How Do My Friends Matter? Examining Latino Adolescents' Friendships, School Belonging, and Academic Achievement

Peer acceptance and rejection during secondary school: Do associations with subsequent educational outcomes vary by socioeconomic background?

Research shows that peer relationships are associated with students' school adjustment. However, the importance of advantageous and disadvantageous factors for students' educational outcomes may vary by socioeconomic positioning. Drawing on sociometric and register data from a nationally representative sample of Swedish youth (n = 4996, girls 50%; migration background 19%), this study asks if family socioeconomic status moderates associations between youth's peer relationships and their subsequent educational outcomes. Based on preregistered analyses, associations that peer acceptance and rejection at age 14-15 years share with school grades at ~16 years and completion of upper secondary school at ~20 years were tested. The findings showed that positive and adverse peer relationships are most consequential for the educational outcomes of socioeconomically disadvantaged youth.

Examining the association between school connectedness and use of self-regulation strategies in middle childhood

Schools are increasingly incorporating the teaching of social emotional learning (SEL)-informed self-regulation strategies. However, little is known about the social context that facilitates the use of these skills. The current study investigated whether students' popularity (indegree), perceived number of friends (outdegree), or school connectedness, are related to their practice of self-regulation strategies. The sample was 92 2nd through 5th graders (49% girls, 48% boys, 3% non-binary) at an elementary school. Using multilevel models to account for students nested within classrooms, we found that 2nd graders who were lower in school connectedness reported greater mean use of self-regulation strategies, but this association was not evident for third through fifth graders. By contrast, students who were more popular among their peers (i.e., higher indegree) reported using self-regulation strategies on a greater proportion of school days. Findings indicate that grade level, popularity, and connectedness to schools may impact students' use of said skills.

The Social Dynamics of Fun: Can Fun Youth Bring Peers Together and Positively Influence Their Friends?

There is a critical gap in our understanding of how peer relationships contribute to positive youth development. To address this gap the current study uses longitudinal social network data to examine if fun youth were socially desirable, inclusive of peers, and positive agents of social influence during the transition to adolescence. Participants were 210 students (47% female; Mage = 11.55 years at the outset) from 8 classes in 3 schools in a small Lithuanian city. Each child received a fun score consisting of nominations from classmates as "someone who is fun to be around". Participants also nominated up to five classmates as friends. Fun students received more friendship nominations than their peers and they maintained higher levels of social desirability over time. Fun youth appeared to be inclusive of their peers in that fun youth did not appear to have preferences to befriend only those like themselves. The friends of fun youth were positively influenced such that they were perceived to be more fun over time. The findings suggests that fun youth may promote positive social change within peer groups.

The Benefits of Friendships in Academic Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Friendships can positively impact students' academic performance and grade point average (GPA) by providing emotional support and reducing stress, thereby leading to improved focus and better concentration on studies. Peer connections and friendships often result in collaborative learning and the exchange of academic ideas, improving comprehension and retention of course materials, ultimately leading to higher GPAs. In contrast, negative friendships or excessive social distractions can adversely affect GPA, which highlights the importance of striking a fine balance between social connections and academic responsibilities. This systematic review and meta-analysis adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. It involved a thorough electronic search on PubMed, Ebsco, and Web of Science databases with no time restrictions. We considered studies from various parts of the world, which examined friendships and relations within the academic setting. This review delved into the substantial impact of friendships in academic settings. Friendships foster a supportive environment for collaboration and knowledge-sharing, ultimately enhancing motivation, reducing stress, and improving GPA, thereby contributing to a successful academic experience. While disparities were noted across studies due to geographical variations, study designs, and outcome measures, the majority of them revealed a positive correlation between friendship and academic performance. Some studies highlighted gender-related differences, with male friendships often proving beneficial for academic performance, though this is not a universal rule, as the quality of friendships mostly depends on compatibility rather than gender. To sum up, the extensive review of research underscores the pivotal role of friendships in academic settings, which act as crucial support systems for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and motivation among students, leading to enhanced academic performance. Despite regional and methodological variations, a consistent positive correlation between friendship and academic success was observed across diverse studies.

