School Peer Research Articles

Commentary: Revisiting developmental science research practices during a global crisis.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents were extensive, touching aspects of their lives such as those reviewed in this Special Section : school experiences, family relationships, peer relationships, and civic engagement. In parallel with these effects on individuals, the fields of developmental and psychological science were shaken up by this global crisis. The accelerated transition to online data collection and collaboration presented opportunities to expand research on adolescence, breaking down many physical and social barriers to participation and sparking methodological innovation. Yet, this crisis also shed light on the global digital divides and the uneven impacts of the pandemic across the research community. This commentary reflects on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the methods and methodologies of developmental science, the challenges and opportunities it surfaced, and the populations included and omitted in this period of research. We integrate reflections on how the pandemic shaped our own research and on how the pandemic has shaped the future of developmental science.

Commentary: The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on adolescent development: Embracing a more ecological perspective.

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's functioning, relationships, and well-being, four systematic reviews were put together to shed light on school experiences, family and peer relationships, and civic engagement during the pandemic. The reviews presented research findings on the protective role of several personal and contextual resources including intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, family, school, peer, and community support, as well as the harming effect of risk factors, such as poor mental health, COVID-19-related stressors, and technological challenges, thus highlighting the significant role of both personal and contextual factors in adolescent development and well-being. Equally important, the research findings collectively suggested an ecological perspective of the determining factors, although the focus was largely on factors in immediate contexts (family, school, peers, and local community). Adopting a more holistic approach that also considers factors in other ecological contexts (e.g., partnership between immediate contexts, the influence of cultural values and norms along with educational and developmental transitions) can be crucial in addressing the specific needs of young people across diverse contexts and cultures during a pandemic and in general. In addressing their needs, the ever-growing digital space of young people can be utilized to connect them to services and supportive networks in their contexts including distal ones.

The role of supportive relationships in academic performance and personal wellbeing: Results from a U.S. national sample of early adolescents

This study examined the associations of supportive relationships with academic performance and personal wellbeing in a national sample of early adolescents (N = 6,469). Six latent classes captured variation in youth-reported relational support from adults and peers in school, family, and community contexts. We report four main findings from models testing the associations of latent class with the outcomes. First, the three classes with emotional and informational support from school friends performed at or above the mean on academic performance. Second, the three classes with parental emotional and informational support performed at or above the mean on personal wellbeing. Third, the two classes with emotional, informational, and academic support from peers and adults had the highest outcomes. Lastly, the low/no support class had the lowest outcomes. Findings motivate the need to bolster programs and practices across settings to cultivate relational support during this critical time of early adolescence.

How Sexism in Institutions and Everyday Interactions Shapes Early Childbearing

Early childbearing is associated with poor outcomes for parents and children, potentially exacerbating inequality within and across generations. Building on the structural sexism and health perspective, we argue that systemic gender inequality is a conceptually important—and understudied—factor in early childbearing. Using survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health ( N = 5,052 female respondents and 32,595 person-years) merged to state, county, and school characteristics, we investigate how exposure to structural sexism during adolescence shapes early childbearing. We measure structural sexism in institutional domains with state and county-level measures of economic, cultural, and reproductive health. We also generate a novel measure of structural sexism in interactional domains, capturing gendered expectations, power dynamics, and conservative religious beliefs among school peers. We find that institutional sexism is associated with a higher likelihood of early childbearing among young women racialized as Black, but not among those racialized as White. Interactional sexism is also a significant predictor of early childbearing, and is especially salient for adolescents as they turn to peers for social cues about gender roles. Our results underscore the importance of institutional and interactional forces for shaping families and raise questions about increasingly polarized gender climates post- Dobbs.

