Negative School Experiences Research Articles

The impact of negative school experiences on rates of youth delinquency: accounts of incarcerated young people in Türkiye

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study is to examine the school experiences of incarcerated Turkish young delinquents and reveal how these negative experiences affected their descent into delinquency. In order to carry out the study, official permission to meet with 10 young delinquents, currently being held in the Youth Detention Centre in Ankara (capital of Türkiye) and convicted of various crimes, has been obtained from the Turkish Ministry of Justice. Interviews have been conducted in three separate sessions. Study findings have revealed that the school experiences of young delinquents have been overwhelmingly negative and that they have started committing crimes while still being enrolled in school. Additionally, it has been found that they defied school rules and maintained social connections with individuals engaged in unlawful activities.

Behind the Sadness of Teen Girls: A Retrospective Survey Analysis Amidst the COVID-19 Crisis of 2021

(1) Background: Adolescent girls have increasingly faced mental health challenges. We examined prevalence trends and associated risk factors for depression among adolescent girls. (2) Methods: Data for girls aged 12 to 17 years (N = 4346) from the 2021 cross-sectional National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed. Factors associated with depression were examined using multiple regression analysis. (3) Results: Rates of severe depression were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in older girls (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.63, 1.61), those who did not have authoritative parents (AOR: 3.40), and those with negative school experiences (AOR: 4.03). Black and Asian/Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders were less likely to report severe depression than white girls. As previously reported, non-white girls were significantly less likely to receive treatment for depression (p < 0.05). Parents’ characteristics and school experiences had no effect on the likelihood of receiving mental health treatment. (4) Conclusions: Depression has become increasingly common among American adolescent girls, who are now three times as likely as adolescent boys to have had recent experiences with depression. Our results show that family structure, parenting style, and negative school experiences significantly contribute to the rate of depression and that treatment disparities exist with regard to race and ethnicity. The results of our research could be valuable for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and educators in developing specific preventative initiatives and support networks that effectively address these unique challenges.

Should I Stay, or Should I Go Now? Neighborhood, Family, and Youth Predictors of Intracity Mobility.

The effects of residential mobility on youth development outcomes related to violence and victimization have traditionally been understood from an outward mobility perspective. Less attention has been paid to predictors of intracity moves, a more common mobility practice. Research, however, should identify factors associated with intracity mobility before scholars can explore and fully understand the impacts of moving within the city on youth development outcomes such as violence and victimization and whether they are akin to those identified for moves beyond city limits. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we apply a multilevel ecological framework to assess neighborhood, family, and youth factors associated with intracity mobility. We employed hierarchical generalized linear modeling to examine within and between-neighborhood models of intracity mobility among youth and their families who moved within Chicago (N = 426) and those who did not (N = 867). Our investigation highlights as important factors family dynamics instability and aggression and violence at the neighborhood level. Findings show that parental divorce/separation, harsh disciplinary practices, negative school experiences such as racial/ethnic conflict, gangs, or heightened security measures, and exposure to violence predict intracity mobility. Critically, negative school experiences proved to be a robust determinant of moving as cross-level interactions suggest neighborhood crime significantly shapes how these experiences inform intracity mobility. This study emphasizes the importance of examining mobility beyond urban city limits, noting distinct predictors of intracity mobility across systemic levels. The findings fill a gap in our understanding of neighborhood turnover and stability, while also providing a foundation for exploring within and between-neighborhood differences in intracity mobility.

A New School, a Fresh Start? Change and Stability in Peer Relationships and Academic Performance in the Transition from Primary to Secondary School

Previous studies on peer relationships in school transitions neglected individual differences, or did not examine the relation with academic performance in secondary school. This study followed 649 students from their last year of primary school to their first year in secondary school (Mage at T1 = 11.6 (SD = 0.6); 53.6% girls). Results revealed that students became more attached to peers, less lonely, and were stable in victimization across the transition. Particularly students with more negative peer experiences in primary school enjoyed a “fresh start” in terms of peer experiences in secondary school. Students who had more co-transitioning peers experienced greater reductions in loneliness. Changes in peer experiences over the transition did not relate to academic performance in secondary school.

The Influence of Psychosocial Factors on the Successful Formal Education Trajectories of Young Spanish People in Vulnerable Situations.