Digital versus Paper Reading: A Systematic Literature Review on Contemporary Gaps According to Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Rurality

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature on electronic reading (e-reading) versus paper reading. The main objective was to assess the current state of research comparing digital and paper reading outcomes among students aged 6-18 years old, as well as assessing the impact of various factors (gender, socioeconomic status, and school location) in explaining the differences between the two modes. Inclusion criteria included the following: participants (6-18 years), research focus (comparing digital reading and paper reading), study type (quantitative or mixed methods), publication (peer reviewed between 2015 and 2022), and language (English). A systematic search in four databases (WOS, Scopus, ERIC, and JSTOR) in August 2022 was conducted by three reviewers. The search revealed 23 studies matching the inclusion criteria. The findings from the reviewed studies are diverse, with some reporting no significant differences in reading comprehension between the two modes, while others suggest screen inferiority, thereby favoring paper reading. Individual-level predictors, such as prior comprehension skills and reading habits, play a crucial role in determining reading performance across modes. Family-level factors, such as the number of books at home, and school-level factors, like the usage of ICT resources, influence both paper and digital reading comprehension. Moreover, gender differences in attitudes and performance towards different reading modes are apparent. SES is positively associated with reading achievement in both modes, with a larger effect shown for paper reading. Overall, the comparison between electronic and paper reading modes reveals a complex interplay of individual and contextual factors influencing reading comprehension and attitudes.

Children's peer relationships, well-being, and academic achievement: the mediating role of academic competence

The present study aimed to explore the interplay among two indicators of children's school peer relationships (i.e., peer acceptance and perceived number of friends) and two significant life domains (i.e., global life satisfaction and academic achievement). We also explored the potential mediating role of the perceived academic competence in these relations. Participants were 650 Romanian primary school students (45.7% boys), aged between 9 and 12 years old (Mage = 10.99). Path analysis showed a direct positive effect of perceived number of friends on children's life satisfaction, as well as a direct positive effect of peer acceptance on academic achievement. Moreover, perceived academic competence mediated the links between each of the two indicators of peer relationships and children's both life satisfaction and achievement. Several implications in the educational contexts are discussed.

Reincluding: Providing Support to Reengage Youth who Truant in Secondary Schools

Truancy, a complex, unresolved educational issue in countries with compulsory attendance policies, has the potential to cause further educational inequity in times of a global COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of this study, there was a paucity of research regarding youth perspectives of truancy compared to adult perspectives. To address this gap in truancy scholarship, data from a grounded theory study were used to indicate how a sample of 13 students who were truant in New Zealand explained their experiences of reinclusion in learning after persistent absences. Findings showed that support by a significant adult, not necessarily a teacher, and peers were vital in helping youth who are truant to develop a positive and determined attitude to reengage with learning. Results will support school leaders, counsellors, and teachers to further develop inclusive approaches that promote student well-being and achievement.

Children's vocabulary and friendships: A comparative study between children with and without Specific Learning Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Language skills are important in the formation and maintenance of friendships. Children with specific learning disorder (SLD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience difficulties with their relationships and have language-related problems. This study aims to examine how expressive and receptive vocabulary may relate to friendships of children with and without SLD or ADHD. Participants were 64 children with SLD, 64 children with ADHD, and 64 typically developing (TD) children, aged 8-12 years (M_age  = 9.77 years, SD = 1.22), attending Grades 3 to 6 in inclusive primary schools of Attica, Greece. The Greek versions of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the expressive vocabulary subscale of the WISC-III were administered along with the sociometric nominations of friends and the self-reports of best friendship duration. Results showed that children with SLD and ADHD reported best friendships of shorter duration and had significantly poorer receptive and expressive vocabulary. Children with ADHD had significantly fewer close and best friends than children with SLD, who in turn had significantly fewer close and best friends than the TD children. Children's vocabulary in all three groups was positively correlated with the duration of their best friendships and was found to moderately predict children's close friendships.