Mental health problems identified in early school age and later mental health problems and disorders

Abstract Background Poor mental health in childhood and adolescence youth is an important public health challenge. We aimed to examine the prospective association between mental health problems among primary school children and later diagnosed mental disorders and mental health problems in youth. Methods A prospective cohort study of children participating in school health nurse examination during first years of primary school (approx. 6 years) in 17 municipalities in the capital region of Copenhagen, Denmark, with follow-up until their 16th birthday. Baseline data included information from national population registers and school health nurse records. Outcome variables: mental disorders diagnosed at hospital from approx. age 6 until 16 years (N = 6,930) and school health nurse records of mental health problems at approx. age 16 (N = 11,250). Results Problematic relations to peers in early primary school was associated with later neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability, autism-spectrum disorder and disorders of hyperactivity and inattention (AOR=4.14, 95% CI 2.15-7.97), and poor home related well-being in youth (AOR=1.67, 95% CI 1.02-2.74). Poor school well-being in early primary school was associated with poor school well-being ten years later (AOR=1.67, 95% CI 1.19-2.34) as well as problematic relations to peers (AOR=1.83, 95% CI 1.08-3.10). Further poor general well-being in early primary school was associated with problematic relations to peers in youth (AOR=2.21, 95% CI 1.17-4.18). Conclusions School health nurses identify a group of children in the early years of primary school with mental health problems and an increased risk of later mental health problems and disorders, and therefore they play an important role in the early identification of children at risk. Key messages • Children with problematic relations to peers have up to a fourfold increased risk of later mental disorders. • The school health nurses play an important role in the early identification of children at risk of later mental health problems.

A longitudinal study of adolescent pathways differentiating suicide ideation and attempt in early adulthood.

Suicide ideation and attempt are leading risk factors for mortality in young adults. However, the adolescent risk factors distinguishing suicide ideation from attempt in young adults remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which within-person stability and change in depressive symptoms, school difficulties, and peer victimization from ages 12 to 17 were differentially associated with later suicide ideation and attempt from ages 20 to 23. The study included 1647 participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD; 52% female). Participants reported on their depressive symptoms, school difficulties, and peer victimization at ages 12, 13, 15, and 17, and on suicide ideation and attempt at ages 20 and 23. Data were collected in the Province of Quebec, Canada, between 2010 and 2021. Results indicated that 11% (N = 121) and 8% (N = 86) reported suicide ideation and attempt, respectively, between ages 20 and 23. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model showed that within-person increases in depressive symptoms during adolescence were related to both suicide ideation and attempt, whereas within-person increases in school difficulties and peer victimization were for the most part related to suicide attempt only. Within-person stability in depressive symptoms from ages 12 to 17 years were also related to suicide attempt, and not ideation. However, this association was only marginally significant. Findings suggest that experiencing unusual rises in school difficulties and peer victimization during adolescence, as well as depressive symptoms persisting over time, may distinguish young adults who think about suicide from those who attempt suicide.

A systematic review: Which psycho-social-environmental factors do autistic students identify as being important for positive experiences in mainstream secondary school?

Research has shown that many autistic students do not thrive in mainstream secondary schools. Often studies focus on the challenges autistic people face rather than what supports thriving. We reviewed published articles, exploring what factors helped autistic people create a positive experience in school from their own perspective. We identified 36 studies and analysed the direct quotes made by autistic adolescents and adults in these studies. Factors important for positive experience included the autistic student feeling understood and accepted by adults and peers in school, being able to shape sensory and social environments in ways that suited them and accessing engaging activities. This review highlighted ways in which schools can become more inclusive and positive environments for autistic students.

Perceived usefulness of sex and relationship education sources among sexual minority men

ABSTRACT Intimacy and relationships are important to sexual minority men, yet traditional sex and relationship education from sources such as schools and families may lack perceived usefulness. Consequently, sexual minority men may seek information from alternative sources, but little research has explored the usefulness of these alternatives. A national survey of sexual minority men in Australia (n = 936, Mage = 38.9) evaluated the usefulness of seven sources of information: school programmes, family, peers and friends, social media and the Internet, popular culture, pornography, and official information sources. Five topics were examined for each source: sexual and reproductive physiology, HIV/STI prevention, relationship skills, consent and needs negotiation, and sexual and intimate behaviours. Participants rated the sources as minimally to moderately useful. Official information sources were rated most useful, followed by peers and friends, social media and the Internet, popular culture, pornography, school, and family. Older men found most sources less useful than younger participants. Perceived usefulness varied across topics (e.g. popular culture and peers and friends rated most useful for relationship skills). These findings underscore the limited relevance of conventional sex and relationship education for sexual minority men and highlight the need for enhanced education programmes.

