provide limited and contradictory evidence regarding sex differences in the incidence of depression during adolescence, a critical period for development of the disorder. Data from six consecutive years (2009–2014) of a national survey of US adolescents aged 12–17 (N=101 685) are used to characterize sex differences in the incidence of depression by age and to compare recent first-onset and persistent depression with respect to impairment, suicide attempts, conduct problems and academic functioning. Projecting from age-specific incidence proportions, the cumulative incidence of depression between the ages of 12 and 17 is 13.6% among male and 36.1% among female subjects. The sex difference in incidence is significant at the age of 12 years (5.2% in female versus 2.0% in male subjects, P<0.0001), and it is significantly larger at ages of 13 through 17 years than at the age of 12 years (P-values<0.05). Depression-related impairment is lower in recent first-onset than in persistent depression among female but not among male subjects. The prevalence of conduct problems and poor academic functioning is higher in both recent first-onset and persistent depression relative to those with no depression for both male and female subjects. The incidence of depression during adolescence is higher than that suggested by prior studies based on retrospective recall. Contrary to prior studies, evidence suggests that the sex difference in depression originates during childhood and grows in magnitude during adolescence. High levels of impairment, suicide attempts, conduct problems and poor academic functioning argue against a 'wait and see' approach to clinical treatment of recent first-onset depression.
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Among the protective factors associated with reduced risk for suicide, scientific inquiries into school connectedness are especially important considering that schools are ideally situated to provide interventions reaching the vast majority of youth. Although there is a wealth of research that supports the association between school connectedness and reduced self-report of adolescents having a suicidal thought or making a suicide attempt, inconsistencies in the way studies have measured and operationalized school connectedness limit synthesis across findings. This meta-analytic study investigates the literature exploring associations between school connectedness and suicidal thoughts and behaviors across general and subpopulations (high risk and sexual minority youth) using a random effects model. Eligible studies examined a measure of school connectedness explicitly referred to as “school connectedness” or “connections at school” in relation to suicidal ideation or suicide attempts among youth enrolled in school (Grades 6–12). Multiple metaregression analyses were conducted to explore the influence of school connectedness measurement variation, as well as participant characteristics. Results, including 16 samples, support that higher school connectedness is associated with reduced reports of suicidal thoughts and behaviors across general (odds ratio [OR] = 0.536), high-risk (OR = 0.603), and sexual minority (OR = 0.608) adolescents. Findings are consistent when analyzed separately for suicidal ideation (OR = 0.529) and suicide attempts (OR = 0.589) and remain stable when accounting for measurement variability. Although limited by its cross-sectional nature, findings support recent calls to increase school connectedness and proffer important implications for screening and intervention efforts conducted in schools.
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Belonging is an essential aspect of psychological functioning. Schools offer unique opportunities to improve belonging for school-aged children. Research on school belonging, however, has been fragmented and diluted by inconsistency in the use of terminology. To resolve some of these inconsistencies, the current study uses meta-analysis of individual and social level factors that influence school belonging. These findings aim to provide guidance on the factors schools should emphasise to best support students. First, a systematic review identified 10 themes that influence school belonging at the student level during adolescence in educational settings (academic motivation, emotional stability, personal characteristics, parent support, peer support, teacher support, gender, race and ethnicity, extracurricular activities and environmental/school safety). Second, the average association between each of these themes and school belonging was meta-analytically examined across 51 studies (N = 67,378). Teacher support and positive personal characteristics were the strongest predictors of school belonging. Results varied by geographic location, with effects generally stronger in rural than in urban locations. The findings may be useful in improving perceptions of school belonging for secondary students through the design of policy, pedagogy and teacher training, by encouraging school leaders and educators to build qualities within the students and change school systems and processes.
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Although multiple forms (i.e., physical, threatening, psychological, sexual, and relational abuse) and patterns (i.e., perpetration and victimization) of violence can co-occur, most existing research examines these experiences individually. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate: (1) homogenous subgroups based on victimization and perpetration of multiple forms of teen dating violence; (2) predictors of membership in these subgroups; and (3) mental health consequences associated with membership in each subgroup. Nine hundred eighteen adolescents in the 9th or 10th grade at seven public high schools in Texas participated in the survey (56 % female, White: 30 %, Hispanic: 32 %, African American: 29 %, others: 9 %). A three-step latent class analysis was employed. Five latent teen dating violence classes were identified: (1) nonviolence; (2) emotional/verbal abuse; (3) forced sexual contact; (4) psychological + physical violence; and (5) psychological abuse. Females, African Americans, and youth who had higher acceptance of couple violence scores and whose parents had less education were more likely to members of dating violence classes compared with the nonviolence class. Adolescents who experienced multiple types of dating violence reported greater mental health concerns. Prevention programs may benefit by identifying the homogenous subgroups of teen dating violence and targeting adolescent teen dating violence accordingly.
