High Levels Of School Connectedness Research Articles

Bullying Victimization, Gender, and Adolescent Substance Use: The Moderating Role of School Connectedness

A substantial body of research has demonstrated that bullying victimization is positively associated with illicit substance use, though whether this relationship is stronger among female or male youth remains unclear. Additionally, while connectedness to school represents a robust protective factor against negative health and behavioral outcomes, limited research has examined if it might weaken the effect of victimization on substance use. Analyses of data from the 2022 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey ( N = 47,572) reveal that bullying victimization is positively related to substance use, especially among female adolescents. Unexpectedly, this positive effect of victimization on substance use is found to be stronger among youth with higher levels of school connectedness, and this latter relationship does not vary by gender.

Poverty, parenting stress, and adolescent mental health: The protective role of school connectedness reexamined

Adolescents who are from low-income families and exposed to heightened levels of parenting stress are at a higher risk of having mental health issues. We conducted path analyses to assess the potentially protective role of school connectedness against depressive symptoms and anxiety in adolescents from the influences of poverty and parenting stress, using the Wave 6 data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, where 3,580 primary caregivers and 3,444 adolescents completed surveys. We found that adolescents reporting higher levels of school connectedness tended to come from higher-income families, face less parenting stress, and experience lower levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety. Nonetheless, school connectedness did not ameliorate the impact of poverty and parenting stress on adolescent mental health. The findings revealed the complexity of family and school interaction and the limitation of targeting school connectedness as an intervention point to counter the influences of negative experiences at the family level.

The role of school connectedness in the prevention of youth depression and anxiety: a systematic review with youth consultation

BackgroundSchool connectedness reflects the quality of students’ engagement with peers, teachers, and learning in the school environment. It has attracted attention from both the health and education sectors as a potentially modifiable protective factor for common mental health problems. However, the extent to which school connectedness may prevent the onset of youth depression or anxiety or promote their remission is unclear. This systematic review examined evidence for prospective relationships between school connectedness and depression and anxiety, and the effect of interventions to improve school connectedness on depression and anxiety.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and ERIC electronic databases for peer-reviewed quantitative longitudinal, or intervention studies published from 2011–21 in English examining relationships between school connectedness and anxiety and/or depression. Participants were 14–24 years old when depression and anxiety outcomes were assessed in any education setting in any country. We partnered with five youth advisers (aged 16–21 years) with lived experience of mental health problems and/or the schooling system in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to ensure that youth perspectives informed the review.ResultsOur search identified 3552 unique records from which 34 longitudinal and 2 intervention studies were ultimately included. Studies were primarily from the United States of America (69.4%). Depression and anxiety outcomes were first measured at 14 years old, on average. Most studies found a significant protective relationship between higher levels of school connectedness and depressive and/or anxiety symptoms; more measured depression than anxiety. A few studies found a non-significant relationship. Both intervention studies designed to increase school connectedness improved depression, one through improvements in self-esteem and one through improvements in relationships at school.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that school connectedness may be a novel target for the prevention of depression and anxiety. We were not able to determine whether improving school connectedness promotes remission in young people already experiencing depression and anxiety. More studies examining anxiety, diagnostic outcomes, and beyond North America are warranted, as well as intervention trials.Trial registrationPROSPERO 2021 CRD42021270967.

Physical activity and substance use among Canadian adolescents: Examining the moderating role of school connectedness.

Physical activity may play a role in promoting or preventing substance use among youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between different types of physical activity [i.e., non-competitive school sport, competitive school sport, outside of school sport and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day] and substance use (i.e., current smoking, e-cigarette, cannabis, binge drinking) among Canadian youth. Interaction effects between physical activity and school connectedness were also examined. Using data from the COMPASS study (2018-19; n = 73,672), four multi-level logistic regression models were developed to investigate whether physical activity lessened or worsened the odds of (1) smoking; (2) e-cigarette use; (3) cannabis use; and (4) binge drinking. Models were stratified by gender to reflect the inherent differences between genders. Models were adjusted for demographic factors and other covariates. Sport participation was consistently associated with substance use, whereas less evidence was found for meeting MVPA guidelines. Non-competitive school sport lessened the odds of cannabis use for males and females. However, non-competitive school sport only lessened the odds of e-cigarette use for females but increased the odds of binge drinking for males. Participation in competitive school sport lessened the odds of cigarette smoking but increased the odds of e-cigarette use and binge drinking for males and females. Outside of school sport lessened the odds of cigarette smoking and cannabis use but increased the odds of e-cigarette use and binge drinking for males and females. A significant moderation effect was found for males participating in sport outside of school and meeting MVPA guidelines who were at a lower risk of e-cigarette use in the presence of high levels of school connectedness. Our study provides evidence for further consideration and provision of extracurricular activities, specifically non-competitive sport, in protecting against substance use. Caution is required in claiming that sport participation or physical activity, in general, is negatively associated with substance use among youth.

