ERIC Number: EJ910797
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Dec
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-4316
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Transitioning to Middle School in the Sixth Grade: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) Analysis of Substance Use, Violence, and Suicidal Thoughts
Gunter, Whitney D.; Bakken, Nicholas W.
Journal of Early Adolescence, v30 n6 p895-915 Dec 2010
In recent years, public schools have moved away from traditional grade configurations with junior high schools and have shifted toward integrating sixth-grade students into middle schools. It has been argued that the effect this will have on students is to allow for additional freedom and earlier social growth. However, the counterargument to this debate is that these sixth-grade students would then be exposed to an older cohort sooner and, therefore, would be exposed to negative peer influences. This study investigates the behavioral differences between sixth-grade students in elementary schools and their counterparts in middle schools, including suicidal thoughts, violence, and substance abuse. The data used come from the 2007 middle school Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results indicate significant differences in suicidal thoughts or actions based on the grade configuration of school they attend, though not in violence or substance use. (Contains 4 tables and 7 notes.)
Descriptors: Middle School Students, Substance Abuse, At Risk Students, Suicide, Grade 6, Violence, Peer Influence, Student Behavior, Elementary School Students, Surveys, Social Development, Instructional Program Divisions, Incidence, Delinquency, Grouping (Instructional Purposes)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 6; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Delaware
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A