No description available.

The purpose of this research is to discover the extent to which there is a typology of students’ health risk behaviors and to what extent are those typologies associated with academic achievement using the 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) dataset. This is a secondary data analysis study using a national representative sample (n=11,410) of high school students, grades 9 to 12, in the United States. YRBS is a national school-based, paper-based 99-item survey used to assess 121 health-related behaviors among all high school students in the United States and is biennially conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020). While research efforts on health and academic achievement is vastly growing, there is a limited number of studies that are analyzing multiple health-risk behaviors concurrently as well as exploring their potential impacts on educational outcomes. Furthermore, previous studies have utilized cluster and/ or factor analyses. However, this statistical approach will show how students are clustered into groups and does not provide information such as the probability that a given student is bullied or suicidal. A 3-step Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify and understand the various profiles of students who experienced and/ or were exposed to certain health-risk behaviors. The health-risk behaviors of interest, the latent variables, were school-related violence, physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Using LCA, results show that there are four significantly different typologies, or profiles, of student health-risk behaviors: Level 1 The Most Support Needed (TMSN), Level 2 Suicide Prevention Needed (SPN), Level 3 Coping Mechanism for Bullying Needed (CMBN), Level 4 Least Support Needed (LSN). In tandem, contextual factors such as age, sex, grade level, race and ethnicity were significantly associated with the odds of belonging to some of the groups. This study is connected to longer-term work. Implications of these groupings on school policies, student health outcomes, and building a school-based coordinated health system will be discussed.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to profile the procedural and instructional components of 17 Practical Academic Cultural Education (PACE) Centers in Florida, comparing them with those associated with traditional high schools and to identify the factors associated with their success. Of primary focus were the success of enrolled high school students while attending the program, the extent to which students were successful after leaving the program, and the program components that contributed to their success. The research design was a descriptive, non-experimental, multi-site case study involving the 17 PACE Centers in existence during the 1999-2000 school year. Surveys, a review of archival records, interviews, and site visitations were the methods used to collect data. The researcher modified three existing survey instruments for use in this study which were mailed to participants. The instruments were designed to gather demographic information about the participants, information about the procedural and instructional components of the PACE Centers, and information on student satisfaction with the program. Results of the study indicated that the following components contributed to the success of the program: (a) a selective admission policy, (b) small class size, (c) a caring environment and staff, (d) an extended academic year, (e) a comprehensive therapeutic component, and (f) a gender-separate, gender-specific philosophy that has resulted in the development and implementation of a unique curriculum. Recommendations for developing alternative programs for girls were to design programs that allow for flexibility in terms of structure and application, so as to personalize the program to fit the needs of the student population, and to establish an environment that differs from that is which some students have not flourished. Additionally, it was recommended that those designing alternative programming for girls consider incorporating components associated with success in PACE Centers.

This study was an evaluation of the Abeyance Alternative Schools Program (AASP) in the Brevard County Public School System, which consisted of three sites located in the north, central, and south areas of the county. The purpose was to investigate the effect that the AASP had on expellable, felony suspension, or community control students who had transitioned back to their home schools after participation in the AASP. Pre- and post-data in the areas of attendance, discipline, and grades were compared to ascertain if students' performance had improved after AASP participation. Further, the study examined if any particular AASP site demonstrated more student success, and if so, what factors may have contributed to this success. The study was conducted in Brevard County, Florida, the ninth largest school system in Florida. The research population included 113 students who were returning to their home schools after spending a minimum of four months in the AASP. It was noted that this was a small research group and a delimitation of this study. The data collected were primarily from students' cumulative files and the school system's mainframe computer. Data were nominal in nature and descriptive statistics as well as Pair-Wise T-Tests were utilized to compare pre- and post-data. A semi-structured interview with five AASP site administrators, five counselors, and seven teachers was also conducted to determine program differences among sites and offer suggestions for improvement of the AASP. An overall analysis of the total population data revealed that students were classified as "Improved" in the area of academic performance only. Further, it was established that students attending the North Area AASP showed improvement in attendance and discipline while students attending the South Area AASP showed improvement in grades. The following conclusions were reached: (a) Alternative programs must embrace the research-based characteristics of successful programs to maximize success for all students; (b) Alternative schools should conduct evaluations of incoming students and develop individual education plans based on students' .academic and social problems; and (c) The AASP should be funded to provide adequate numbers of computers and other innovative materials. Recommendations for further research were made.

