The contribution of extracurricular activities to adolescent friendships: New insights through social network analysis.

Qin K., Zhang Y., Zhang T., Wang Y.

AbstractBackgroundLearning interest is an intrinsic motivation that dynamically interacts with friendships. Students alter their learning interests to assimilate with their friends and actively establish friendships on the basis of similar interests. These processes do not operate in isolation but rather in the broader peer context. Class‐level social–emotional competency (SEC) is a contextual characteristic that influences students' social and learning processes.AimsThis study used reading and mathematics as examples to examine the moderating role of class‐level SEC in the friendship influence process on learning interest and the friendship selection process based on learning interest.SampleA total of 2252 students (48.7% female) were surveyed in grades 4 and 6.MethodsThe friendship influence effect on reading/mathematics interest and the reading/mathematics interest‐based selection effect were estimated with stochastic actor‐based models. Parameter differences were tested between the low‐ and high‐SEC classes.ResultsThe friendship processes related to learning interest were strengthened in high‐SEC classes. Students in high‐SEC classes chose friends according to having similar reading/mathematics interests, and their reading/mathematics interests tended to assimilate with those of their friends over time. However, students in low‐SEC classes chose friends more randomly, and the friendship influence effects were much weaker.ConclusionsIn reading and mathematics, friendship selection and influence processes contribute to similarities in learning interests among friends. Increasing students' early learning interests is important for constructing a virtuous circle of friendship establishment and learning interest development. This mutual promotion relationship can be reinforced by improving class‐level SEC.

Mitchell A., Johnson C.L., Schroeder E., Ng G.W., Booker J.A.

AbstractPeople are fundamentally driven to seek support, care, and validation from others. These are aspects of social support. Feeling sufficiently supported and cared for is important for wellness and mental health across adolescent and emerging adult development. Further, social support is valuable for wellness across both “mundane” periods of daily life as well as during times of turmoil and uncertainty. Guided by multiple frameworks on social motivation, social cognition, and ecological frameworks of development, we aimed to replicate and expand insights about social support, wellness, and mental health for adolescents and emerging adults, studying people living through periods of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We studied reports of social support, coping and distress, and mental health concerns (i.e., depression and anxiety) from middle and high school age adolescents, as well as college‐going emerging adults recruited during periods of COVID quarantine and following returns to in‐person activities in the United States. Across eight samples, social support showed positive relations with coping strategies and negative relations with depressive and anxious problems. These findings were relevant for both adolescents and emerging adults; supported across multiple time points; involved support from family, friends, and other peers; and were sustained during periods of quarantine and the return to face‐to‐face daily activities. Our work both replicates and extends insights on the essential needs of feeling supported by close others for wellness and mental health and underscores the value of investing in additional infrastructure that can foster social support across multiple relationship domains (i.e., improving family relations and building spaces for peer and friend engagement in schools).

Beek G.J., Bronkhorst L.H., Stark T.H., Akkerman S.F.

Both interests and peer relations are crucial for adolescents in finding out who they are and want to be as a person. Yet, our knowledge of the co-evolution of friendships and interests is limited to studies focusing on single interest domains and/or practices predetermined by researchers. A total of 1599 Dutch adolescents participated in this study, which employs a unique design to examine the co-evolution of all participant-defined interests and in- and out-of-school friendships. In total, 368 specific interest areas were identified. Multilevel social network analyses (i.e., using multivariate stochastic actor-oriented models) of a subsample of 935 adolescents in seven schools indicate that adolescents are more likely, over time, to have similar interests to their friends. Interests that were reported rarely or very often contributed less to these dynamics. Additionally, being similarly interested increased the likelihood of being friends. Our findings show that social structures are related to interest development and how being interested is mediated by the places and spaces of adolescents’ lives.

Tang A., Wang Y., Tang C.

Hossain S.A., Fahad A.A.

AbstractThis article explores the intricate dynamics of video gaming among the youth of Dhaka, Bangladesh, exploring its profound influence on socialization and community building within the framework of theories such as the Theory of Attainment, Imagined Community, User and Gratification Theory, and Bourdieu's concept of “social capital.” Through a comprehensive blend of digital and autoethnographic methods, the research unveils how gaming transcends its solitary image to emerge as a potent cultural force in Bangladeshi society. The findings underscore the pivotal role of gaming in forging social bonds and nurturing communities, both in virtual realms and physical spaces. Gamers actively engage in collaboration, strategic planning, and the exchange of experiences, mirroring the dynamics of real‐world social networks. Despite concerns regarding addiction, the article illuminates the impact of video games on social cohesion among the youth demographic. Furthermore, it inquires into gaming culture's remarkable resilience in the face of societal norms and regulatory challenges, shedding light on the adaptive strategies employed by gamers to navigate and thrive in diverse contexts. By exploring the intricate interplay between virtual and real‐life experiences, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how video games shape socialization among urban youth in the ever‐evolving landscape of Bangladesh.

Suzuki M., Kato D., Sakai M., Asai K.

Using longitudinal data, this study examined the relationship between rolefulness, proactivity, and school maladjustment and how these factors interrelate over time among high school students in Japan. The results indicated that a proactive personality mediates satisfaction with social roles and decreases school maladjustment. Additionally, social rolefulness mediates proactivity and reduces maladjustment symptoms. These findings suggest that students who actively seek roles in their school environment and derive satisfaction from them are less likely to experience maladjustments. Moreover, positive role experiences may foster proactive traits and reduce school maladjustment. This study examined the impact of school maladjustment and emphasized the importance of rolefulness and having a proactive personality as protective factors against students’ school maladjustment. Further qualitative and longitudinal studies across diverse contexts are recommended to deepen the understanding and develop effective interventions to reduce maladjustment and suicide among youth.

