Moderating Effects of Attachments on Truancy

• In Event: Navigating Adolescence: Exploring the Influence of Social Ties on Behavior

Abstract

Truancy is a serious social problem in the United States, with as many as 55,000 cases of truancy coming before the juvenile courts each year. Not only is truancy a problem for society, but youth who engage in this behavior are at a higher risk of involvement in substance use, dropping out of school, becoming unemployed, and engaging in other forms of delinquency. In an attempt to determine potential correlates of truancy, research has examined different issues within the home and school environment. Attachments to parents, teachers, and school have been found to help reduce truancy, but given the profound impact parents can have on their children, there may be some moderating effects between parental, teacher, and school attachments. This study will examine how the effects of parental attachment on truancy may be moderated by one’s level of school and teacher attachment. Data will come from Wave I and Wave II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) dataset.

Authors

• Emily Katherine Egan, Florida State University

• Carter Hay, Florida State University