Staying in School: Connection, Cohesiveness, and Suspension.

Individual-, school-, and neighborhood-level support and connectedness may help to mitigate against school suspensions, which have profound health and social consequences. Most research on social connectedness and suspension has focused only on school connectedness, and much less is known about the effects of individual social support and neighborhood-level connectedness on suspension. We examined associations between all three levels of connectedness and suspension in a cross-sectional analysis of a population-based youth sample in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The Healthy Allegheny Teen Survey, a county-wide survey of 1813 male and female youth ages 14 to 19, assessed health risk/protective behaviors through random-digit-dialing in 2014. This survey included validated items evaluating each type of support as well as items assessing lifetime history of suspension. Logistic regression models examined associations between suspension and social support, school connectedness, and neighborhood-level cohesion. In fully adjusted logistic regression models examining associations between suspension and each type of support, youth with high social support had 0.38 times the odds of school suspension compared to youth with low social support (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19-0.74). High levels of school connectedness and neighborhood-level cohesion were also associated with significantly lower odds of suspension (odds ratio [OR] 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.53; OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.16-0.47, respectively). Examining all 3 types of support jointly, school connectedness and neighborhood-level cohesion were significantly inversely related to suspension (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.71; OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23-0.74, respectively). Programs that foster connectedness at the individual-, school-, and neighborhood-level may help reduce school suspension.

Building School Connectedness Through Structured Recreation During School: A Concurrent Mixed-Methods Study.

School connectedness (SC) is associated with improved health and academic outcomes. The purposes of this study were to explore factors contributing to students' perceptions of SC and if participation in structured recreation at school was associated with SC. We used concurrent mixed-methods including cross-sectional qualitative data to explore factors contributing to SC among fifth- and sixth-grade students at 2 schools in Phoenix, AZ, USA (N = 330), and quantitative measures to explore the association between SC and recreation participation (N = 129). Students completed a journaling activity to identify factors contributing to feelings of SC. Responses were analyzed using both deductive and inductive approaches. Student surveys were analyzed using 1-way analyses of variance to assess differences between participation level and SC. Eight themes contributing to SC emerged: Relationships (peer, adult), Competence (competence), Autonomy (choice), Relax (relax), Recreation (structured, play), Fun (fun), Academics (academic learning), and Environment (food and safety). Participation in structured recreation programming in the classroom and at recess were associated with higher levels of SC (p < .05). School practitioners can integrate opportunities for structured recreation in the classroom and at recess as a fun and engaging strategy to foster adult support and peer relationships, enhancing SC.

Longitudinal Relationships Between Interparental Conflict and Adolescent Depression: Moderating Effects of School Connectedness.

The present study examined the association between interparental conflict and adolescent depression, and explored the moderating role of school connectedness in this association, in a Chinese context. Data were analyzed from 867 Chinese adolescents who completed the survey at 2 time points. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that interparental conflict in 7th grade adolescents significantly predicted depression in 8th grade, but adolescent depression in 7th grade was not a significant predictor of interparental conflict in 8th grade. In addition, there was a significant negative moderating effect of school connectedness, as high levels of school connectedness reduced the negative effect of interparental conflict on adolescent depression. Thus, the association between interparental conflict and adolescent depression has a unidirectional prediction. School connectedness can relieve the adverse effects of interparental conflict on adolescent depression.

Psychological Functioning Among Latino Victims of Teen Dating Violence: The Role of Relational and Collective Resources.