Inoa R., López F.

Youth from families with greater economic means have seen an increase in their participation in extracurricular activities, while the participation levels of youth from working class families have decreased. Knowing the benefits to youth participation in extracurricular activities, communities where youth of marginalized backgrounds reside have an obligation to engage their youth in activities offered through school and community out-of-school time programs. Interviews and focus groups with program coordinators and young adults were conducted to identify how youth in Chicago have been attracted, engaged, recruited, and retained in out-of-school time programs. Program aspects and strategies used to connect with youth and their families emerged, some of which have been previously found in the relevant literature to be positively related to youth outcomes, and some of which are specific to youth who identify as Latine and youth who identify as male. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are further discussed.

Sirard J.R., Sibeko L., Pachucki M.C., Kitts J.

ABSTRACTThe Food, Activity, Screens, and Teens (FAST) Study was a school-based prospective cohort study, aiming to identify mechanisms of peer influence on weight-related behaviors (WRBs) among early adolescents. In 2017-18, FAST investigators conducted focus group interviews and field observations of sixth grade students at four ethnoracially diverse urban middle schools, then administered pilot surveys in two of the schools. In Fall 2018, investigators recruited a cohort of sixth graders in the same four schools for a three-year panel study, with four waves per year. Each wave measured height and weight, demographic characteristics, WRBs (physical activity, screen time, and dietary patterns), classes and activities, and social networks among peers. Peer network measures included friendship, social sentiments (liking/disliking), online and face to face interaction, kinship, cohabiting, and shared WRBs. The pandemic school closure in March 2020 interrupted fieldwork after wave 6, and the next five waves employed online and mail surveys while schools operated remotely. In Spring 2022, after schools reopened, investigators followed a subset of students into high school to collect a twelfth wave of data.

Hemi A., Madjar N., Daumiller M., Rich Y.

Earnshaw D., Harrison N.

Hossain S., Strnadová I., Danker J.

This paper is based on data from a qualitative participatory study with 40 (boy = 18; girl = 22) secondary school students of Grades 7–10 (ages 13–16 years) recruited through snowball sampling from both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Semi-structured one-on-one and focus group interviews were conducted online with the students to gain an in-depth understanding of an array of external assets typically located in broader ecological, relational contexts of young people’s lives, such as their peers, family, school, and/or community that facilitate their well-being experiences at school. Grounded theory approaches were used to analyse the data. The study found four external assets entailed Support (from parents, school), Empowerment (e.g., sense of safety), Boundaries and expectations (e.g., high expectations from teachers and parents), and Constructive use of time (e.g., extracurricular activities) conducive to students’ positive development and well-being at school. The findings were discussed within the developmental asset conceptual framework. The findings have implications to inform strengths-based interventions for improving students’ well-being experiences at schools in Bangladesh.

Liu Y., Zhang D., Ke Y., Yan Y., Shen Y., Wang Z.

This chapter investigates critical aspects of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior in children and adolescents, spanning from 0 to 17 years old. The chapter begins by exploring the myriad benefits of PA for this demographic, emphasizing its positive impact on health and well-being. The chapter also sheds light on the detrimental effects of sedentary behavior, highlighting the potential risks associated with a lack of movement. Within the realm of PA, the text outlines recommended levels. In conclusion, with comprehensive overall recommendations for both PA and sedentary behavior, this chapter serves as a foundational guide for promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among children and adolescents.

Boat A.A., Hsieh T., Wu C.

Poteat V.P., Marx R.A., Richburg A., Calzo J.P., Bliss C.C., Yoshikawa H., Lipkin A.

Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) and inclusive school policies and practices that affirm youth with minoritized sexual orientations or gender identities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer youth; LGBTQ+ youth) are two sources of support for LGBTQ+ youth that could promote school belonging. The current study tested a three-level multilevel model in which youth’s GSA experiences and the degree to which their schools implemented LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices predicted their school belonging over a six-month period. Participants included 627 youth (87% LGBQ+ youth, 45% transgender or nonbinary youth, 48% youth of color) ages 11–22 (Mage = 15.13) in 51 GSAs. At the within-individual level, youth reported greater school belonging on occasions following months when they felt their peers and advisors were more responsive to their needs and when they had taken on more leadership in the GSA. At the between-individual level, youth who generally felt their peers were more responsive over the study period reported greater school belonging than others. At the between-GSA level, GSA members in schools that more thoroughly implemented LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices reported greater school belonging over the study period. These findings underscore the relevance of GSAs and inclusive policies and practices in establishing welcoming school environments.

Zhou H., Chen J.

AbstractDespite contradictory empirical evidence, some suggest that physical exercise is directly related to bullying perpetration. Moreover, the quality of social relationships between adolescents and their parents, peers, and teachers has been proposed as a crucial mediator in the relationship between physical exercise and bullying perpetration. However, few empirical studies have examined such hypotheses. This study used data obtained from the 2014–2015 China Education Panel Survey to examine the direct association between physical exercise and bullying behaviors, as well as the indirect pathways from physical exercise to bullying that are mediated by teenagers' social relationship quality. The results showed no significant direct relationship between physical exercise and bullying behaviors. However, physical exercise has indirect associations with bullying behaviors mediated through social relationship quality, with peer relationships having the strongest mediating effect. The findings indicate that social relationships could mediate the association between physical exercise and bullying behaviors. The study suggests that future prevention and intervention programs should promote adolescents' participation in physical exercise and their social interactions with parents, peers, and teachers to reduce bullying perpetration.