Truancy in late elementary and early secondary education: The influence of social bonds and self-control—the TRAILS study
From International Journal of Behavioral Development
It is recognized that if children start truancy at an early age, the likelihood of their involvement in other deviant behavior increases highly. This study reveals that risk factors for truancy include being a boy, early pubertal development, family breakup, and low socio-economic status. Focusing on truancy in late elementary and early secondary education it concludes that the impact of social bonds to norm-relevant significant others indicate that early patterns of this behavior can be prevented by focusing on children’s relations with parents at home and with teachers at school.
Abstract
Some pupils already show unexcused, illegal, surreptitious absences in elementary education or the first years of secondary education. Are weak social bonds (see also Hirschi, 1969) and a lack of self-control (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990) indicative of truancy at an early age? Of the children in our sample, 5% were persistent truants in late elementary education and early secondary education. Using multivariate analyses the influence of various predictors on persistent truancy was examined. Lack of attachment to norm-relevant significant others (parents and teachers) and lack of prosocial orientation were indicative of truancy. Social bonds with classmates had no effect on truancy. Other risk factors for truancy were: being a boy, early pubertal development, family breakup, and low socio-economic status. The effect of self-control on truancy was partially mediated by social bonds. The impact of social bonds to norm-relevant significant others suggests that early truancy can partly be prevented by focusing on children’s relations with parents at home and with teachers at school. Prevention of truancy is desirable because the likelihood of involvement in other deviant behavior increases for truants.
Article details:
Veenstra, R., Lindenberg, S., Tinga, F., & Ormel, J. (2010). Truancy in late elementary and early secondary education: The influence of social bonds and self-control– the TRAILS study International Journal of Behavioral Development, 34 (4), 302-310 DOI: 10.1177/0165025409347987
Tags: adolescence, effortful control, elementary school children, goal-framing, relationship between parents and adolescents, school environment, self-control, social control, truancy
February 13, 2013 at 6:38 pm |
Keep me posted to help studens leave truancy and improve therr grade