Negative School Experiences Research Articles

Adolescent Depression: National Trends, Risk Factors, and Healthcare Disparities.

Objectives: This study examines national trends in the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of depression among adolescents and investigate disparities in their mental health service use in the US. Methods: Data for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (N = 95,856) who participated in the annual, cross-sectional National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2011 to 2016 were pooled and analyzed. Time trends and predictors of adolescents' depression and treatment were examined using Pearson's χ² test and multivariable logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of adolescents' 12-month depression increased steadily from 8.3% to 12.9% over the years, but their use of mental health services remained largely stable. Higher rates of depression were observed in females, older adolescents, and those from single-mother households. Having less authoritative parents and negative school experiences significantly predicted adolescent depression. Lower rates of treatment and medication use were found among racial/ethnic minorities and adolescents without any insurance. Whereas having less authoritative parents decreased adolescents' likelihood of using healthcare services, negative school experiences significantly increased their chances of using treatments and medication. Conclusions: A growing number of adolescents with untreated depression were noted over time. Enhanced psychoeducation, continued policy efforts, and expanded service capacity are warranted.

Understanding men who access sexualised images of children: exploratory interviews with offenders

ABSTRACTThe number of online users of child sexual abuse imagery is increasing but factors associated with internet offending and effective treatment remain unclear. This qualitative study aimed to understand what leads individuals to access sexually abusive images of children and to assist with treatment development. In-depth interviews with 12 adult men from prison or community offender treatment programmes were conducted and thematically analysed. Findings were that the men's development was characterised by difficulties in early family life, negative school experiences, difficult sexual development, and difficult intimate relationships. Precipitants to offending included stress, progression from legal material, loneliness and isolation. Maintaining factors included trying to cope with negative emotions through accessing abusive images, seeing it as an “addiction”, and denial (a “victimless” offence). Useful treatment included understanding their offending, working in a group, a safe therapeutic environment, and knowledgeable, non-judgemental therapists. Continued psychological support post-treatment was requested, and deterrent software monitoring.

Planning for the Future

The purpose of this study was to explore the postsecondary educational and occupational expectations of work-bound rural youth. Three groups of work-bound youth were identified (work-bound, work-bound with future educational plans, and work-bound but unsure/undecided about postsecondary education), and each group was compared to college-bound rural youth using results from a recent national investigation of the educational and occupational aspirations of rural youth. Results indicated that the majority of rural youth in this study planned to continue their education after high school (56%), followed by 34% who planned to work and further their education. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that family characteristics and students’ schooling experiences were the strongest predictors of work-bound status. Work-bound youth were more likely to report greater family economic hardship, lower parental expectations for completing college, and more negative schooling experiences than college-bound rural youth. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (R305A04056) awarded to the NRCRES at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the granting agency.

Optimism despite disappointment: Irish traveller parents’ reports of their own school experiences and their views on education

ABSTRACT This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of Irish Traveller parents’ experiences of their own schooling, and their views on education. An indigenous minority ethnic group, Irish Travellers, historically and contemporaneously, have experienced disadvantage and exclusion in many domains, including education, health, housing, and employment. Traveller parents' own educational experiences may affect their expectations for their children's education. Drawing on interpretivism and critical theory, we sought in this study, the only major study undertaken about Traveller preschools in Ireland, to give voice to Irish Travellers, whose views on education are rarely heard. Focus group (n = 6) and individual (n = 6) interviews were held with 36 Traveller women and men. Three main themes emerged: the importance of Traveller identity and culture, Travellers’ pride therein, and their awareness of others’ low valuation of it; the hurt and disappointment Travellers feel when they recall the negativity of their own schooling experiences of unchallenging pedagogy, curricular alienation, racist name-calling, and cultural misrecognition; and the positive value that they place on education for their children. Despite being deeply disappointed by their own negative schooling experiences, and by aspects of their children's schooling, they reported considerable optimism regarding the possibilities offered by education for their own children.

