School connectedness and the transition into and out of health-risk behaviour among adolescents: A comparison of social belonging and teacher support

Author: McNeely C / Falci C
Publication: Journal of School Health
Topics: Age Group Prevention Students U.S./National
Keywords: Student risky behavior school social belonging teacher support
Bibliographic information +

The authors examined the association between perceived teacher support and social belonging in the school community, and the initiation, escalation and reduction of participation in six adolescent health-risk behaviors (cigarette smoking, drinking to the point of getting drunk, marijuana use, suicidal ideation or attempt, first sexual intercourse, and weapon-related violence), using data for 13,570 students from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of American adolescents in grades 7-12 during the 1994-1995 academic year. The authors found that adolescents who perceive that their teachers are fair and care about them are less likely to initiate any of these six health-risk behaviors, but teacher support is has little effect on the reduction of health-risk behaviors once initiated, with the exception of violence. On the other hand, social belonging does not protect adolescents from initiation of any of the health-risk behaviors.