Friendship and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Correlation Between Friendships of Students with ASD High Function (AHF) and Educational Practices in the Context of Inclusion in Primary Education

Friendship contributes to mental well-being, is a protective factor in victimization and a challenge for children and adolescents with High Functioning Autism (HFA). The quantity and quality of their friendships depends on the quality of interventions in their environment. This study aims to investigate the quantity and quality of friendships between children with (AHF) and their peers in primary school, and the relationship between friendships and inclusive educational practices. The research sample consisted of 143 teachers of students with AHF in primary school. The qualitative approach used the Autism Inclusion Questionnaire (AIQ), while the quantitative approach used the Questionnaire on friendships between children with AHF and peers. Inferential statistics, i.e., the use of the x2 correlation test and Pearson's coefficient, was used to investigate the association and type of association between friendship practices with AHF and educational, behavioral practices. Results showed that 35% of teachers believed that children with ASD tended to have no friends and were surrounded by loneliness. Only one third of them had a good friend. However, these friendships could not be considered meaningful as they were not characterized by reciprocity and common interests. 19 out of 37 educational inclusion practices were linked to the development and improvement of friendships. They can be useful for educators, practitioners and families at this age stage.

Watsuji Tetsurō's "Climate" and its Kyoto School Critics

Abstract: This article situates Watsuji Tetsurō's philosophical conception of "climate" within the context of both its historical development and its critical reception by Watsuji's Kyoto School peers. Part one moves across lecture notes, articles, and book editions to historicize and contextualize climate within its four aspects of development: cultural history, hermeneutic phenomenology, "relational in-betweenness," and socio-historical development. Part two develops critical responses to each of these four aspects by Watsuji's Kyoto School peers: Nishida Kitarō, Miki Kiyoshi, Hayashi Tatsuo, Tosaka Jun, and Nakai Masakazu. It ends by briefly considering how these historical and critical considerations might serve as guideposts for contemporary philosophical reconstructions of climate.

Protective Factors in the LGBTIQ+ Adolescent Experience: A Systematic Review.

Background: LGBTIQ+ adolescents face multiple forms of violence due to minority stress, putting their mental health at risk. These adolescents, particularly trans and gender-diverse youth, face significant challenges, including family violence, bullying, and limited access to health services. This article investigates the factors that protect their mental health. Method: A systematic review of articles published between 2019 and 2024 was conducted using the PRISMA method. Results: The study identifies family and school support, peer relationships, and individual resilience as key protective factors to reduce depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior, as well as increase self-esteem and well-being. Conclusions: This review calls for further research into protective factors related to the microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem and the impact of intervention programs with adolescents and their families.

일 지역 간호대학생의 감성지능과 공감역량 및 임상실습 만족도 간의 관계

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the emotional intelligence, compassion competence and clinical practice satisfaction among nursing students. Methods The study participants included 235 nursing students located in J province, and the data were collected from November 9 to December 6, 2023, using self-report questionnaires. Data analysis employed Cronbach's α, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and Scheffé test conducted for post-hoc analysis, using SPSS/WIN 24.0 program. Results The mean score of emotional intelligence and compassion competence was 4.75 and 3.78 respectively, and clinical practice satisfaction was 3.41. Emotional intelligence showed significant differences on gender and peer relationship. Compassion competence showed significant differences on school life and peer relationship. Clinical practice satisfaction showed a significant difference on application motivation and satisfaction with nursing as a major. There were significant positive correlation among emotional intelligence, compassion competence and clinical practice satisfaction. Conclusions The findings suggest that improving emotional intelligence and empathy capacity among nursing students can contribute to healthier resolution of conflicts and emotional challenges during clinical practice and better adaptation to clinical situations through increased satisfaction with clinical practice experiences. Therefore it is necessary to develop programs focusing on enhancing emotional intelligence and empathy capacity among nursing students.

