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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Education Research Report: Behavior Problems in School Linked to Two Types of Families

Education Research Report: Behavior Problems in School Linked to Two Types of Families

Behavior Problems in School Linked to Two Types of Families

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Contrary to Leo Tolstoy's famous observation that "happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," a new psychology study confirms that unhappy families, in fact, are unhappy in two distinct ways. And these dual patterns of unhealthy family relationships lead to a host of specific difficulties for children during their early school years.

"Families can be a support and resource for children as they enter school, or they can be a source of stress, distraction, and maladaptive behavior," says Melissa Sturge-Apple, the lead researcher on the paper and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Rochester.

"This study shows that cold and controlling family environments are linked to a growing cascade of difficulties for children in their first three years of school, from aggressive and disruptive behavior to depression and alienation," Sturge-Apple explains. "The study also finds that children from families marked by high levels of conflict and intrusive parenting increasingly struggle with anxiety and social withdrawal as they navigate their early school

Student Victimization in U.S. Schools

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010319.pdf

About 4.3 percent of students ages 12 through 18 reported that they were victims of crime at school in the 2006–07 school year. The National Center for Education Statistics collects data on student criminal victimization through its sponsorship of the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, administered by the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics. The purpose of this report is to provide data on student criminal victimization and the characteristics of crime victims and nonvictims from the 2007 collection. It also provides findings on student reports of the presence of gangs and weapons, the availability of drugs at school, and bullying and cyberbullying.

Other findings include:

• Three percent of students ages 12 through 18 reported being victims of theft, 0.4 percent of students reported a