Young people in vulnerable situations tend to have more difficulties realizing successful formal education trajectories. It is extremely important to conduct studies that explore the key dimensions that can help young people overcome the conditioning of vulnerable situations, assisting in the achievement of academic success. According to the existing literature, one of these key dimensions is psychosocial well-being. Thus, this qualitative research aims to identify and analyze psychosocial factors that favor successful school pathways among young people in vulnerable situations. Through a case study approach, 12 in-depth interviews were carried out with 12 young Spanish people who not only have a vulnerable background but also successful formal education trajectories. The data were explored through qualitative content analysis-NVivo11. The results revealed that young people generally associate their successful educational trajectory with the positive impact of psychosocial factors, such as the following: positive caregivers' valuation of formal education and positive school experiences and support networks. Young people also point to many negative school experiences that have been overcome via positive attitudes and individual protective factors. The youngsters suggest changes in the educational system and teachers' skills in order to improve the levels of psychosocial support in formal education contexts. The study's implications and limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Mental health difficulties and health related quality of life amongst late adolescents in vocational education

This study investigated vocational students’ mental health by identifying the prevalence of depression, stress, anxiety, eating disorders and associated risk and protective factors among 16- to 18-year-old students attending a vocational college in Malta. Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) was also investigated. A sample of 422 students completed standardised self-report mental health tools and a demographic and personal variables’ questionnaire. A total of 64.4% of students were found to be struggling with at least one of the mental health conditions assessed while 36.7% reported a suspected eating disorder. The prevalence rates of depression, anxiety and stress (moderate, severe or extremely severe) were 43.3%, 48.8% and 29.3% respectively. Students had a lower HRQOL than the reference population as indicated by European norm data. Only 13.5% of participants sought help from mental health services. Risk factors include female gender, poverty, being LGBTQ, not living with both parents, past negative school experiences, poor relationships and presence of suspected or diagnosed conditions or disabilities, amongst others. Having supportive relationships with family, peers and school personnel emerged as protective factors.

Diversity through adversity: Adjustment profiles and protective factors of sexual and gender minority students in Portuguese schools

Negative school experiences, such as bullying, compromise the well-being and mental health of adolescents, particularly those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ + ). The aim of the current study was to identify different profiles of psychological adjustment among students according to their exposure to risk (higher levels of bullying victimization) and evidence of psychological adjustment (lower levels of anxiety), as well as to compare these profiles in relation to (i) participants’ age and sexual and gender identity, and (ii) internal and external protective resources. The study used data collected by the FREE research project in Portugal through an online questionnaire among 1,169 students, with a mean age of 16.2 years (SD = 1.20), of which 47.1 % identified as LGBTQ +. Four adjustment profiles were identified: unchallenged, resilient, distressed, and at-risk. Sexual and gender minority students, particularly those who identify as trans and non-binary, were overrepresented in the maladjusted profiles (at-risk and distressed) and underrepresented in the normative profile (unchallenged). Furthermore, internal resources such as a higher self-esteem and lower levels of sexual identity concealment seemed to have a protective effect. Students’ acceptance of LGBTQ + students and perception that school was safe for LGBTQ + students revealed a protective effect for all students, whereas teachers' acceptance and access to school information and support for LGBTQ + issues revealed a protective effect for sexual and gender minority students only. Implications for the improvement of school climate and intervention with students and teachers are discussed.

The Effect of Parental Abuse and Negative School Experiences on Female Adolescent’s Substance Use: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Depression

Consistent with the theoretical propositions of general strain theory (GST), abuse from parents and negative school experiences have been demonstrated as primary strain sources of female adolescents, which make them engage in delinquency to cope with their strains and negative emotions. However, limited research has examined the pathway of these relationships by considering the mediating role of depression as predicted from the GST perspective. Thus, this study attempted to examine the association between parental abuse, negative school experiences, depressive emotional state, and substance use of female adolescents. Using data from the Korea Child and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS), structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess if depression mediates the effect of strain on female adolescents’ substance use. Results indicated a significant influence of parental abuse and negative school experiences on female adolescents’ depression. In terms of mediating role of depression, the effects of parental abuse and negative relationship with teachers on female adolescents’ substance use were mediated by depression, while the effect of learning-relevant strain was partially mediated. The implications not only for the theoretical framework of GST but also for prevention programs were suggested.