Contextualizing the Social and Educational Journeys of Adolescents within the Life Course

What happens during adolescence emerges from early in life and sets the stage for later in life. This linking function of adolescence within the life course is grounded in social, psychological, and biological development and is fundamental to the intergenerational transmission of societal inequalities. This article explores this life course phenomenon by focusing on how the social ups and downs of secondary school shape adolescents' educational trajectories, translating their backgrounds into their futures through the interplay of their personal agency with the constraints imposed by the stratified institutions they navigate. Illustrative examples include gender differences in risky behavior, racialized experiences of school discipline, immigrant youths' family relations, LGBTQ students' school safety, STEM education, adverse childhood experiences, and mindset interventions.

Latinx Adolescents' Assets, Risks, and Developmental Pathways: A Decade in Review and Looking Ahead

I selectively review the last decade of theory and research on Latinx adolescents and emerging adults' development. After briefly reviewing the changing demographics of US Latinx families, I address: (1) asset-based theories of Latinx youth's development; (2) the literature on the educational pathways of US Latinx youth; (3) how close relationships, ethnic/racial (ERI) identity, and family, school, and community context promote or constrain Latinx youth's educational and positive development and provide examples of successful interventions to promote ERI and academic adjustment. I conclude with suggestions for scholarship in the next decade, including applying intersectional, interdisciplinary, biopsychosocial, and international lenses to studying Latinx youth, researching father involvement, and addressing between- and within-country of origin variations in Latinx youth's education and development.

Social support and strain and emotional distress among Latinos in the northeastern United States

Background

US Latinos report high levels of emotional distress. Having positive familial and friend social support buffers emotional distress among US Latinos, but thus far no research has been done on social support and ataque de nervios in that population, or on social strain and emotional distress.

Methods

This paper assesses social support and strain across three relationship types (partner, family, and friends) with three measures of emotional distress (depression, anxiety, and ataque de nervios). The sample for partner, family, and friend support included 508 Latino adults 21 and older. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association of social support and strain with each outcome.

Results

As all social support types increased, the odds of emotional distress symptoms decreased. Conversely, as each unit of partner and family strain increased, the odds of emotional distress symptoms increased. Increased friend strain was associated with greater odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms only.

Conclusion

Social support in all three network types (partner, family, and friend) was associated with a decrease in the odds of emotional distress, assessed as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ataque de nervios.

Best friends, bad food, and bullying: How students' school perceptions relate to sense of school belonging

A positive school climate and sense of school belonging can influence students' academic outcomes and wellbeing in desirable ways. However, not enough is known about the aspects of school climate that influence students' feelings of belonging and how gender, ethnicity, and grade may relate to those feelings. Via a self-administered survey, a diverse sample of middle school students (n = 1,226) reported what they perceived as the best parts of their school and the parts most in need of improvement, as well as their sense of belonging. Students' perceptions of their school were aligned with the major areas of school climate: safety, relationships, teaching and learning, and institutional environment. These four areas were found to be predictive of sense of belonging to different degrees, such as listing relationships as needing improvement at the school being associated with lower scores in sense of belonging. Gender and grade were also found to be salient predictors of feelings of belonging, with seventh and eighth graders feeling less belonging than their sixth grade peers and girls having lower sense of belonging than boys. These findings affirm the importance of the school environment in influencing students' feelings of being a part of their school.

Subtypes of Girls Who Engage in Serious Delinquency and Their Young Adult Outcomes

Girls are increasingly becoming involved with the juvenile justice system; however, what brings girls to engage in delinquency or what obstacles these girls face later in life resulting from adolescent criminal behavior is understudied. In the present study, we used latent class analysis to identify subtypes of risks among adolescent girls ( N = 1,174) who have engaged in delinquent behaviors and mixture modeling to determine what distal psychological, social, educational, and economic outcomes in young adulthood are associated with each subtype. Four adolescent subtypes were identified, which were distinguished primarily based on the severity of their self-reported victimization experiences and mental health concerns. Classes with higher levels of victimization experiences tended to report more engagement with delinquent behavior in adolescence and had a larger proportion of Black and Hispanic girls than lower-victimization classes. Identified classes differed from each other on distal (i.e., young adulthood) measures of economic instability, educational attainment, drug use, depression, and adult arrests. Generally, latent classes which were characterized by higher rates of victimization and mental health concerns and lower educational performance in adolescence fared worse in young adulthood. Implications for those who care for girls who engage in delinquency, including suggestions for using trauma and culture informed screening, prevention, and intervention services, and directions for future research are discussed. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/0361684320918243 .