Self-concept in first grade and academic performance trajectories: roles of gender and dual-language immersion versus English-medium program enrollment

ABSTRACT This longitudinal study examined the latent structure of self-concept and its association with academic performance for elementary-aged students enrolled in dual-language immersion (DLI) and English-medium instruction (EMI) programs. Participants were 30 students in a Spanish-English DLI program and 40 peers in the same school’s EMI classrooms. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the structure of self-concept and multilevel growth modeling to investigate the effect of self-concept on academic performance tested in English. Results confirmed a three-factor self-concept construct and differences in several factors by program enrollment. Gender moderated the association between different factors of self-concept and academic performance. These findings suggest important educational implications: more attention to students’ early self-concept may be required as it plays a prominent role in students’ on-going academic achievement.

Hope longitudinally predicts achievement: Mediation of cognitive engagement, teacher, and peer support

Hope is a malleable cognitive-motivational skill that helps students identify personal goals and construct routes to achieve them. Hope is sustained through engaging contexts and supportive relationships. We examined cognitive school engagement, teacher support, and peer support during high school (297 students; 9th–11th grade; 45% female; 52% White, 45% Latinx, 3% other) as potential mechanisms in the process of sustaining hope over time, and predicting academic achievement. We hypothesized high school students’ hope (time 1; T1) would be indirectly related to subsequent hope (time 2; T2) and achievement (time 3; T3) via cognitive school engagement and supports (T2). Significant longitudinal indirect effects emerged from T1 hope to T2 hope via T2 cognitive school engagement and peer support, and between T1 hope and T3 achievement via T2 cognitive school engagement. Findings highlight the processes that link student hope with achievement and greater hope in the high school context.

A preliminary randomized controlled study of the PEERS® program for Taiwanese autistic adolescents: The effectiveness on reducing school bullying and enhancing social function.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience lifelong social communication challenges and are more vulnerable to school bullying. Addressing their social difficulties and school bullying requires evidence-based interventions. PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) was adapted and translated for Taiwanese adolescents. This randomized controlled study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Taiwanese version of PEERS® in reducing school bullying and enhancing social function among autistic adolescents. Twenty-one autistic adolescents (mean age 14.29 ± 1.67 years; female n = 733.33%) were randomized to a treatment group (TG, n = 10) or a delayed treatment control group (DTG, n = 11). The outcome measures (school bullying, social challenges, social skills knowledge, and social skills performance) were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up. The group and time interaction analyses revealed greater magnitudes of reduction in general school bullying (p < 0.001), victimization (p < 0.001), perpetration (p = 0.012), social challenges (p = 0.001), and peer conflicts (p < 0.001), and improvement in social knowledge (p < 0.001) in the TG group than the DTG group. The findings suggest that the PEERS® program tailored for Taiwanese adolescents is effective in reducing school bullying, decreasing social challenges, and enhancing social skills among autistic adolescents, with very large effect sizes (Cohen's d ranging from 1.19 to 2.88). Consequently, participation in the PEERS® program is recommended for adolescents with social difficulties to improve their social communication and interactions to offset school bullying and other social challenges related to adverse outcomes.

Exploring the Psychosocial Challenges Experienced by Teenage Student Mothers in Senior High Schools in Asene Manso Akroso District, Ghana.

Purpose: This study explored the psychosocial challenges experienced by teenage student mothers in senior high schools in Asene Manso Akroso District, Ghana. Methodology: The qualitative research approach was employed to understand and explore the psychosocial challenges experienced by teenage student mothers in senior high schools in Asene Manso Akroso District. Purposive sampling method was used to select the population of the study. Data saturation point was used to select a sample of twelve teenage student mothers from a population of fifty-five teenage student mothers from the two senior high schools in the district. Interview guide was used for the data collection and content analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: The study revealed that teenage student mothers were ridiculed and rejected by their peers in school. It was also found that the teenage student mothers felt lonely and isolated as most of their friends shunned them for fear of being classified in the same category with teen mothers. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: It is therefore, recommended that guidance and counselling units in senior high schools should liaise with school authorities to provide academic and social support systems to help them adjust into the school system

Novice Elementary Teachers’ Science Teaching: Instructional Planning and Discourse