VIOLENCIA SIMBÓLICA EN LA EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA ESCOLAR: UN ANÁLISIS CRÍTICO DE LAS EXPERIENCIAS NEGATIVAS DEL FUTURO PROFESORADO DE EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA

Este estudo aprofunda as experiências negativas da Educação Física Escolar cursada pelo futuro docente de Educação Primária, usando o conceito de violência simbólica de Bourdieu para a análise. Foi realizada uma análise de 155 narrativas de estudantes de graduação em Educação Primária de duas universidades espanholas. Os resultados indicam que a violência simbólica é exercida pela inadequação das identidades físicas dos graduandos aos discursos do rendimento, os quais, por sua vez, são legitimados pelos docentes e por estudantes exitosos. Este tipo de violência subliminar projeta-se também nas identidades físicas e profissionais do futuro docente.

School Experience During Adolescence: A Comparative Study Between Adolescent Offenders and Not Offenders

Abstract This study aimed to test the school control model, inherent to the Social and Personal Control Theory, verifying which context variables and mechanisms would distinguish offender adolescents from non-offenders adolescents, aiming to understand their school experience. Sixty male adolescents (15 school-dropouts-offenders/15 student-offenders, 15 school-dropouts-non-offenders/15 students-non-offenders), aged 14 to 18 participated (M=16,6; SD=0,78). All responded a scale formulated in the light of the theoretical framework. Data were analyzed by the Kruskall-Wallis test, with Dunn post-test. The results showed that everyone would be to some extent vulnerable to negative school-experience, depending on the context variables, and also indicated that “performance” and “school-bond” would be more associated with school-dropout, while “school constraints” with involvement in infractions. The identification of these problematic aspects in the schooling of the offender adolescents helps to think about the interventions, in the socio-educational accompaniment, aiming at an adequate (re)insertion in the school.

Sex Differences in School Safety and Bullying Experiences Among Sexual Minority Youth.

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.

The effects of traumatic experiences on academic relationships and expectations in justice-involved children.

Positive school experiences are an important predictor of long-term health and well-being. Developing positive relationships with school personnel and positive academic expectations set the foundation for success. Positive relationships and expectations can be a powerful protective factor or intervention to redirect troubled children toward a more positive path. Unfortunately, children who experience trauma are more prone to academic underachievement and negative school experiences. This link is especially evident and troubling for children-also called justice-involved children (JIC)-in the juvenile justice system. JIC are exposed to more traumatic experiences and have a higher prevalence of academic failure than other children. Despite evidence showing that (1) trauma is harmful to achievement in the general population, (2) JIC have a higher prevalence of trauma, and (3) JIC have a higher prevalence of academic underachievement and failure, only a few studies have examined traumatic experiences and achievement in JIC. The Childhood Trauma Model (CTM) submits that childhood trauma is central to understanding adolescent outcomes. CTM hypothesizes that (H-1) JIC who experience trauma will have more academic risk factors than those who do not, and (H-2) JIC who experience multiple types of trauma will have higher academic risks than those who experience a single type of trauma. The current study tests (1) whether 10 different types of traumatic experiences are individually associated with increased risks for fewer positive adult relationships and lower expectations of graduating from high school among JIC, and (2) whether experiencing multiple types of trauma has a larger impact than experiencing a single type of trauma.

Holding Space for Literate Identity Co-Construction

Many students of color who are also identified as “struggling” readers are likely to have negative experiences in school. In this article, I discuss the findings of a case study examining how reader identities emerged in and through language for such students. The discourse data analyzed here concern an interactional pattern in which the focal students and their teacher collaborated in disrupting identities of deficiency, and instead constructed literate identities within whole-group discussions of text. These findings highlight moments of agency from students marginalized in schools and point toward ways that teachers and students can collaboratively create space for students’ literate voices to be heard.