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Homophobic bullying is a pervasive issue in U.S. schools. Broadly, two distinct approaches to address bullying include punitive versus supportive practices. Few studies have considered these approaches in the context of school connectedness in relation to homophobic bullying. Drawing from theories of social support and control, we argue that supportive practices should reduce homophobic bullying and promote school connectedness. Further, although punitive practices may deter homophobic bullying, they also compromise school connectedness, except perhaps among students who have been bullied. Supportive practices could be especially important for promoting school connectedness for students who experience homophobic bullying. Using teacher (n = 62,448) and student (n = 337,945) data from 745 high schools that participated in the California School Climate Survey and the California Healthy Kids Survey, our study examines the association between teacher reports of punitive versus supportive practices, and student experiences of homophobic bullying and school connectedness. We also interrogate differential effects of punitive and supportive practices on school connectedness for students who have and have not experienced homophobic bullying. Results indicate that supportive, but not punitive, practices are associated with less homophobic bullying and higher school connectedness. Supportive practices also serve as a protective factor for students who have experienced homophobic bullying. Additionally, students in schools with less supportive practices, and who have not experienced homophobic bullying, report low levels of school connectedness comparable with students who have been bullied. Implications for school policy related to supporting students at risk for being bullied and school disconnectedness are discussed.
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Background Health risk behaviours often co-occur in adolescence. This may be partially explained by a set of common risk and protective factors. The current study examines the association between risk behaviours throughout adolescence and identifies common risk factors for multiple risk behaviour in late adolescence. Methods We use data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England. We examined the association between risk behaviours at age 14 (n = 15,588), age 16 (n = 12,416) and age 19 (n = 9,548). The associations between age 19 risk behaviour and earlier risk behaviours and risk and protective factors were assessed longitudinally. Health risk behaviours included smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, delinquency and unsafe sexual behaviour. Results All risk behaviours were found to be associated with other risk behaviours with associations weakening through adolescence. A number of sociodemographic, interpersonal, school and family factors at age 14 predicted risk behaviour and multiple risk behaviour at 19, though predictors for heavy alcohol use often differed from other health risk behaviours. Past risk behaviour was a strong predictor of age 19 risk behaviour though many involved in only one form of risk behaviour in mid-adolescence do not progress to multiple risk behaviour. Conclusions Our findings reaffirm the links between health risk behaviours, but these diminish throughout adolescence with multiple risk behaviour usually initiated in mid-adolescence. Multiple risk behaviour is initiated in early or mid adolescence with a number of common risk factors explaining the co-occurrence of risk behaviours.
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This study examines racial differences in students' connectedness to school adults and considers the possibility that disparities in exclusionary discipline practices may reduce all students' sense of connection to educators, not just those who have been disciplined or are from racial groups overrepresented in out-of-school suspensions. Data sources include a self-report survey of secondary school students (n = 29,148) linked to administrative data (n = 107 schools) from a large urban district. Multilevel modeling techniques were used to estimate the relationships between students' racial background, youths' connection to school adults, and school-level racial discipline gaps. Controlling for school racial composition, gender, grade level and other covariates, students of color were significantly less likely to feel connected to school adults than their White peers. Additionally, the racial discipline gap was significantly and negatively associated with connectedness for all students. Results indicate that strategies to improve educational outcomes for youth of color need to attend to relational dynamics between students and school adults. Research findings also suggest that efforts to reduce discipline disparities may improve all students' connectedness.
