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Youth violence has garnered the attention of researchers and policy makers alike, because of the unique risk factors associated with victimization and the poor physical, mental, and educational outcomes that stem from such experiences. In particular, sexual minority youth--those who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or who have sexual contact with persons of the same or both sexes (CDC, 2016)--are among those most at risk for victimization. Research that highlights and addresses these issues is crucial. This study utilizes the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data in order to investigate different forms of victimization and their consequences in lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) youth. Drawing from a sample of 12,642 9th-12th grade youth, this study investigates the prevalence of bullying, homophobic bullying, dating violence and sexual assault, as well their effects on school avoidance, poor mental health, and substance use outcomes. Results reveal that differences do, in fact, exist between sexual minority and heterosexual youth, where LGBQ youth experience higher rates of every type of victimization, and are more likely to report school avoidance, depression, suicidality, and substance use. Furthermore, this study also investigates the intersections of sexual orientation and gender, and finds that females who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning are most at risk for every type of victimization. Findings highlight the need for recognition of the importance of sexual orientation and gender in youth victimization, and the need for policy that explicitly outlines protections for sexual minority youth within the school environment, as well as services extended to victims of IPV. / Ph. D.

abstract: Few measurement tools provide reliable, valid data on both children's emotional and behavioral engagement in school. The School Liking and Avoidance Questionnaire (SLAQ) is one such self-report measure developed to evaluate a child's degree of engagement in the school setting as it is manifest in a child's school liking and school avoidance. This study evaluated the SLAQ's dimensionality, reliability, and validity. Data were gathered on children from kindergarten through 6th grade (n=396). Participants reported on their school liking and avoidance in the spring of each school year. Scores consistently represented two distinct, yet related subscales (i.e., school liking and school avoidance) that were reliable and stable over time. Validation analyses provided some corroboration of the construct validity of the SLAQ subscales, but evidence of predictive validity was inconsistent with the hypothesized relations (i.e., early report of school liking and school avoidance did not predict later achievement outcomes). In sum, the findings from this study provide some support for the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the SLAQ and suggest that it can be used for the assessment of young children's behavioral and emotional engagement in school. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Family and Human Development 2011

I denna studie undersöks lärares förståelse av fenomenet skolfrånvaro/skolnärvaro utifrån ramsättningarna: roll och ansvar. Då fenomenet är komplext, sammanvävt inom ömsesidiga relationella beroenden mellan elev, lärare, skola, familj, vänner, hälsa, juridik, politik, och så vidare, sker studien genom kvalitativ tematisk analys för att undersöka empirin. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med mellan- och högstadielärare i kommunala grundskolor i en mellanstor kommun i Sverige. Intervjumaterialet har analyserats i ljuset av tidigare forskning samt med hjälp av teorier som på olika vis utgår från en systemisk förståelse. Forskningsfrågorna kunde besvaras genom studien och resultatet som följer visar att meningsskapande och förståelse för det sammantagna fenomenet polariseras av respondenterna. Frånvaro betraktas ur ett patogent perspektiv, likt något som behöver botas, och närvaro ur ett salutogent perspektiv, något som kan främjas. Implikationerna som kan följa av detta resultat är de mest intressanta produkterna från studien, vilka kan ge upphov till idéer för möjlig fortsatt forskning. / This study examines teachers' understanding of the phenomenon of school absence/attendance based on the frameworks: role and responsibility. Since the phenomenon is complex, interwoven within mutual relational dependencies between student, teacher, school, family, friends, health, law, politics, and so on, the study uses qualitative thematic analysis to examine the empirical data. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with middle and high school teachers in municipal primary schools in a medium-sized municipality in Sweden. The interview material has been analyzed in the light of previous research and with the help of theories that in various ways are based on a systemic understanding. The research questions could be answered through the study and the results that follow show that the creation of meaning and understanding of the overall phenomenon is polarized by the respondents. Absence is considered from a pathogenic perspective, as something that needs to be cured, and presence from a salutogenic perspective, something that can be promoted. The implications that can follow from this result are the most interesting products of the study, which can give rise to ideas for possible further research.