Longitudinal Associations between Parental Support and Parental Knowledge on Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Adolescents

When testing longitudinal effects of parenting practices on adolescent adjustment, an integrated consideration of externalizing and internalizing behaviors is a gap in research. This study analyzed how parental support and parental knowledge directly and indirectly influence both antisocial behavior and emotional problems. The sample had 642 adolescents aged 12-15 (mean age = 12.49; 45.4% females) from Spain, who participated in a three-year long study. The results showed longitudinal bidirectional associations between parental support and parental knowledge. Only parental knowledge, however, directly predicted antisocial behavior and emotional problems. Parental support had an indirect effect on outcomes through the mediating effect of parental knowledge. This study has practical implications by indicating that increasing parental knowledge should be the target of educational-prevention programs.

Penyesuaian Diri Siswa Tahun Pertama SMP Dimasa Pandemi Covid 19

The transition in education from elementary school to junior high school is a difficult process for teenagers and requires adjustment. The process of adapting to teenagers is becoming increasingly difficult because they are currently faced with the Covid 19 pandemic. The complexity of the developmental task is a stressor for teenagers who are first year students in Junior High School. Self-adjustment is important in order to be able to align the needs of oneself and the situation outside of adolescents in order to get a better relationship between themselves and their environment. The failure of adolescents to make adjustments will cause problems such as irresponsible behavior and neglect of lessons, aggressive attitudes and withdrawing from association with peers. Based on this review, it is necessary to conduct a screening regarding the adjustment of adolescents in first year junior high school students during the Covid 19 pandemic. The research design method used descriptive quantitative. The sample in the study amounted to 81 respondents. The data collection technique used a questionnaire distributed via a google form link. Data analysis used univariate to describe the characteristics of respondents and students' self-adjustment. Data were analyzed with categorization scoring guidelines using frequency and percentage distributions. The results showed that 40.74% had sufficient adjustment and 59.26% had less adjustment. Efforts are needed to improve adolescent adjustment to prevent problems in adolescents.

Risks in Adolescent Adjustment by Internet Exposure: Evidence From PISA

Problematic use and abuse of the Internet has manifested new risks among adolescents that affect academic, social, and emotional adjustment. In the academic domain, the role of Internet use on school performance and learning is studied, including the level of competence as a factor in this domain. On the social level, we measure how Internet use affects school climate and problems related to bullying. On the emotional aspect, the relationship between Internet use and satisfaction and positive feelings is studied, including wellbeing as a construct part of this domain. To find these relationships, data obtained from the Program for International Student Assessment survey, 2018 edition are used. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the most significant relationships between the aspects studied and Internet use. Internet use includes four independent variables: two on abuse (time of use on a weekday outside of class and on a weekend) and two on problematic use (perception about forgetting time and perceived discomfort if the Internet does not work). The results answer three research questions: (1) how the constructs created relate to the four independent variables on Internet usage, (2) how the observed variables respond to the latent constructs, and (3) how all these constructs are related to each other. These results highlight the need to teach young people to use the Internet in a useful and healthy way, as a preventive measure, and help professionals who detect technology abuse to act with effective measures to prevent the psychological consequences, working on the academic, social, and emotional aspects that have shown the greatest relationship. The problematic Internet use is a complex problem and it is impossible and imprudent to relate it to isolated factors: It is necessary to consider different factors to better understand the problem.

Changes in African American and Latinx Students’ Perceived Ethnic–Racial Discrimination During the Middle School Transition Year

The middle school transition year poses known challenges to early adolescent adjustment, particularly for students from ethnic and racial minoritized backgrounds who face ethnic and racial discrimination from school personnel and classmates. Drawing on a sample of 711 African American and Latinx sixth-grade students attending 17 schools, we employed latent class analysis and latent transition analysis to explore the nature of and changes to perceived ethnic and racial discrimination during the beginning and end of sixth grade. We also examined the possibility that perceived ethnic–racial discrimination could be diminished through a school-based, universal program for teachers to improve the school ecology. Findings revealed four distinct classes concerning perceived ethnic–racial discrimination, with patterns over time highlighting the malleability of perceived ethnic–racial discrimination during the first year of middle school. Findings provide direct implications for understanding and improving ethnic and racial minoritized students’ school experiences at the middle school transition.

COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

We examined US parent and youth perceptions of how life events, both positive and negative, associated with COVID-19 resulted in changes in family and youth functioning. Families ( n = 105, 80% white, 48% male, and 87% mothers) completed surveys during the pandemic (May to July 2020) and 3 years prior (for youth ages M = 10.6, SD = 1.17 and M = 13.6, SD = 1.19). Declines in youth, though not parent, report of open family communication, parental support, and family satisfaction were found. Declines were associated with various domains of pandemic-related stress in parent report, though positive life events served as buffers. Pre-pandemic family functioning also predicted pandemic stress. Spillover effects in turn impacted youth functioning. The current findings shed light on how experiences of the pandemic are linked with family functioning and have implications for how to support families during this time.