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Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become increasingly important in health care. Clinicians read them to keep up to date with their field [1],[2], and they are often used as a starting point for developing clinical practice guidelines. Granting agencies may require a systematic review to ensure there is justification for further research [3], and some health care journals are moving in this direction [4]. As with all research, the value of a systematic review depends on what was done, what was found, and the clarity of reporting. As with other publications, the reporting quality of systematic reviews varies, limiting readers' ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of those reviews. Several early studies evaluated the quality of review reports. In 1987, Mulrow examined 50 review articles published in four leading medical journals in 1985 and 1986 and found that none met all eight explicit scientific criteria, such as a quality assessment of included studies [5]. In 1987, Sacks and colleagues [6] evaluated the adequacy of reporting of 83 meta-analyses on 23 characteristics in six domains. Reporting was generally poor; between one and 14 characteristics were adequately reported (mean = 7.7; standard deviation = 2.7). A 1996 update of this study found little improvement [7]. In 1996, to address the suboptimal reporting of meta-analyses, an international group developed a guidance called the QUOROM Statement (QUality Of Reporting Of Meta-analyses), which focused on the reporting of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials [8]. In this article, we summarize a revision of these guidelines, renamed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses), which have been updated to address several conceptual and practical advances in the science of systematic reviews (Box 1). Box 1: Conceptual Issues in the Evolution from QUOROM to PRISMA Completing a Systematic Review Is an Iterative Process The conduct of a systematic review depends heavily on the scope and quality of included studies: thus systematic reviewers may need to modify their original review protocol during its conduct. Any systematic review reporting guideline should recommend that such changes can be reported and explained without suggesting that they are inappropriate. The PRISMA Statement (Items 5, 11, 16, and 23) acknowledges this iterative process. Aside from Cochrane reviews, all of which should have a protocol, only about 10% of systematic reviewers report working from a protocol [22]. Without a protocol that is publicly accessible, it is difficult to judge between appropriate and inappropriate modifications.
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This study used student and teacher survey data from over 400 middle schools in California to examine within-school racial disparities in students' experiences of school climate. It further examined the relationship between a school's racial climate gaps and achievement gaps and other school structures and norms that may help explain why some schools have larger or smaller racial disparities in student reports of climate than others. Multilevel regression results problematized the concept of a "school climate" by showing that, in an average middle school, Black and Hispanic students have less favorable experiences of safety, connectedness, relationships with adults, and opportunities for participation compared to White students. The results also show that certain racial school climate gaps vary in magnitude across middle schools, and in middle schools where these gaps are larger, the racial achievement gap is also larger. Finally, the socioeconomic status of students, student-teacher ratio, and geographic location help explain some cross-school variation in racial climate gaps. These findings have implications for how school climate in conceptualized, measured, and improved.
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Experiments that assign intact groups to treatment conditions are increasingly common in social research. In educational research, the groups assigned are often schools. The design of group-randomized experiments requires knowledge of the intraclass correlation structure to compute statistical power and sample sizes required to achieve adequate power. This article provides a compilation of intraclass correlation values of academic achievement and related covariate effects that could be used for planning group-randomized experiments in education. It also provides variance component information that is useful in planning experiments involving covariates. The use of these values to compute the statistical power of group-randomized experiments is illustrated.
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A growing body of research shows school connectedness to be a powerful predictor of adolescent health and academic outcomes. This study advances a theoretically grounded definition of school connectedness and triangulates qualitative and quantitative methods to assess contextual correlates to school connectedness in 8th, 10th, and 12th grade youth. A survey examined the relationship between school connectedness and 4 developmental supports: meaningful roles at school, safety, creative engagement, and academic engagement as well as demographic and contextual control variables. Followup focus groups were used to identify other potentially salient contextual correlates. Findings from both methods suggest that school connectedness is strongly affected by opportunities for meaningful input into school policies and the extent to which class material engages student interests. Focus groups highlight the importance of youth–adult exchange in and outside of the classroom. Findings also revealed distinct differences by grade. Implications for school policy and practice as well as for future research in school connectedness are discussed.
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This study examines the relations between student's perceptions of school connectedness and their self-reported rates of victimization (physical, verbal, and relational), as well as perceived reasons for peer victimization (ethnicity, sexuality). Data come from 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who completed the California Healthy Kids Survey as part of an evaluation of a Safe School/Healthy Students project (N = 1,253). Multivariate analyses indicate that the main effects of both school connectedness and grade level are significant. Follow-up univariate ANOVAs reveal that school connectedness is significantly related to students' experiences of all forms of victimization and perceived reasons for victimization, whereas grade level is only related to the form of victimization experienced. Implications for research and school-based intervention are discussed.
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We report a randomized, wait-list controlled trial assessing the effects of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS). An effectiveness analysis was conducted with elementary schools in Hawaii and Illinois where training and technical assistance in SWPBS was provided by regular state personnel over a 3-year period. Results document that the training and technical assistance were functionally related to improved implementation of universal-level SWPBS practices. Improved use of SWPBS was functionally related to improvements in the perceived safety of the school setting and the proportion of third graders meeting or exceeding state reading assessment standards. Results also document that levels of office discipline referrals were comparatively low, but the absence of experimental control for this variable precludes inference about the impact of SWPBS. Implications for future research directions are offered.