This study examined whether the relationship between teen dating violence (DV) and psychological functioning (depression, anxiety, and hostility) varied as a function of relational and collective resources (social support, familism, and school connectedness) among Latino teen victims of DV. Data came from a subset of youth who experienced DV (n = 95) from the Dating Violence Among Latinos Adolescents Study, a national survey of Latino teens aged 12-18 years old. Multivariate regression models showed that school connectedness was associated with lower depression and anxiety for DV victims. Additionally, five interactions were significant across depression, anxiety, and hostility: Three following a pattern of protective-enhancing (DV × School connectedness for depression and anxiety; DV × Social support for anxiety) and two following a pattern of vulnerability-reactive (DV × Familism for anxiety and hostility). School connectedness is an important protective factor for Latino teen victims of DV and one that can inform intervention efforts. Latino victims of DV benefit from high levels of school connectedness and social support, especially when DV is high. At high levels of DV familism is associated with a worsening of mental health. It is important to understand the nuances of how these resources work at varying levels of DV for intervention and prevention purposes.

School Connectedness, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Academic Performance: Mediating Role of Hope.

The present study explored the effects of school connectedness and academic self-efficacy beliefs on academic performance among male and female high school students. It was hypothesized that hope would mediate the effects of school connectedness and academic self-efficacy beliefs on academic performance. The statistical population of the study included all high school students in a city of Iran, from whom 500 individuals were selected as the study sample using multistage random sampling. To collect the required data, three questionnaires - i.e., academic self-efficacy subscale from the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale by Midgley etal., Children's Hope Scale by Snyder etal., and Brown and Evans' School Connectedness Scale - were used. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was also applied to evaluate the proposed model, and the results indicated the statistical significance of all the path coefficients between the variables. The model showed the positive and significant relation of school connectedness, academic self-efficacy beliefs, and hope with academic performance and the relation of school connectedness and academic self-efficacy beliefs with hope. The fit indices showed that the model was well-fitted. Furthermore, the significance of all the indirect relationships was also confirmed. We concluded that, the high levels of school connectedness and academic self-efficacy are associated with high academic performance and hope seems to be an important mediator of these relationships.

Screen Time for Children and Adolescents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to laws and policies including national school closures, lockdown or shelter in place laws, and social distancing recommendations that may translate to higher overall screen time among children and adolescents for the duration of these laws and policies. These policies may need to be periodically re-instated to control future COVID-19 recurrences or other national emergencies. Excessive screen time is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance because it increases sedentary time and is associated with snacking.

Preliminary Development and Validation of the School Connectedness Questionnaire

School connectedness is the extent to which a student feels that adults and peers on their school campus care about their overall wellbeing. Students who exhibit high levels of school connectedness are at a reduced risk to engage in health-risk behavior, however students with and without disabilities may experience difficulty with developing high levels of school connectedness. Because of the importance of understanding levels of school connectedness, a scale was developed to measure levels of school connectedness for students in special education and general education in elementary, middle, and high school environments. The scale was developed by administering an initial set of 24 items from a researcher-created 40-item pool to 68 students with emotional and behavior disorders in special education and 132 students in general education. A principal components analysis was then conducted on those data; 10 items were chosen for a final set. The School Connectedness Questionnaire has been shown to exhibit high internal structure validity and moderate internal consistency reliability for both populations.

Evaluating School Connectedness of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract School connectedness is the extent to which a student feels that adults and peers at school care about his or her overall well-being. Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) may experience difficulty with developing high levels of school connectedness, which may lead to engagement in health-risk behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of school connectedness of students with EBD and compare them with their general education peers. A questionnaire was created for this study with participants attending elementary, middle, and high schools. The results of the analysis indicated that of the four factors of school connectedness (that is, school bonding, school attachment, school engagement, and school climate), the students with EBD reported significantly lower levels of school bonding than did their general education peers. The results indicate that students with EBD experience school differently than their general education peers, particularly in terms of school bonding.

Social Media Use, School Connectedness, and Academic Performance Among Adolescents.

