Does the School Environment and School Engagement in Early High School Predict Trajectories of Anti-Social Behaviour? A National Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth From 12 to 19 years

Abstract

Background: Schools are widely considered important agents of social control for young people. Consequently, school engagement, disengagement and the school environment are key to understanding behavioural outcomes during adolescence. This study addresses an empirical gap in longitudinal research by examining new types of school engagement, as well as school-level environmental factors. Aims: To understand the role that school engagement and the school environment play in shaping trajectories of antisocial behaviour. Methods: Using longitudinal survey of Australian children (LSAC), this study employed trajectory analysis to identify trajectories of ASB over 4 waves. We tested the influence that early high school engagement and the school environment had on ASB trajectories through a series of multinomial logistic regressions. Results: Of the 2983 Australian school students included in the study, three trajectory groups were identified: no ASB (n = 1599), low-level ASB (n = 1158) and moderate-level ASB (n = 88). The influence of truancy, suspension/expulsion and school avoidance were all particularly strong, and student–teacher relationships were found to both directly and indirectly influence levels of ASB. Conclusions: This longitudinal study provides a comprehensive overview of trajectories of antisocial behaviour during adolescence and how they are influenced by experiences at school. It confirms the strong influence of behavioural disengagement and offers new insights into the role of affective school engagement and the school environment.