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This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 213 school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs involving 270,034 kindergarten through high school students. Compared to controls, SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement. School teaching staff successfully conducted SEL programs. The use of 4 recommended practices for developing skills and the presence of implementation problems moderated program outcomes. The findings add to the growing empirical evidence regarding the positive impact of SEL programs. Policy makers, educators, and the public can contribute to healthy development of children by supporting the incorporation of evidence-based SEL programming into standard educational practice.
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The importance of students feeling connected in school cannot be overstated, as this perception is crucial to support their health and well-being. A lack of school connectedness can lead to adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including bully victimization. Numerous factors, including individual, social, and environmental, influence students’ perceived sense of school connectedness. School nurses are well positioned to establish and maintain school connectedness due to their knowledge, accessibility to students, and familiarity with the school environment. This article details the importance of school connectedness and describes the associations between school connectedness, bullying, and mental health. In addition, we offer recommendations geared toward school nurses regarding strengthening school connectedness and promoting a culture of care and inclusivity within school environments, especially salient in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The effect on students from the COVID-19 pandemic, violence related to racism, and loss of customary school routines may cause loss of both school connection and a sense of belonging. School nurses can positively influence student belonging and school connection as they encounter students throughout in-person school and virtual school environments. School nurses build connections with students whom they know and outreach to students whom they identify as vulnerable in the areas of belonging and school connectedness. With a mind-set of the Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice and in collaboration with a school team implementing a multitiered system of support, school nurses intentionally outreach and cultural sensitivity to grow positive school climate that benefits students.
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Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase risk for suicidality. School connectedness can be protective, whether they buffer negative effects of ACEs across ethnic backgrounds is understudied. Method Data came from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey. The analytic sample included Latino (n=11,888), Somali (n=2,302), Hmong (n=3,503), and non-Hispanic (NH) White (n=10,968) adolescents. Multivariable logistic regression models, stratified by ethnicity and sex, examined associations between ACEs, School connectedness, and suicide ideation and attempts. Results More than 40% of students reported ≥ 1 ACE. Significant differences in suicidality across ethnicity and sex were noted, with Latinas reporting the highest rates and Somali boys and girls reporting some of the lowest. The likelihood of suicidality was significantly higher with each additional ACE (OR range 1.70 - 2.23), regardless of ethnicity or sex. School connectedness was generally protective against suicidal ideation; e.g., for each unit of school connectedness, the odds of ideation were 29% lower for Latinas (OR=0.71; 95%, CI: 0.62, 0.80). However, it only buffered the impact of ACEs on suicidality for NH White adolescents. Discussion Suicide prevention programs should be designed through an intersectional framework and be adapted and relevant to promote social connectedness to increase access to tangible, emotional social support for youth of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Findings suggest further studies are needed to identify factors that moderate the impact of ACEs for all adolescents.
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A plethora of evidence supports the negative effects of bullying victimization on students’ adjustment. Grounded in the Social and Psychological Capital Framework (Cassidy, McLaughlin, & McDowell, 2014), the authors investigated the effects of victimization on students’ psychological well-being assessed through life satisfaction and emotional difficulties via hope and school connectedness. Based on a sample of 1,060 students from grades 3-6, results provided support for a negative relation between victimization and life satisfaction; and a positive relation between victimization and emotional difficulties. The results further supported the hypotheses of hope and school connectedness as mediators for the relations between victimization and life satisfaction and emotional difficulties. The significant mediation model reinforced hope and school connectedness as protective factors against bullying victimization and further advanced the Social and Psychological Capital Framework to be applied to school bullying. Results shed light on practical implications for victimization interventions, considering psychological well-being outcomes and incorporation of hope and school connectedness. Implications for future research were also discussed.