“The student drives the car, right?”: trans students and narratives of decision-making in schools

With growing awareness of the negative school experiences of trans students, more schools in North America are working to support such students and create more inclusive educational environments. This paper analyses how 60 educators in British Columbia, Canada talked about the involvement of trans students in decision-making processes at their school. It focuses on a prominent narrative, the ‘student in charge’ narrative, which suggests that educators should follow the lead of the young trans person to best support them. By centering the expertise of trans student, this narrative has the potential to disrupt cisnormativity in schools and traditional understandings of youth as unreliable. However, educators have also to negotiate dominant discourses about undue adult influence, young age, safety and gender fluidity that tend to undermine their initial commitment to young trans people’s self-determination. This paper analyses the effects of these contradictions on how educators respond to demands for recognition by trans students, and discusses the limits of student-led change. It concludes by arguing for more systemic changes that do not require the presence of trans bodies and instead offer possibilities for educational spaces in which all students would experience fewer pressures of gender and sexual conformity.

Predictors of illicit drug use among a national sample of adolescents

ABSTRACTBackground: Rates of illicit drug use are increasing among adolescents. This study was guided by Jessor’s problem behavior theory and explored the conceptual domains of risk factors for adolescent illicit drug use. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether sex, age, race/ethnicity, authoritarian parenting, negative school experiences, ever been treated for depression, or legal involvement predicted lifetime illicit drug use, past year illicit drug use, or past month illicit drug use among adolescents nationwide. Method: The present study was a secondary data analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health including 17,399 youth from 12 to 17 years of age nationwide. Results: Among adolescents, 25.3% reported using illicit drugs in their lifetime, 18.9% reported past year use, and 10.1% reported past month use. Predictors of lifetime illicit drug use were age, race/ethnicity, ever been treated for depression, authoritarian parenting, negative school experiences, and legal involvement. Predictors of past year and past month illicit drug use were age, ever been treated for depression, authoritarian parenting, negative school experiences, and legal involvement. Conclusions: A global approach targeting all problem behavior theory systems may reduce illicit drug use among adolescents nationwide. Recommendations for future studies are included.

Going further than the 'Daily Mile'.

A recent primary school initiative encouraged pupils to run or walk a mile each day. Andy Fairhurst and Sarah Hotham of the Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, highlight the importance of encouraging children to explore a full range of social and physical activities, building foundations for continued physical activity in later life.[Image omitted: See PDF.]In 2015, media attention focussed on a Scottish primary school where the introduction of a 'Daily Mile' saw pupils run or walk a mile, taking around 15 min each day.[1] The benefits claimed by the school and media included that obesity had been eliminated and that educational attainment and concentration had been improved.[2],[3] The simplicity and replicability of the concept has caught the attention of the health and education sector, and over the last year, there have been moves to reproduce the programme across England.Why not the Daily Mile?The Daily Mile falls short of where primary school physical activity needs to be. While an additional 15 min or more per day of activity will contribute to achieving the recommended daily minimum of 60 min of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity in children,[4] the Daily Mile is an overly simplistic contribution to energy expenditure that misses opportunities to develop a range of physical and social skills. Furthermore, it is a potential contributor to the issues underpinning physical inactivity later in life.It also fails to address what children want from physical activity. Children have an inherent interest in physical activity-based play and a strong belief in its value, with the main reasons for positive attitudes towards physical activity identified as fun and enjoyment, being with friends and the sense of belonging to a team.[5] It is unlikely that an enforced mile run will engender these feelings in every child.The worst case scenario is that the Daily Mile is setting up a generation for a lifetime of inactivity. Low levels of participation after leaving primary school are often due to negative experiences of primary school sport and physical activity, particularly in girls.[6] Reasons cited for children and young people not wanting to participate in physical activity in primary school include getting cold and wet,[7] and boredom;[5] both commensurate with a compulsory year-round outdoor run in school uniform.The Current State of Primary School Physical EducationThe excitement with which the Daily Mile has been received is a tacit admission that there is a lack of structured physical activity in primary schools. Physical education (PE) lessons in England last an average of 108 min, well below the daily recommended levels of physical activity.[8] Outside classes and break times provide an opportunity for free play, but for children who are already disengaged with physical activity, this time is usually spent sedentary.[9]There is also a variation in quality of primary school PE delivery. Initial Teacher Training allocates a maximum of 12 h to physical education, meaning primary teachers do not feel confident or safe delivering PE lessons.[10] Furthermore, many teachers start with preconceived views of PE, usually shaped from their own negative school experiences, which are difficult or impossible to change.[10]Building the Foundations of a Sporting FutureThe benefits of the Daily Mile claimed are not exclusive to a mile's walk or run, but are the widely reported benefits of physical activity. If schools are to commit time to physical activity, could it be better spent promoting physical literacy, movement skills and leadership as well expending energy?Physical literacy is the foundation of PE and school sport and describes the range of motor skills, flexibility, agility, co-ordination, confidence and motivation required to take part in physical activity or sport. …

