School Engagement Among Urban Adolescents of Color: Does Perception of Social Support and Neighborhood Safety Really Matter?

• NCJ Number: 225918
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 63-74
• Author(s): Brian P. Daly; Richard Q. Shin; Charu Thakral; Michael Selders; Elizabeth Vera
• Date Published: January 2009
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the effects of risk factors (perceived neighborhood crime/delinquency and incivilities) and protective factors (teacher support, family support, and peer support) on the engagement in academic learning of 123 urban adolescents of color, with attention to age and gender as modifiers in the link between risk factors and engagement in learning at school.

Abstract

Regression analyses found that adolescents’ perceptions of the level of neighborhood incivilities (insufficient recreational facilities, lack of supervised activities for youth, and poor city services) predicted their commitment to and engagement in academic learning at school. Contrary to expectation, perceived crime and delinquency did not significantly predict youths’ levels of school engagement. This suggests that many youth have excellent coping mechanisms that help insulate them from negative environmental experiences; however, also contrary to expectations and prior research, different levels and aspects of perceived social support did not modify the relationship between perceived neighborhood problems and school engagement. For younger children, as family support increased, their reported level of school commitment and engagement increased significantly compared to older children. For older children, on the other hand, school engagement increased as neighborhood crime decreased. For younger children, as neighborhood crime increased, school engagement increased. Gender did not significantly affect the relationship between perceived social support and perceived neighborhood crime on school engagement. The study sample consisted of 64 girls and 59 boys in the seventh and eighth grades in a large Midwestern city. The school had just over 1,000 students from 20 different countries of origin, who spoke 19 languages in addition to English. Their average age was 13.25 years old. Data were collected in the spring of 2001. Valid and reliable self-report instruments measured perceptions of neighborhood conditions, perceived social support, and students’ emotional and psychological commitment to school. 3 tables and 74 references