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Background: Because little is known about long-term effects of adolescent protective factors across multiple health domains, we examined associations between adolescent connectedness and multiple health-related outcomes in adulthood. Methods: We used weighted data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 14 800). Linear and logistic models were used to examine associations between family and school connectedness in adolescence and self-reported health risk behaviors and experiences in adulthood, including emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and attempts, physical violence victimization and perpetration, intimate partner physical and sexual violence victimization, multiple sex partners, condom use, sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis, prescription drug misuse, and other illicit drug use. Results: In multivariable analyses, school connectedness in adolescence had independent protective associations in adulthood, reducing emotional distress and odds of suicidal ideation, physical violence victimization and perpetration, multiple sex partners, STI diagnosis, prescription drug misuse, and other illicit drug use. Similarly, family connectedness had protective effects for emotional distress, all violence indicators, including intimate partner violence, multiple sex partners, STI diagnosis, and both substance use indicators. Compared to individuals with low scores for each type of connectedness, having high levels of both school and family connectedness was associated with 48% to 66% lower odds of health risk behaviors and experiences in adulthood, depending on the outcome. Conclusions: Family and school connectedness may have long-lasting protective effects across multiple health outcomes related to mental health, violence, sexual behavior, and substance use. Increasing both family and school connectedness during adolescence has the potential to promote overall health in adulthood.
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Schools play an integral role in creating safe, supportive environments for students, especially for sexual minority youth (SMY). Using 2016 questionnaire data from seven high schools in a Florida school district, we obtained a sample of 1,364 SMY. Logistic regressions controlling for sex (as applicable), age, grade, race/ethnicity, and school explored differences between SMY and nonsexual minority youth (non-SMY). Sex differences related to school environment perceptions and experiences related to safety, bullying, and hearing homophobic remarks were also explored. SMY were more likely than non-SMY to report several negative school environment perceptions and experiences. Where differences existed within SMY, male SMY were more likely than female SMY to have missed school in the past 30 days (odds ratio [OR] = 1.66, p = .03), report avoiding spaces at school due to safety concerns (OR = 1.38, p = .02), and report hearing homophobic remarks from teachers (OR = 2.00, p = .01). Implications for school nursing are discussed.
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This study aimed to examine the pathways from child sexual abuse to sexual assault victimization and perpetration in adolescence and early adulthood, considering risky sexual behavior and lowered sexual self-esteem as mediator variables. In a two-wave longitudinal study with 2251 college students in Germany, male and female participants provided reports of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration since age 14 (T1) and again a year later (T2), covering the last 12 months. In addition, child sexual abuse (CSA; before the age of 14), risky sexual behavior, and sexual self-esteem were assessed at T1, and risky sexual behavior and sexual-self-esteem were assessed again at T2. Experience of CSA was significantly associated with greater likelihood of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration, lower sexual self-esteem, and more risky sexual behavior in both gender groups at T1 and was directly related to victimization at T2 among male participants. In both gender groups, CSA indirectly contributed to a higher probability of sexual victimization at T2 via its impact on victimization T1. In males, the indirect path from CSA to T2 perpetration via T1 perpetration was also significant. Through its negative impact on sexual self-esteem, CSA indirectly increased the probability of sexual victimization among women and the probability of sexual aggression perpetration among men. Risky sexual behavior mediated the pathway from CSA to sexual victimization at T2 for men and women and the pathway from CSA to sexual aggression perpetration for women. The findings contribute to the understanding of gendered effects of CSA on revictimization and the victim-to-perpetrator cycle.
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‘School connectedness’ is one of a number of terms used to describe a young person's relationship to school. With school being a compulsory feature of most young people's lives, the nature of this relationship can be highly influential in terms of the quality of their overall school experience. Young people experiencing low connectedness are more likely to withdraw from school and experience the parlous outcomes that often follow. This study used a mixed methods approach to explore the meanings of being connected with school, how this process is understood by students and staff, and how it is shaped by school and individual factors. The study was conducted at a secondary college in outer metropolitan Melbourne. Data collection involved a student questionnaire, student and staff focus groups, and student diaries. Findings indicate that that year level, cigarette use, and involvement in the choice of school were associated with significant differences in connectedness scores. Qualitative data revealed that students experience their connection to school through the relational, activity-based, and academic opportunities available to them in the school setting. It is argued that the findings from this study could be used to frame effective risk reduction or protection-enhancing interventions in schools.
