Positive developmental relationships and school connectedness protect against violence, absenteeism, and substance abuse, and increase threat reporting¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r? · q2–q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? A national study of more than 36,000 secondary students found school connectedness was the strongest protective factor against school absenteeism, substance abuse, and violence. → dePaoli 2023 q2 i? Students with positive relationships with adults at school were more likely to report knowledge of potential threats to adults. → dePaoli 2023 (2)

Evidence¶

dePaoli 2023¶

dePaoli, J., & McCombs, J. (2023). Safe schools, thriving students: Evidence-based strategies for creating safe and supportive schools. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/701.445

q3 · i? · associational · r?

The review reports this national longitudinal study of more than 36,000 7th- to 12th-grade students as central evidence that connectedness protects against violence and related risks.

"the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent health, a study of health and well-being among more than 36,000 7th- to 12th-grade students, found that school connectedness proved to be the strongest protective factor to decrease school absenteeism, substance abuse, violence, and risk of unintentional injury"

dePaoli 2023 (2)¶

dePaoli, J., & McCombs, J. (2023). Safe schools, thriving students: Evidence-based strategies for creating safe and supportive schools. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/701.445

q2 · i? · review · r?

The review reports this study on preventing school-based attacks as evidence that positive relationships improve communication of potential threats to adults.

"A study on preventing school-based attacks found that students who had prior knowledge of a potential threat were more likely to report that threat if they had positive relationships with one or more adults in the school and felt as though they would be taken seriously."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Belonging — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Time and Continuity — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Student bystanders' willingness to report threats is influenced by positive relationships with adults at school — related
• Schools that increased restorative practice utilization saw declines in misbehavior, gang membership, victimization, depressive symptoms, and substance abuse, and improvements in GPA and climate — related
• Self-regulation interventions showed positive associations with distal outcomes: academic achievement in 11 of 13 studies (85%), substance abuse in 4 of 5 (80%), and conduct disorders, social skills, depression, behavioral problems, and school suspensions in all reporting studies. — related
• Recovery high school attendance may improve absenteeism, abstinence, and reduce marijuana and other drug use, based on a single quasi‐experimental study with serious risk of bias — related
• Effects on secondary behavioural outcomes (conduct problems, delinquency, substance use) are negligible or non-significant — related
• Substance abuse infractions declined by about 80% at both Roswell community schools during 2023–24 — related
• Most educational interventions to counter community violence focus on individual behavior or group interaction, while strategies for transformation of social systems are underrepresented — related