‘Little bit afraid ‘til I found how it was’: children’s subjective early school experiences in a disadvantaged community in Ireland

ABSTRACTResearch shows that children facing socioeconomic risk often have poorer skills at school entry, greater difficulty adjusting to school, more negative school experiences, and lower scholastic achievement, relative to their peers. However, the promotion of positive early school experiences is constrained by a lack of insight into disadvantaged children’s own perspectives. To address this gap, this study interviewed 26 children living in a disadvantaged community in Ireland who had recently commenced formal schooling. Interviews included semi-structured questions and a draw-and-talk activity. Interview questions and drawings were analysed using the principles of thematic analysis and content analysis respectively, and the findings were integrated to identify four overarching themes. These included children’s sense of self in school, what happens in school, the importance of peer relationships, and children’s lives around school. The results provide reflection points for research and practice, such as the promotion of positive peer experiences and strong family–school connections.

Regular energy drink consumption is associated with the risk of health and behavioural problems in adolescents.

Adolescents drinking energy drinks are at risk of a wide range of negative outcomes and should be specifically addressed by preventive interventions. What is Known • Energy drink consumption has become popular and frequent among adolescents across Europe. • There is growing evidence that energy drink consumption is related to negative social, emotional and health outcomes, but only a few studies have explored this relationship in adolescents. What is New • Regular energy drink consumption was more frequent among boys and adolescents reporting low family affluence and increased with age. • Adolescents reporting regular energy drink consumption were in higher risk to suffer from health and behavioural problems and negative school experiences.

Convention Versus Deviance: Moral Agency in Adolescent Gang Members' Decision Making

ABSTRACTBackground: Adolescent gang members are a source of concern due to their involvement in criminal activity, violence, substance use, and high-risk sexual behaviors. Adolescent gang theories hypothesize that social institutions, including the family and school, fail to meet the needs of adolescents who therefore feel less attachment to these institutions and find an unconventional institution (i.e. the gang) to meet these needs through the gang. Objectives: In this paper, we will examine the extent to which social disorganization and social control theories, in particular the rejection of conventional norms and aspirations, match adolescents' subjective reasons for their decisions and their future aspirations. Methods: Between 2012 and 2013, we conducted in-depth interviews with 58 gang members between the ages of 14 to 19. Interviews were coded for key themes using the constant comparison method. Results: Social disorganization and social control theories have both value and limitations in explaining reasons why adolescents join gangs and engage in criminal behaviors. Participants saw many of their aspirations blocked by negative school experiences and limited economic opportunities. Gangs provided a social organization in which to sell drugs. However, gang members did not reject conventional norms and aspirations. Rather, they view themselves as making decisions to survive in the present while recognizing that these strategies will not continue to work in the future. Conclusions: Gang members value education and aspire to obtain legal employment. Thus, interventions to help adolescent gang members with the immediate financial pressures that lead them to sell drugs may be particularly effective.

Comparing socialization into club sports among seventh-grade girls by school type

Summary The study used group discussions and a documentary method to investigate which micro-processes at the nexus of family, peer group, and school encouraged and discouraged seventh-grade girls' involvement in club sports, and what collective orientations accompanied these processes. Based on reconstructed micro-processes and orientations, two selected groups of girls in intermediate and upper secondary school (Hauptschule and Gymasium) were compared to determine how involvement in club sports differed by school type. One result was that the upper secondary school students were part of several social reference groups with a sports orientation simultaneously, whereas the intermediate secondary school students were part of fewer social reference groups overall, and the groups they were part of tended to have other orientations than sports. The upper secondary students benefited during their childhood and preteen years from interactions among social reference groups (family, peer group, school) that were conducive to club sports involvement, whereas intermediate secondary students were exposed to interactions that inhibited their involvement in sports. This inhibiting effect results from a lack of family influences, negative sports experiences in school, and in particular the high significance of peer groups that pursue other interests having little to do with club sports.