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Purpose: This exploratory study examined the experiences of black and Latino teen young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and their preferences for communication with school staff about matters related to sexual orientation. Methods: Participants for this study were recruited in three urban centers in the United States and by multiple community-based organizations serving black and Latino YMSM. Eligible youth were male, black or Latino, ages 13-19, enrolled in 90 days of school in the previous 18 months, and reported attraction to or sexual behavior with other males, or identified as gay or bisexual. Participants completed Web-based questionnaires (n=415) and/or in-depth interviews (n=32). Results: Questionnaire participants reported willingness to talk to at least one school staff member about: safety, dating and relationships, and feeling attracted to other guys (63.4%, 58.4%, and 55.9%, respectively). About one-third of the sample reported they would not talk with any school staff about these topics. Exploratory analyses revealed youth who experienced feeling unsafe at school and who had higher levels of trust in the information provided by school staff were more likely to be willing to talk with school staff about safety issues, dating, or same sex attraction (aOR=2.80 and aOR=4.85, respectively). Interview participants reported being most willing to talk to staff who (1) were able and willing to help them; (2) would keep discussions confidential, and (3) expressed genuine care. Preferences for confiding in school staff perceived to be LGBT and having similar racial/ethnic background were also noted. Conclusion: Findings suggest school staff can serve as points of contact for reaching YMSM and professional development and interventions can be tailored to reach YMSM and connect them to services they need. Additional research is needed to understand how to increase YMSM comfort talking with school staff about sexual health or sexual identity concerns.
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Interpersonal youth violence is a growing public health concern in the United States. Having a high sense of school connectedness has been found to be a protective factor for youth violence. A high school course that aims to enhance school connectedness was developed and evaluated to investigate the students' sense of school connectedness and its association with violent attitudes and behaviors. Survey data from 598 students from a predominately Asian and Pacific Islander student body were analyzed to assess their level of school connectedness and violent attitudes and behaviors. Analysis of Variance was used to identify differences in the school connectedness and violence scores related to students' demographic characteristics. The role of school connectedness in the relationship between student demographic characteristics and violent attitudes and behaviors was examined with structural equation modeling. Overall, students reported a moderately high sense of school connectedness. School connectedness was found to be negatively associated with violent attitudes but not self-reported violent behaviors. Multiple-group analyses were conducted across the ethnic groups, which found differential associations between the school connectedness and violence variables. These results highlight the value of disaggregating the Asian and Pacific Islander category and the need for future research to further contextualize and clarify the relationship between school connectedness and interpersonal youth violence. This will help inform the development of evidence-based strategies and prevention programming that focus on school connectedness to address disparities in interpersonal youth violence outcomes. © The Author(s) 2015.
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Strong connections to school and positive student–teacher relationships offer numerous social, emotional, and academic benefits for youths. Unfortunately, sexual minority youths (SMY) are at risk for disparate school connectedness and student–teacher relationship experiences compared with their peers. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study compared the school connectedness and student–teacher relationship experiences of SMY and their peers. The results suggest that SMY report significantly lower perceptions of school connectedness and poorer-quality student–teacher relationships compared with their peers. The study findings offer important implications for school social workers, including advocacy for and implementation of programs that enhance school connectedness among SMY and offering professional development for school personnel on ways to support SMY.
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The aim of this study was to examine prevalence and correlates of health-risk behaviors in 12- to 17.5-year-olds investigated by child welfare and compare risk-taking over time and with a national school-based sample. Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II) were analyzed to examine substance use, sexual activity, conduct behaviors, and suicidality. In a weighted sample of 815 adolescents aged 12-17.5 years, prevalence and correlates for each health-risk behavior were calculated using bivariate analyses. Comparisons to data from NSCAW I and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey were made for each health-risk behavior. Overall, 65.6% of teens reported at least one health-risk behavior with significantly more teens in the 15- to 17.5-year age group reporting such behaviors (81.2% vs. 54.4%; p ≤ .001). Almost 75% of teens with a prior out-of-home placement and 77% of teens with child behavior checklist scores ≥64 reported at least one health-risk behavior. The prevalence of smoking was lower than in NSCAW I (10.5% vs. 23.2%; p ≤ .05) as was that of sexual activity (18.0% vs. 28.8%; p ≤ .05). Prevalence of health-risk behaviors was lower among older teens in the NSCAW II sample (n = 358) compared with those of the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System high school-based sample with the exception of suicidality, which was approximately 1.5 times higher (11.3% [95% confidence interval, 6.5-19.0] vs. 7.8% [95% confidence interval, 7.1-8.5]). Health-risk behaviors in this population of vulnerable teens are highly prevalent. Early efforts for screening and interventions should be part of routine child welfare services monitoring. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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School connectedness has a significant impact on adolescent outcomes, including reducing risk-taking behavior. This paper critically examines the literature on school-based programs targeting increased connectedness for reductions in risk taking. Fourteen articles describing seven different school-based programs were reviewed. Programs drew on a range of theories to increase school connectedness, and evaluations conducted for the majority of programs demonstrated positive changes in school connectedness, risk behavior, or a combination of the two. Many of the reviewed programs involved widespread school system change, however, which is frequently a complex and time-consuming task. Future research is needed to examine the extent of intervention complexity required to result in change. This review also showed a lack of consistency in the definitions and measurement of connectedness as well as few mediation analyses testing assumptions of impact on risk-taking behavior through increases in school connectedness. Additionally, this review revealed very limited evaluation of the elements of multicomponent programs that are most effective in increasing school connectedness and reducing adolescent risk taking.
