Young Children at Risk: Differences in Family Functioning

Abstract

Abstract A group of children (n = 100) attending three elementary schools in the nation's middle-Atlantic region was identified as academically at risk. A comparison group of students (n = 100) who were not classified at risk was randomly selected from the same schools. Two hypotheses were tested: The families of at-risk students are different from families of not-at-risk students (a) demographically and (b) in their interactional patterns. The theories of Olson and his colleagues (Olsen, 1986; Olson, Porter, & Lavee, 1985; Olson, Russell, & Sprenkle, 1979, 1983) provided the conceptual framework for this study. The data, which supported both hypotheses, revealed that at-risk families are less cohesive and less adaptable than families not at risk. These findings have implications for school practice and policies concerning family involvement in schools; and they lend support to efforts aimed at training teachers to understand and connect with these families.