The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of high-risk and social behaviors amongst adolescents in the low- and middle-income country (LMIC) of Guyana, in which suicide ideation is not well understood amongst the indicated population and is holds the second highest rate in the world. The analysis was completed alongside an analysis of these same behaviors among adolescents in the United States alongside with the country of Trinidad and Tobago, to identify possible differences in trends and contribute to an understanding of global best practices. The most recent data available from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) for the LMICs stated and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for the United States was used. Within the LMICs, there exists a lack of laws, policies, and plans to curb rates in poor high-risk and social behaviors noted. The lack of these action plans correlates to the rates notated. In comparison to the United States where more action plans exist; the correlated rates are not as prevalent. It is also important to note that there are limitations of this study, including differences in the datasets used for each country. In addition, the survey collection process itself might have introduced bias due to the sensitive nature of the questions. However even with these limitations, this study is only the second empirical effort to comprehensively understand suicidal behaviors amongst in-school adolescents in Guyana and the first empirical effort to understand suicidal behaviors amongst in-school adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago as data is limited in these countries are limited but especially amongst adolescents. Although it cannot be extrapolated that the lack of these action plans directly causes high rates of risky behaviors and poor social behaviors; it can be theorized that having more action plans might curb rates and therefore be a key protective factor for future implementation of prevention and intervention programs aimed for this population.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Close, personal relationships with adults are seen to contribute positively to the development of young people. Whilst mentoring has been established in other parts of the world, it is a relatively new concept in South Africa. The purpose of this study is to establish guidelines for the development of youth mentoring programmes. The literature study deals with the human development of youth during adolescence. Those factors, both within the family as well as in the environment, that affect the development of young people, are discussed. The phases of the mentoring process is also described. The Hearts of Men mentoring programme is used as an example of a youth mentoring programme that is based in the community. An exploratory and descriptive study was undertaken in order to describe the development of youth during adolescence. An empirical study was undertaken based on the literature review. A sample comprised of 18 young people participating in the Hearts of Men mentoring programme in the Strand was involved in the study. With the help of the empirical study the perception of the young people with regard to the mentor and mentee roles was examined. The findings of the study reveal that the young people in the Hearts of Men programme have a positive experience of the mentoring process and have an understanding of the mentor and mentee roles. In order to establish youth mentoring programmes, organisations must possess the knowledge of and skills in the mentoring process and must have an understanding of the human development of young people as well as of theories relating to their development. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Persoonlike verhoudings met volwasse persone word beskou as 'n positiewe bydraende faktor tot die ontwikkeling van jongmense. Terwyl mentorprogramme redelik gevestig is in ander dele van die wêreld, is dit 'n relatiewe nuwe konsep in Suid Afrika. Die doel van hierdie studie is om riglyne daar te stel vir die ontwikkeling van jeug mentorprogramme. Die literatuurstudie het gehandel oor die menslike ontwikkeling van jongmense gedurende adolessensie. Faktore binne die gesin, sowel as die omgewing, wat 'n invloed het op die ontwikkeling van die adolessent is bespreek. Die fases van die mentorproses is ook beskryf. Die Hearts of Men program is gebruik as 'n voorbeeld van 'n gemeenskapsgebaseerde jeug mentorprogram. 'n Verkennende-beskrywende studie is onderneem om die ontwikkeling van die adolessent gedurende adolessensie te beskryf. 'n Empiriese studie gegrond op die literatuurstudie is gedoen. 'n Steekproef, bestaande uit agtien jong deelnemers aan die Hearts of Men mentorprogram in die Strand, is by die ondersoek betrek. Met behulp van die empiriese ondersoek is die persepsies van die jong persone rakende die rol van die mentor en mentee in die mentorprogram ondersoek. Die bevindinge van die ondersoek toon dat die deelnemers aan die Hearts of Men mentorprogram 'n positiewe ervaring van die mentorproses ondervind, en dat hulle begrip toon ten opsigte van die rol van die mentor en mentee in die mentorprogram. Ten einde jeug mentorprogramme te implementeer, moet organisasies oor die kennis en vaardighede beskik rakende die mentorproses. Organisasies moet ook begrip toon rakende menslike ontwikkeling van jongmense, en kennis hê oor teorieë wat op hulle ontwikkeling betrekking het.

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / As primary caregivers (such as residential youth-care workers) are the first teachers of children and spend much more time with the child than any other service provider, educational psychologists need to implement programmes that include primary caregivers in actively working with the youth in their care. This calls for educational psychologists to gain a rich understanding of the experiences of youth-care workers in order to work collaboratively in rehabilitating youth at risk within the youth’s ecosystem. The study attempts to explore the experiences of youth-care workers in residential facilities, using the ecosystemic perspective. A proposed outcome of the research is to contribute to the skills and interventions educational psychologists can use in collaborating with and supporting youth-care workers in residential facilities to rehabilitate youth who are at risk successfully. Qualitative research within the interpretive/constructivist paradigm was employed as the research design. Research was based at two residential facilities in an outlying area of Cape Town, from which four youth-care workers and two youths were drawn as a sample. The data was collected through six semi-structured interviews, observations over a 10-month period at one of the facilities, and photographs of youth-care workers and children. The review of literature and the findings of this research uncovered many experiences that appear to typify residential youth care. These experiences include the multifaceted nature of the role that youth-care workers fulfil in a residential facility; three types of emotional affect experienced by youth-care workers working in facilities; the significance of healthy youth-care worker-child relationships and the importance of these relationships in the successful rehabilitation of youth at risk; and the levels of support and training required in order to perform the task of successfully rehabilitating youth at risk in residential settings.