Rethinking motivational challenges amongst young adults on the margin

ABSTRACTThis article is concerned with how motivation to take an education can be stimulated in young adults who are on the margins of the labour market and educational system. It is widely accepted that young adults in such a position have motivational problems regarding education because of negative schooling experiences, interrupted education, absenteeism, etc. Despite this, in Europe, education is commonly proposed as the solution to the problem of the high proportion of 15–29 year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). This paradox of having to motivate young adults under pressure is the focus of the article. The article argues that there is a need to theoretically redefine motivation as a phenomenon linked to the individual to a more contextually embedded understanding of motivation as the result of a process between the young and their surroundings, opportunities and perspectives. The article presents a model with five motivational orientations suggesting a new perspective on re-motivating young adults on the margin of the labour market and educational system, while it also discusses the challenges connected to promoting a focus on motivation at a time when the liberalisation of education is increasingly central to the welfare state strategy.

It’s Hard To Be Who You Don’t See: An Exploration of Black Male High School Students’ Perspectives on Becoming Teachers

The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of high school age Black males (N = 22) regarding factors that influence or deter their consideration of becoming teachers. Participants were enrolled in a yearlong, pre-collegiate course designed to introduce high school students to the teaching profession. Qualitative analysis of students’ interviews revealed that negative school experiences, including low expectations, racial stereotypes, and microaggressions, deterred consideration of becoming a teacher. Positive interactions with encouraging teachers and the opportunity to have direct teaching experience in the community helped students see themselves as potential future teachers. Implications for practice are discussed.

The Effect of Alcohol Abuse and Dependence and School Experiences on Depression: A National Study of Adolescents

ABSTRACTThe study purpose was to examine the effect alcohol abuse/dependence and school experiences have on depression among a nationwide sample of adolescents. A secondary analysis of the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was conducted. The results of the final multivariable logistic regression model revealed that adolescents who reported having past-year alcohol abuse/dependence and negative school experiences were at increased odds for reporting past-year depression. This study adds to the existing literature by revealing the association of alcohol dependence/abuse, negative school experiences, and adolescent depression above and beyond demographic covariates. Recommendations for future studies are included.

Risk factors for legal involvement among a nationally representative sample of Hispanic adolescents

ABSTRACTAdolescent legal involvement is a public health concern nationwide. Despite the existing national limits of arrest data by Hispanic origin, previous research has found that minority youth are at increased risk for being confined. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether sex, age, authoritarian parenting, school experiences, depression, recent alcohol use, binge drinking and perceived social norms predicted legal involvement among Hispanic adolescents aged 12–17 years old nationwide. Legal involvement was operationally defined as ever being arrested, on parole or on probation. A secondary data analysis of the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) was conducted including a total of 3,457 U.S. Hispanic adolescents. First, unadjusted odds ratios were computed by conducting a univariate logistic regression analyses. Then, all variables that were significant in the univariate logistic regression analyses were retained and included in a final multiple logistic regression model. A total of 7.6% of Hispanic adolescents reported legal involvement. Unadjusted odds ratios indicated that sex, age, authoritarian parenting, school experiences, depression, recent alcohol use, binge drinking and perceived student use of alcohol were statistically significant predictors of legal involvement. All variables were subsequently retained and included in the final multiple regression models. The final multiple regression model significantly predicted legal involvement. Specifically, results indicated Hispanic adolescents at increased risk for legal involvement were males, aged 16–17 years, experienced authoritarian parenting, had negative school experiences and recently used alcohol. The combined influence of predictors on legal involvement for Hispanic adolescents was explored. Based on study findings, intervention programs should target all Hispanic youth, especially males and aged 14–17 years, to effectively address this problematic behaviour. Families, schools, communities and juvenile justice systems should work together to decrease illegal involvement among Hispanic adolescents.