We examined the associations between social media use (SMU) and school connectedness and academic performance among middle and high school students, and tested whether age, gender, and school type (i.e., middle school vs. high school) moderated these relationships. We obtained study data from the 2013 cycle of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a representative province-wide cross-sectional survey of students in grades 7 through 12 (N = 10,076). We performed multiple linear regression analyses to examine the nature of the association between SMU and both school connectedness and academic performance. Because school type was a significant moderator of the relationships between social media use and school connectedness, all subsequent analyses were stratified by school type. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, subjective socioeconomic status and substance use, results showed that SMU of 2h or less per day was positively associated with high levels of school connectedness in high school students (β = 0.402; 95% CI 0.199, 0.605). However, an SMU of more than 2h per day was negatively associated with school connectedness in middle school students (β = - 0.393; 95% CI - 0.649, - 0.137) and with academic performance in both middle school (β = - 0.153; 95% CI - 0.299, - 0.006) and high school (β = - 0.203; 95% CI - 0.323, - 0.083) students. Results further indicated that the relationship between SMU and school connectedness in high school students significantly varied by age, with stronger associations in older students. Gender was not a significant moderator of the observed relationships. In conclusion, heavy SMU is negatively associated with school connectedness and academic performance among middle and high school students. These results suggest that adolescents should limit their SMU to no more than 2h per day.

Parental Psychological Control and Adolescent Aggressive Behavior: Deviant Peer Affiliation as a Mediator and School Connectedness as a Moderator.

Abundant evidence has demonstrated an association between parental psychological control and adolescent aggressive behavior. However, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation are still under-investigated. Grounded in the social development model and stress-buffering model, this study investigated whether deviant peer affiliation mediates the relation between parental psychological control and adolescent aggressive behavior, and whether this indirect link is moderated by school connectedness. A total of 4265 adolescents (Meanage = 13.66 years, SD = 2.74, 48.63% male) from southern China completed questionnaires regarding parental psychological control, deviant peer affiliation, school connectedness, and aggressive behavior. Structural equation models revealed that the relation between parental psychological control and aggressive behavior is partially mediated by deviant peer affiliation. Moreover, this indirect link was stronger for adolescents with low levels of school connectedness than for those with high levels of school connectedness. This study thus identifies the potential underlying mechanism by which parental psychological control is associated with adolescent aggressive behaviors, which has important implications for theory and prevention.

The impact of academies on school connectedness, future aspirations and mental health in adolescents from areas of deprivation in London

ABSTRACTResearch shows that school environment impacts significantly on students’ mental health, future aspirations and feelings of school connectedness, which in turn can improve academic outcomes. The UK has seen rising numbers of academy schools in recent years which have been scrutinised for academic performance but overlooked in terms of important aspects of school environment. This study compares outcomes for mental health, school connectedness and future aspirations in low-socioeconomic status adolescents attending academy and non-academy schools. Data came from 1284 11-16yr olds attending 1 of 67 academy or non-academy schools from areas of deprivation in London. A total of 639 complete cases were analysed. Self-reported measures of school connectedness, future aspirations and mental health, including self-esteem, were analysed and compared using linear regression clustered at school level, adjusting for the effects of gender, ethnicity, school year and affluence. Adolescents attending academies were found to have significantly higher levels of school connectedness than those at non-academy schools. No direct effect of academies on mental health or aspirations was found, however school connectedness had a significant, mediating effect on pro-social mental health scores. Academies in this sample can therefore be said to indirectly increase levels of mental health by increasing levels of school connectedness. These findings highlight the importance of school connectedness for adolescent wellbeing and suggest that academies can be more successful in promoting levels of school connectedness which can then impact positively on individual mental health. More work needs to be done on identifying the structures and processes at work.

Perceived Weight Discrimination and School Connectedness Among Youth: Does Teacher Support Play a Protective Role?

Weight discrimination has been associated with poor academic performance and decreased school attendance. Little is known about weight discrimination and students' feelings of belonging to their school. This study examined the association between weight discrimination and school connectedness among adolescents. Teacher support was examined as a protective factor. Middle school students (N = 639; 57% white; Mean age = 12.16 years) completed a health behaviors survey. Weight discrimination from peers and/or good friends was dichotomized into never versus experienced weight discrimination. The mean of 5 school connectedness items assessed level of school connectedness. Teacher support was measured by taking the mean of 4 teacher support items. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the association between weight discrimination and school connectedness. Teacher support was tested as a moderator. Weight discrimination was associated with lower levels of school connectedness (p < .05). Teacher support was associated with higher levels of school connectedness (p < .001) but did not moderate the association between weight discrimination and school connectedness. The association between weight discrimination and low levels of school connectedness is important as students spend most of their time at school and should benefit from the positive effects of feeling connected to school.