ABSTRACT Teaching science to elementary school students is complex, and teacher preparation programs must support pre-service teachers’ learning to communicate science content and practices with children. Science teachers bring the experiences they have as students to their teacher preparation, and these experiences may support or conflict with what they are learning about effective teaching. In this study, we present stories of two first-year teachers who attended a STEM-focused teacher preparation program in the U.S. While effective science teaching requires a multitude of complex practices, we focus on the teachers’ science lesson planning and discourse. These two constructs were chosen as areas of foci because they are introduced in teacher preparation, preservice teachers are often evaluated on these constructs in preparation for licensure, and they are critical components of effective elementary instruction/ Data collection began during their teacher preparation and continued into their first year as teachers and include semi-structured interviews, observation field notes, and video recordings. While both teachers expressed similar intentions for incorporating instruction practices learned in their teacher preparation, we found differences in enactment. We discuss influences, such as school cultures and peers, on beginning teachers’ attempts to translate learning from teacher preparation into their first year as teachers of science and include recommendations for continued support of novice teacher learning.

Sexual revictimization by peers in school and organized activity contexts among adolescents: A 3-year longitudinal study.

Based on sexual revictimization theory, this study investigates the role of individual characteristics (e.g., depression and subjective well-being) and contextual factors (school and organized activities) in the development of sexual harassment revictimization among Swedish Grade 7 (46% girls; Mage = 14.09) adolescents who were followed over 3 consecutive years. The analytic sample comprises adolescents in the school context (T1 N = 678, T2 N = 563, and T3 N = 471) and in organized free-time activity contexts (T1 n = 443, T2 n = 400, and T3 n = 356). Our findings suggest that adolescents with experiences of sexual harassment victimization in Grade 7 were at an increased risk of being sexually revictimized the following 2 years across the two distinct developmental contexts. Further, our results reveal that adolescents are more sexually harassed by their peers in organized activity contexts both concurrently and over time if they were victims of sexual harassment in the school context and the other way around. The findings underscore the need for sexual harassment prevention interventions to consider different developmental contexts simultaneously and to focus on the history of adolescents' experiences of victimization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

From ‘harmful sexual behaviour’ to ‘harmful sexual culture’: addressing school-related sexual and gender-based violence among young people in England through ‘post-digital sexual citizenship’

ABSTRACT Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in schools in England is a pressing concern, especially since the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ movement laid bare the extent of the problem across the country. This article analyses the national policy context, asserting that SGBV is a systemic problem rooted in young people’s school and online peer cultures that requires transformative solutions, involving active youth participation. We introduce and explore the utility of the concept of postdigital sexual citizenship. We contrast this approach with the prevailing behavioural science ‘nudge’ philosophy of government policy making and societal discussions on youth sexuality and rights currently shaping Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) discourse and policy in England. Challenging adult-centric, top-down methods and instead empowering young people as post-digital sexual citizens entitled to comprehensive RSE is vital. While our focus is on England, the arguments apply globally to jurisdictions tackling SGBV in schools.

Lower subjective social status is associated with increased adiposity and self-reported eating in the absence of hunger due to negative affect among children reporting teasing distress.

Low social standing and teasing are independently associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and overeating in children. However, children with low social status may be vulnerable to teasing. We tested the statistical interaction of subjective social status (SSS) and subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) and teasing distress on BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in children (Mage = 13.09 years, SD = 2.50 years; 27.8% overweight/obese). Multiple linear regressions identified the main effects of self-reported SSS (compared to peers in school), distress due to teasing, and their interaction on BMI (n = 115), FMI (n = 114), and child- (n = 100) and parent-reported (n = 97) EAH. Teasing distress was associated with greater BMI, FMI, and child-reported EAH due to negative affect (a subscale of EAH) and total EAH scores. There were no associations of SSS with these outcomes. However, there was an interaction between SSS and teasing distress for BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect such that lower SSS was associated with higher BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect in the presence of teasing distress. However, there were no main effects or interactions (with teasing distress) of SSES on the outcomes. These findings suggest that the relationship between lower SSS and increased adiposity and overeating behaviors may be exacerbated by other threats to social standing, such as teasing. Children exposed to multiple social threats may be more susceptible to eating beyond physiological need and obesity than those who experience a single form of perceived social disadvantage.