Friends in Activities, School-related Affect, and Academic Outcomes in Diverse Middle Schools

Participating in school-based activities is linked to positive academic engagement and achievement, but less is known about how peer relationships within activities affect these outcomes. The current study examined friends in extracurricular activities as a predictor of academic outcomes in multiethnic middle schools in California. Specifically, the mediating role of school belonging, and interactions by ethnicity and type of activity, were examined in a sample including African American or Black, East or Southeast Asian, White, and Latino youth in extracurricular activities (N = 2268; Mage = 13.36 in eighth grade; 54% female). The results of multilevel mediational models suggested that school belonging mediated the link between friends in activities and academic outcomes, and these findings replicated across groups based on ethnicity and the type of activity in which one was involved in general. These results are discussed in terms of how activities can be structured to promote positive peer relations in ways that are linked with academic engagement and achievement.

Latinos' Changing Ethnic Group Representation From Elementary to Middle School: Perceived Belonging and Academic Achievement

This study examined the association between change in ethnic group representation from elementary to middle school and Latino students' school belonging and achievement. The ethnic diversity of students' middle school was examined as a moderator. Participants were 1,825 Latino sixth graders from 26 ethnically diverse urban middle schools. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that a change in ethnic representation toward fewer Latinos in middle school than elementary school was related to less perceived belonging and lower achievement in schools with low ethnic diversity. There were no mean differences as a function of declining representation in more diverse middle schools, suggesting that greater school diversity was protective. Findings highlight the importance of examining school ethnic context, especially across the middle school transition.

Latino Adolescent Educational Affiliation Profiles

Supporting postsecondary access for Latino adolescents is important due to the size of the population and mixed evidence of progress. In order to better understand the college-going and school belonging attitudes of Latinos, we used an exploratory latent profile analysis to identify the educational affiliation profiles present in a sample of Latino seventh- to 10th-grade students in the Southeastern United States. In addition, we investigated how proximal peer processes (support and discrimination) functioned to differentiate membership in the educational affiliation profiles. We found that a three-typology profile was the best fit to the data (low, moderate, and high educational affiliation), and that peer support was more likely to be associated with membership in the high profile (compared with low profile and moderate profile), while peer discrimination was more likely to be associated with membership in the moderate profile (as compared with the high profile). Implications for conceptualizing college readiness are offered.

Mexican-origin Adolescents' Educational Expectation Trajectories: Intersection of Nativity, Sex, and Socioeconomic Status

Expectancy value theory and a cultural-ecological framework are integrated in this study to examine the trajectories of 246 Mexican-origin adolescents' (M_age = 12.52, SD_age = 0.58; 51% girls, 62% U.S.-born) educational expectations across eight years. Findings from a multilevel growth model revealed that early adolescents expected to complete a post-bachelor's degree, but expectations declined in middle adolescence and improved in late adolescence. This pattern was more pronounced for immigrant, compared to U.S-born, adolescents. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with higher expectations. Boys and girls differed in their trajectories, such that boys showed a curvilinear trajectory and girls showed a stable trajectory. Nativity moderated these sex differences. Immigrant boys showed curvilinear trajectories that dipped in middle adolescence and immigrant girls showed a declining trajectory. In contrast, U.S.-born boys and girls showed linear and stable trajectories. The discussion addresses suggestions for targeted interventions with at-risk subgroups during a sensitive period in adolescence.

An Examination of the Validity and Reliability of a Measure of Sexual Orientation Identity Exploration, Resolution, and Affirmation

The processes of identity exploration and resolution are salient during adolescence and young adulthood, and awareness of sexual orientation identity, in particular, is heightened in early adolescence. Much of the research on sexual orientation identity development has focused on identity milestones (e.g., age of awareness and disclosure) or internalized homonegativity, rather than the developmental processes of exploration and resolution. Psychometric properties of the Sexual Orientation Identity Development Scale, which was adapted from a developmentally-informed measure of ethnic-racial identity, were evaluated in a sample of 382 Latina/o sexual minority adolescents and young adults. Results supported the reliability and validity of the adapted measure, as well as measurement equivalence across language (Spanish and English) and development (adolescence and young adulthood).