The relationship between negative school experiences and the formation of antisocial personality disorder

The present study explored the factors in schools that have close relationships with the formation of antisocial personality disorder. By collecting and analyzing papers and data, this study found that classmates’ misbehavior will make students be more aggressive because the model effect and the wise to be accepted by peers; Bullies, victims, and bully-victims(people who are both bullies and victims) have a higher rate of conducting illegal misbehavior and having bad relationships with others; being isolated by classmates makes people tend to have psychological deficits and makes people less socialized; bad teacher-student relationships make students more likely to have unstable emotions and callous-unemotional and part of this phenomena can be explained by the moral ideas that students should do what teachers required and teachers are the authority; low academic achievement and low effort on study can anticipate students’ later antisocial behavior since low academic achievement, low effort on study, and antisocial behavior are highly related to the lack of self-control. Long term of misbehavior will lead to the formation of antisocial personality disorder; and the lack of caring culture in school also leads to more frequent antisocial behavior in school.

Factors Associated with the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescent Males in the US during the Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Much of the research on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has overlooked the experiences of adolescent boys. Objective: To examine the prevalence of depression, treatment trends, and associated risk factors among adolescent boys, controlling for the pandemic year. Methods: Data for boys aged 12 to 17 years (n = 4518) in the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed. Time trends and factors associated with depression were examined using a multiple regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of 12-month major depressive episodes (TMDEs) was 11.6% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the boys with TMDEs, 37.8% received treatment overall, and 19.0% received prescription medication. Higher rates of TMDEs were estimated in boys who were older (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.66, p < 0.001), lived in single-mother households (AOR: 1.47, p < 0.001), did not have authoritative parents (AOR: 1.78, p < 0.001), and had negative school experiences (AOR: 2.45, p < 0.001). Although Black boys were less likely to report depression than white boys (AOR: 0.70, p < 0.05), nonwhite boys who had depression were significantly less likely to receive treatment. Boys living in a household without a mother were also less likely to receive treatment (AOR: 0.49, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study reveals the unique developmental, social, and psychological factors that influence depression among adolescent boys. During the pandemic, more than one out of ten adolescent boys had a major depressive episode, and four of ten of them received treatment; half of these treatments were prescription medication. Recognizing these factors may allow for more targeted and effective interventions to improve mental health outcomes for this demographic.

The effect of stressful life events on the risk for psychosis: differences between Mexican at clinical and familial high risk.

Stressful life events (SLEs) in the development of early psychosis have been little studied in low-income countries. This study examines differences in the prevalence of SLEs in Mexican at clinical high risk (CHR) and those with familial high risk for psychosis who do not meet CHR criteria (non-CHR FHR). We also analyze the association between SLEs and CHR. Participants included 43 persons with CHR and 35 with non-CHR FHR. CHR criteria were assessed with the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental State. SLEs were assessed using the Questionnaire of Stressful Life Events. Participants with CHR reported more SLEs associated with negative academic experiences than those in the non-CHR FHR group. Bullying (OR = 7.77, 95% CI [1.81, 33.32]) and low educational level (OR = 21.25, 95% CI [5.19, 46.90]) were the strongest predictors of CHR, while starting to live with a partner (OR = 0.26, 95% CI [0.10, 0.84]) was associated with a lower risk of CHR. Negative school experiences increase the risk of psychosis, particularly bullying, suggesting that schools may be ideal settings for implementing individual preventive strategies to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors to improve the prognosis of those at risk of developing psychosis. In Latin America, there are multiple barriers to early intervention in psychosis. It is thus crucial to identify risk and protective factors at the onset and in the course of psychosis in order to design effective preventive interventions.

Evaluating the Use of Alternative Seating with Kindergarteners at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) include learning difficulties that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors and difficulties in building or maintaining interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Children with or at risk for an EBD often have a tendency to have negative experiences in school and engage in challenging behavior in the classroom including out-of-seat behavior. One possible antecedent manipulation, alternative seating, may reduce challenging behavior and involves exchanging the typical seating in classrooms for different types of seating options. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of stability stools and scoop rocker chairs on in-seat behavior and on-task behavior in classrooms with kindergarten students who engaged in challenging behavior and were at risk for EBD. All three participants demonstrated improvements in in-seat behavior using both types of alternative seating compared to a standard classroom chair. On-task behavior improved for all students but was variable for two students. Teachers indicated a preference for the stability stool, whereas results were mixed between the stool and the rockers for student preference.

