Socioeconomic Context and Emotional‐Behavioral Achievement Links: Concurrent and Prospective Associations Among Low‐ and High‐Income Youth

Abstract

Temporal associations in the relationship between emotional-behavioral difficulty and academic achievement were explored in 2 samples followed from 6th through 8th grade. The first sample comprised 280 students entering an economically disadvantaged urban middle school and the second comprised 318 students entering an affluent suburban middle school. Among disadvantaged youth, emotional indices were concurrently associated with poorer achievement while prospective associations between substance use and achievement were evident. For privileged adolescents, only a significant concurrent relationship emerged between social anxiety and achievement, although nonsignificant trends in the data suggest other, albeit weak, associations. The findings are discussed in terms of similarities and differences in these temporal associations across 2 samples representing extremes of the socioeconomic continuum.

Ecodevelopmental predictors of early initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use among Hispanic adolescents

“…This set of findings are consistent with the respective individual associations found in the literature between school SES, perceptions of peer use norms, and parental resources with substance use among adolescents in general, including Hispanic youth (e.g. Ansary et al, 2011; Escarce, 2003; Prado et al, 2009; Windle et al, 2008). Further, the current study extends this literature by showing how both parental education and school SES can pose risk factors for initiation of substance use at a distal level through their interplay with more proximal factors.…”

“…For example, the effects of school poverty include a higher level of disciplinary problems, chaotic learning environments characterized by less-qualified teachers/administrators, and lower academic achievement (Escarce, 2003) which are risk factors for substance use (Englund, Egeland, Oliva, & Collins, 2008). Interestingly, studies show that low academic achievement is a risk factor for substance use among low SES schools (measured as urban schools in an economically disadvantaged community) but not in high SES schools (characterized as suburban schools in an economically prosperous community), highlighting the unique contribution of SES to adolescent risk within a school setting (Ansary, McMahon, & Luthar, 2011). In turn, the quality of education and the resources available to students is largely impacted by the wealth, or lack thereof, of the community in which schools are located.…”

Trajectories of emotional–behavioral difficulty and academic competence: A 6-year, person-centered, prospective study of affluent suburban adolescents

“…As noted earlier, while one study found almost no association between emotional-behavioral difficulty and achievement among affluent early adolescents (Ansary et al, 2012), another study done by the same research group found significant associations between drug use and later underachievement among wealthy high school students (Ansary & Luthar, 2009). It is important to note that these two studies examined youth from two different affluent communities.…”

Expectativas laborales en la adolescencia: Correlatos psicosociales

“…Por una parte, la exposición a la adversidad temprana tiene un efecto perdurable en el desarrollo, debido a que puede alterar la capacidad de los niños para responder normalmente a situaciones adversas posteriores en la vida (Karatsoreos & McEwen, 2013), manifestándose en posteriores dificultades de aprendizaje, conducta y bienestar físico y mental de los jóvenes (Shonkoff et al, 2012). Por otra parte, la presencia de síntomas psicopatológicos, tanto emocionales como de comportamiento, obstaculiza el desempeño y logro escolar de los estudiantes (Ansary, McMahon & Luthar, 2011;Esch et al, 2014) y con ello sus posibilidades laborales futuras. En especial, la exposición a la adversidad en las etapas tempranas de la niñez está fuertemente asociada a la presencia de síntomas psicopatológicos y a un mayor impacto disruptivo en su desempeño educativo posterior (Tan, 2009), lo que afecta el logro académico de los jóvenes y con ello sus expectativas laborales.…”