U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Adolescence, School Transitions, and Prevention: A Research- Based Primer

NCJ Number
159387
Author(s)
B A Berliner
Date Published
1993
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper provides guidance to teachers and other professionals who work with children to prevent adolescent drug use on helping students deal with life transitions, including school change, and its accompanying stressors.
Abstract
School transitions, particularly into secondary school, subject children and youth to adaptational challenges; as a result of school change, students may need help in developing coping skills that will allow them to redefine roles and expected behaviors, shift their membership within social networks, reorganize their social support resources, and manage the stress associated with uncertain expectations. The difficulties that school transitions can create for children may be explained in part by the timing and discontinuity theory, environmental theory, transitional life events theory, and role strain theory. Situation- focused, transition-oriented, and active task mastery approaches can all help students develop a sense of belonging in their new school environment. 35 references