A Bourdieusian analysis of vaccine hesitancy. The case of Italian upper secondary school students

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to propose an original analysis of the association between social status and attitudes toward Covid-19 vaccines regarding upper-secondary students in Italy. The research was conducted by administering an online survey on a probabilistic and stratified sample of 5,699 students, in the spring of 2021, when the vaccination campaign in Italy had been underway for only a few months. Following the bourdieusian perspective, we have used a multiple correspondence analysis to examine the polarization between pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine groups as the clash of stances that agents take in accordance with their position in the cultural field. Our results suggest that the construction of a negative school experience by the subordinate classes is the source of a lack of social recognition in the cultural field, which feeds an aversion to everything the main institutions in this field recommend should be done.

“I Went There”: How Parent Experience Shapes School Decisions

As school choice expands, families face an increasingly arduous decision-making process around school enrollment. Through interviews with a socioeconomically and ethno-racially diverse sample of 60 parents in Dallas, Texas, we illustrate one key way families negotiate this choice landscape. We find that many parents use their own educational experiences as first-stage decision rules for narrowing the types of schools they consider for their children through experience-motivated replication and experience-motivated avoidance. Parents with positive schooling experiences sought to replicate the type of school they attended for their children, while parents with negative schooling experiences aimed to avoid the type of school they attended. While experience-motivated replication was used by parents across race and class positions, it was most common among White parents who often entrenched patterns of white flight through replication of private or suburban school enrollment. In contrast, experience-motivated avoidance was used by Black parents in our sample as a strategy to disrupt educational inequality for their children by eliminating traditional public schools, where parents reported feeling underserved as children, from their choice sets. This study adds to our understanding of how families negotiate the increasingly complex school choice landscape, and mechanisms for the persistence of intergenerational educational inequality.

Racial identity exploration and academic belonging: LatinX faculty navigating the counters of Latinidad

ABSTRACT U.S. higher education institutions have traditionally centeredwhite Eurocentric norms and practices that work to diminish and racialize minoritized and marginalized populations. In this manuscript, we venture to disrupt the LatinX monolith myth that has been imposed upon LatinXs by education scholars. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we critique the safeguards of power that regulate conceptualizations of Latinidad – mainly through the social investment in socially constructed racial and ethnic categories, surveillance of language, and normative boundaries of exclusion/inclusion. Through a phenomenological approach, we assessed the narratives of seven LatinX faculty who navigate the politics of academia and identity simultaneously. Three major findings emerged: Spanish language is used as a marker of LatinX identity; gatekeeping to Latinidad is upheld by institutional policies; and LatinX faculty utilize their own negative schooling experiences to create spaces of advocacy, self-awareness, and representation within their classrooms for marginalized students. We conclude by underscoring how study findings helped illuminate the ways socio-political structures coalesce on college campuses in ways that perpetrates the LatinX monolith myth.

Using a Queer of Color Critique to work toward a Black LGBTQ+ inclusive K-12 curriculum

To date six states (Oregon, California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, and New Jersey) have adopted legislation that amends curricular standards to include affirming representations of LGBTQ+ people and identities in schools. Nonetheless, the legislation falls short of clarifying what constitutes an LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum. Thus, the decision of what to teach is left up to individual districts, schools, and, in many cases, individual teachers who rely on their own interpretations of “positive representation” to adhere to new mandates. In recognizing the negative schooling experiences of Black LGBTQ+ youth, the fact that informal LGBTQ+ curriculum often centers whiteness, and the lack of clarity around what constitutes LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula, in this article I draw on Queer of Color Critique (QOCC) to analyze the practices of ballroom educators and present their approaches to curriculum as a guide to designing LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum that responds to the realities of Black LGBTQ+ youth. As a framework, QOCC requires researchers to: (a) explore the resilience of queer people of color and their communities as they navigate oppression, (b) rely on the experiential knowledge of queer people of color as a primary source of knowledge production, and (c) examine how queer people of color use their agency to defy the constraints of queer of color marginalization.

