Trajectories of School Connectedness in Adolescence by Gender and Delinquent Behavior

• In Event: 70.067 - Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: 70.067-1 - Adolescent Delinquent Behavior in the Digital Age: Twitter, Hazing, and More

Abstract

Although school connectedness tends to decrease during secondary school, little research has focused on school connectedness among adolescents in impoverished neighborhoods. Delinquency is one of many negative behaviors often associated with low school connectedness, but a causal direction has not been established. Estimations of gendered trajectories of school connectedness for delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods, aged 12-17, revealed that for each of the four gender by delinquency groups, school connectedness increased with age, with essentially parallel trajectories, but different intercepts. Females and adolescents with low delinquency scores showed higher connectedness than their counterparts. These findings suggest that interventions regarding school connectedness should be designed specifically for male and female adolescents in impoverished neighborhoods.

Authors

• Kathleen Ann Bolland, The University of Alabama

• Sara E. Tomek, The University of Alabama

• Anneliese C Bolland, The University of Alabama

• Jeremiah W Jaggers, Indiana University - IUPUI

• Wesley Church, The University of Alabama

• Lisa Marie Hooper, The University of Alabama

• John Bolland, The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa