Language, communication, and literacy skills of adolescents with behavioral difficulties in mainstream education

Abstract

Research has increasingly reported the presence of speech, language, and communication difficulties in young people who have a propensity to offend. Young offenders comprise a population with severe behavioral difficulties; however, less attention has been paid to students at risk of school exclusion and possible subsequent offending in the school to prison pipeline progression. This study focuses on individuals with relatively mild behavioral difficulties in a preventative step to identify potential communication challenges earlier in the offending trajectory. A between-group design was employed to ascertain the language, literacy, and communication abilities of 26 high school students aged between 13; 6 (years; months) and 14; 7. Students identified with challenging classroom behavior (n = 11) were compared to students with no history of behavioral difficulties (n = 15). Assessment of non-verbal intelligence, receptive language, literacy, and metalinguistic ability was undertaken. Students with challenging classroom behavior performed more poorly on measures of receptive language and non-verbal intelligence. Significant associations between the severity of an individual's behavior and two measures of receptive language, metalinguistic abilities, and non-verbal intelligence were also detected. The results provide further information regarding the relationship between behavior, and language, literacy, and communication difficulties. The findings suggest that raising the language profiles of those who may be at risk of future offending may contribute to enhanced academic, social, and vocational opportunities for this group.