Protective and risk factors for social withdrawal in adolescence. A mixed-method study of Italian students’ wellbeing

AbstractThis research project is aimed at identifying risk and protective factors of social withdrawal, by studying some areas of young people's psychological wellbeing. The study took place in a medium-sized town in the north-west of Italy. A total of 1,102 students participated in the study. An online survey was sent to all the students attending the second year of local high schools, then the results were combined with those from two focus groups involving young people and adults. The findings indicate that socio-cultural factors may be the reasons why social disengagement is so widespread. The societal pressure to be successful in every life domain may push young people, unable to conform, out of the competition. Bullying, negative school experiences and stress are associated with an over-investment of time on the internet, a harbinger of social isolation. This study's findings suggest the need to plan student initiatives, to identify the warning signals of the phenomenon.

Depressive Symptoms and Negative Experiences in School: A Network Analysis.

Negative experiences in school predict adolescents' depression. However, the dynamic interactions of depressive symptoms with adolescents' negative experiences in school remain unclear. This study aimed to applied network analysis to detect the complex relationships between early adolescents' depressive symptoms and negative experiences in school. We adopted the data from a Chinese national survey conducted in 2018. Eight hundred ninety-seven adolescents from 10 to 15 years old were included. The measurements included an 8-item depression screener scale and a 14-item scale assessing negative experiences in school. The centrality analysis suggested that Chinese early adolescents' core depressive symptoms were negative affections. Regarding "negative experiences in the school," the most central nodes were poor academic performance and peer relationships. The bridge-centrality results showed negative emotions in school and difficulties in peer relationships were significantly linked to depression. Educators should pay attention to adolescents' negative affection and difficulties in peer relationships in school settings because they are potential signs of depression. Relevant peer support intervention aiming for adolescents' social development should be underscored.

Chronic health conditions and school experience in school-aged children in 19 European countries.

This study investigates chronic conditions (CC) prevalence among children in mainstream schools, their school experience and life satisfaction in Europe. Data were collected from the 2017/2018 HBSC survey, a cross-national study using self-reported questionnaires administered in classrooms. Nationally representative samples of children aged 11, 13, and 15years in mainstream schools from 19 European countries (n = 104,812) were used. School experience was assessed using four variables: low school satisfaction, schoolwork pressure, low teacher support, and peer-victimization, which were related to life satisfaction. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify patterns of school experience among students with CC. The prevalence of CC varied from 8.4 (Armenia) to 28.2% (Finland). Children with CC (n = 17,514) rated their school experience and life satisfaction lower than children without CC. LCA identified three school experience patterns: "negative on all items" (37%), "negative on all items, except school pressure" (40%) and "overall positive" (23%). The distribution of subgroups varied across countries-in countries with a higher proportion of children with CC in mainstream schools, children reported more negative school experiences. Compared to the "overall positive" group, low life satisfaction was highest for students classified as "negative on all items" (relative risk (RR) = 2.9; 95% CI 2.2-3.8) with a lesser effect for "negative on all items, except school pressure" (RR) = 1.8; 95% CI 1.4-2.4). These findings provide cross-national data documenting the diversity in inclusive educational practices regarding school placement and school experiences, and suggest that efforts are still needed to allow a fully inclusive environment.

’It was probably one of the best moments of being trans*, honestly!’: Exploring the positive school experiences of transgender children and young people

AimsThe negative school experiences of transgender students are well documented, but so far little research has explored what is going well for transgender students in school. This research highlights some of the positive school experiences of transgender youth in order to promote positive change.MethodsA qualitative, interpretive approach was adopted. An initial focus group explored language within the transgender community and helped to design questions for semi-structured interviews. Interviews were then conducted with three transgender young people. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was adopted.FindingsFive superordinate themes emerged from the participants’ narratives. The Importance of Language was highlighted as a means for transgender youth to assert their own identities and for others to demonstrate respect, and Individual Teacher Support, Whole-School Approaches and The Importance of Community highlighted ways others have shown support to transgender youth. A final theme, My Own Best Friend, reflected the skills and resilience of the transgender young people themselves.LimitationsLimitations are associated with the challenges of using a qualitative, interpretive approach, including language and the role of the researcher. These are discussed alongside suggestions for development. Conclusions: The research findings highlight that transgender young people are able and willing to share their experiences and highlight positive practice in schools. Educational psychologists are uniquely positioned to support young people at an individual and systemic level. It is important that they continue to support transgender young people, as well as to continue helping schools and local authorities to develop guidelines for supporting transgender students.