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Two complementary approaches to developing empirical benchmarks for achievement effect sizes in educational interventions are explored. The first approach characterizes the natural developmental progress in achievement made by students from one year to the next as effect sizes. Data for seven nationally standardized achievement tests show large annual gains in the early elementary grades followed by gradually declining gains in later grades. A given intervention effect will therefore look quite different when compared to the annual progress for different grade levels. The second approach explores achievement gaps for policy-relevant subgroups of students or schools. Data from national- and district-level achievement tests show that, when represented as effect sizes, student gaps are relatively small for gender and much larger for economic disadvantage and race/ethnicity. For schools, the differences between weak schools and average schools are surprisingly modest when expressed as student-level effect sizes. A given intervention effect viewed in terms of its potential for closing one of these performance gaps will therefore look very different depending on which gap is considered.
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BACKGROUND Associations of lower school connectedness have been seen with adolescent sexual risk behaviors, but little is known about gender differences with respect to these relationships. Understanding any such differences could contribute to better supporting the school environment to promote youth sexual health.METHODS We used provincially representative cross-sectional data from 1415 sexually active students in grades 10 to 12 in Nova Scotia, Canada, to determine whether lower school connectedness was associated with students' sexual risk behaviors using multivariate logistic regression, stratifying by sex.RESULTSIn boys, lower connectedness was associated with three risk behaviors, having ≥2 partners in the previous year (odds ratio [OR] 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.13), no condom use at last intercourse (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.01-1.12), and having unplanned intercourse due to substance use (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.15). No such associations were seen in girls.CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that gender differences may exist for associations of school connectedness and sexual risk behaviors; connectedness may be more important for boys than for girls in this area of adolescent health. Educators should consider gender differences when designing interventions to maximize youth sexual health through school-based interventions. Further research on school connectedness and risk-taking should examine genders separately.
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A youth’s sense of connection to school has been theorized by several traditions to be an important predictor of school success and student behavior inside and out-side of school. Using a diverse sample of adolescents (N =1,755), this study focuses on the relationship between youth participation in extracurricular activities and a greater sense of school connection, particularly for non-European American students. In addition, we examined differences in participation rates for different categories of extracurricular activities. Results revealed that students who participated, regardless of ethnicity, had greater levels of school connection. Results also revealed that European American students had a significantly greater level of involvement, whereas Hispanic American students had significantly less involvement. These results are discussed in terms of creating accessible and attractive extracurricular activity opportunities for diverse students.
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Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a universal, schoolwide prevention strategy that is currently implemented in over 9,000 schools across the nation to reduce disruptive behavior problems through the application of behavioral, social learning, and organizational behavioral principles. SWPBIS aims to alter school environments by creating improved systems and procedures that promote positive change in student behavior by targeting staff behaviors. This study uses data from a 5-year longitudinal randomized controlled effectiveness trial of SWPBIS conducted in 37 elementary schools to examine the impact of training in SWPBIS on implementation fidelity as well as student suspensions, office discipline referrals, and academic achievement. School-level longitudinal analyses indicated that the schools trained in SWPBIS implemented the model with high fidelity and experienced significant reductions in student suspensions and office discipline referrals. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)
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Adolescents engage in many risk-taking behaviors that have the potential to lead to injury. The school environment has a significant role in shaping adolescent behavior, and this study aimed to provide additional information about the benefits associated with connectedness to school. Early adolescents aged 13 to 15 years (N=509, 49% boys) were surveyed about school connectedness, engagement in transport and violence risk-taking, and injury experiences. Significant relations were found between school connectedness and reduced engagement in both transport and violence risk-taking, as well as fewer associated injuries. This study has implications for the area of risk-taking and injury prevention, as it suggests the potential for reducing adolescents' injury through school based interventions targeting school connectedness.
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To review research examining the influence of "connectedness" on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH). Connectedness, or bonding, refers to the emotional attachment and commitment a child makes to social relationships in the family, peer group, school, community, or culture. A systematic review of behavioral research (1985-2007) was conducted. Inclusion criteria included examination of the association between a connectedness sub-construct and an ASRH outcome, use of multivariate analyses, sample size of >or=100, and publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Results were coded as protective, risk, or no association, and as longitudinal, or cross sectional. Findings from at least two longitudinal studies for a given outcome with consistent associations were considered sufficient evidence for a protective or risk association. Eight connectedness sub-constructs were reviewed: family connectedness (90 studies), parent-adolescent general communication (16 studies), parent-adolescent sexuality communication (58 studies), parental monitoring (61 studies), peer connectedness (nine studies), partner connectedness (12 studies), school connectedness (18 studies), and community connectedness (four studies). There was sufficient evidence to support a protective association with ASRH outcomes for family connectedness, general and sexuality-specific parent-adolescent communication, parental monitoring, partner connectedness, and school connectedness. Sufficient evidence of a risk association was identified for the parent overcontrol sub-construct of parental monitoring. Connectedness can be a protective factor for ASRH outcomes, and efforts to strengthen young people's pro-social relationships are a promising target for approaches to promote ASRH. Further study regarding specific sub-constructs as well as their combined influence is needed.
Article
Studies of the role of connectedness in the health and development of children and adolescents are accumulating rapidly. Although findings are uniformly consistent in documenting its correlation with a host of health indicators, the construct is in need of substantial conceptual clarification to maximize its research and applied utility. Current conceptualizations and operationalizations inconsistently span a wide spectrum of varied elements of social experience--including the quality of a relationship, the degree of liking an environment or relationship, the quality of performance in an environment or relationship, the possession of feelings or attitude states, and a combination of states and the behaviors that antecede them--resulting in an ability to adequately understand what the construct is and how, why, and when it is most protective. This paper documents this variability in an effort to sensitize researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to the complexity of the construct. It further describes one ongoing, multicultural research project that is currently informing international health initiatives as an illustration of one approach to addressing the complexity with goals of precision, parsimony, cultural sensitivity, and applied utility.
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Increasing evidence shows that when adolescents feel cared for by people at their school and feel like a part of their school, they are less likely to use substances, engage in violence, or initiate sexual activity at an early age. However, specific strategies to increase students' connectedness to school have not been studied. This study examined the association between school connectedness and the school environment to identify ways to increase students' connectedness to school. Data from the in-school and school administrator surveys of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (75,515 students in 127 schools) and hierarchical linear models were used to estimate the association between school characteristics and the average level of school connectedness in each school. Positive classroom management climates, participation in extracurricular activities, tolerant disciplinary policies, and small school size were associated positively with higher school connectedness.
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Supported by grants #R01 DA08093, #R01DA09679, and #P50DA10075 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and grant # R21AA10989-01 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This paper was prepared for the Wingspread Conference on School Climate and Connectedness held June, 2003, Racine, Wisc.
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This paper employs syndemics theory to explain high rates of sexually transmitted disease among inner city African American and Puerto Rican heterosexual young adults in Hartford, CT, USA. Syndemic theory helps to elucidate the tendency for multiple co-terminus and interacting epidemics to develop under conditions of health and social disparity. Based on enhanced focus group and in-depth interview data, the paper argues that respondents employed a cultural logic of risk assessment which put them at high risk for STD infection. This cultural logic was shaped by their experiences of growing up in the inner city which included: coming of age in an impoverished family, living in a broken home, experiencing domestic violence, limited expectations of the future, limited exposure to positive role models, lack of expectation of the dependency of others, and fear of intimacy.
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To examine associations between social relationships and school engagement in early secondary school and mental health, substance use, and educational achievement 2-4 years later. School-based longitudinal study of secondary school students, surveyed at school in Year 8 (13-14-years-old) and Year 10 (16-years-old), and 1-year post-secondary school. A total of 2678 Year 8 students (74%) participated in the first wave of data collection. For the school-based surveys, attrition was <10%. Seventy-one percent of the participating Year 8 students completed the post-secondary school survey. Having both good school and social connectedness in Year 8 was associated with the best outcomes in later years. In contrast, participants with low school connectedness but good social connectedness were at elevated risk of anxiety/depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0, 1.76), regular smoking (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.4, 2.9), drinking (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.2), and using marijuana (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.6, 2.5) in later years. The likelihood of completing school was reduced for those with either poor social connectedness, low school connectedness, or both. Overall, young people's experiences of early secondary school and their relationships with others may continue to affect their moods, their substance use in later years, and their likelihood of completing secondary school. Having both good school connectedness and good social connectedness is associated with the best outcomes. The challenge is how to promote both school and social connectedness to best achieve these health and learning outcomes.