Citation

Simons-Morton BG, Chen R. Youth Soc. 2009; 41(1): 3-25.

Affiliation

Chief, Prevention Research Branch, DESPR, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, 6100 Executive Blvd, 7B13M, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0044118X09334861

PMID

19888349

PMCID

PMC2771453

Abstract

Students who are not motivated and do not try to do well are unlikely to achieve at a level consistent with their abilities. This research assessed the relationships over time between school engagement and parenting practices and peer affiliation among 6(th)-9(th) graders using latent growth models (LGM). Participants included 2,453 students recruited from 7 public middle schools who were assessed 5 times between fall of 6(th) and 9(th) grades as part of a program evaluation study. During this period school engagement and adjustment declined somewhat, while substance use, conduct problems, and problem behaving friends increased, and authoritative parenting practices declined. The significant, positive over-time associations between school engagement and parent involvement, expectations, and monitoring were fully mediated by growth in problem behaving friends. School adjustment mediated the relationship between school engagement and parent expectations. These findings suggest that authoritative parenting practices may foster school engagement directly and also indirectly by discouraging affiliation with problem behaving friends and facilitating school adjustment.

Language: en