School Protective Factors and Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents in California Public Schools.

The majority of studies examining substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth have focused on a wide array of risk factors (e.g., victimization). Few studies have explored the protective role of schools. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature and inform programs aimed at reducing substance use among LGB youth. More specifically, this study explores the extent to which school connectedness and support from teachers and other adults at school are associated with substance use among LGB youth in school and within the past 30 days. A secondary analysis of the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) was conducted to examine associations between school protective factors (i.e., school connectedness and adult support) and substance use among LGB youth, above and beyond a key risk factor, school victimization. The study outcomes were past 30-day and in-school use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, prescription pain medication, and other illegal drugs. Overall, school connectedness and school adult support were associated with lower odds of substance use. For example, higher levels of school connectedness were associated with 22% decreased odds of past 30-day inhalant use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.72-0.86), and 25% decreased odds of past 30-day prescription pain medication use (AOR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.69-0.82). Higher levels of adult support in school were also associated with 17% decreased odds of marijuana use on school property in the past 30 days (AOR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.77-0.91). The results indicate a need for substance use prevention programs that integrate school connectedness and adult support in school.

Protective Factors Contributing to Wellbeing Among Refugee Youth in Australia

The present study examined protective factors associated with the wellbeing of 93 youth from a refugee background resettled in Brisbane, Australia. Wellbeing was defined as an absence of psychological distress and the presence of subjective wellbeing. Students at Milpera State High School, a special English language school, completed a battery of questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses examined the relationship between protective factors and wellbeing, while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The results indicated that higher levels of school connectedness and acculturation were significantly associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Further, higher levels of school connectedness, acculturation and resilience, in addition to having a permanent visa, were significantly associated with higher levels of subjective wellbeing. Notably, 55% of the variance in subjective wellbeing was explained jointly by these factors. School connectedness, acculturation, resilience, and visa certainty were instrumental in enhancing aspects of wellbeing in the present sample of students from a refugee background. Implications for refugee-related policy and strategies in schools, mental health services, and at broader governmental levels are discussed.

Does socioeconomic status moderate the relationships between school connectedness with psychological distress, suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents?

ObjectiveResearch has indicated that school connectedness acts as a buffer against depressive symptoms and suicidality. However, little is known about the role of socioeconomic status (SES) on these links. The present study examined the moderating role of subjective SES and parental education on the relationships between school connectedness and psychological distress, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. MethodsData were gathered from 4955 participants within the 2013 cycle of the Ontario Students Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide repeated school-based survey of students in grade 7 to 12 across Ontario, Canada. ResultsResults indicated that higher subjective SES is associated with high levels of school connectedness. Subjective SES is also a significant moderator of the association between school connectedness and psychological distress, but not between school connectedness and suicidal ideation or attempts. At low subjective SES, there was no difference in risk of psychological distress between students with high and low levels of school connectedness. However, at higher subjective SES, students with high levels of school connectedness have lower odds of psychological distress than those with low levels of school connectedness. The associations between school connectedness and each of the mental health outcomes did not significantly vary with parental education. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the beneficial effects of school connectedness on mental health problems may be more strongly related to adolescents' status beliefs rather than parental education. Future research is needed to better understand the mechanism through which subjective SES and school connectedness influence psychological distress.

Examining the Relationship Between School Climate and Peer Victimization Among Students in Military-Connected Public Schools.

In the Iraq and Afghanistan war context, studies have found that military-connected youth- youth with parents and/or siblings serving in the military-have higher rates of school victimization than their nonmilitary-connected peers. A positive school climate-where students perceive high levels of school connectedness, caring relationships and high expectations from adults, and meaningful participation-is associated with lower rates of victimization in secondary public schools. Based on a survey of 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students (N =14,493) enrolled in 6 military-connected school districts (districts that have a significant proportion of military-connected students), this study explores victimization rates and the role of school climate, deployment, and school transitions in the victimization of military-connected students and their civilian peers. The findings indicate that deployment and school transitions were significant predictors of physical violence and nonphysical victimization. In addition, multiple school climate factors were significantly associated with physical violence and nonphysical victimization. The authors conclude with a discussion of future directions for research on school climate, victimization, and military-connected youth.