NCJ Number
221446
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2008 Pages: 225-238
Date Published
February 2008
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether living in a rural area was related to school adjustment and other school-related variables, using data from 167,738 7th-12th-graders in a national sample of 185 predominantly White communities.
Abstract
The findings indicated that living in a rural area did not directly influence school adjustment and school-related covariates. The most striking differences between rural communities and small urban communities in the sample were income level and parental educational level, which were significantly lower in remote and medium-rural areas. School and nonschool activities and free/reduced lunch rates were significantly less in small urban communities. Being female was most strongly associated with the perception of greater caring by teachers, peer school liking, and peer school performance, as well as more participation in school and nonschool activities. Income level and parental education were positively associated with all school-related covariates. There was a decrease in the perception of caring teachers from the seventh through the ninth grades; however, involvement in school activities steadily increased with grade level. Students were administered the Community Drug and Alcohol Survey, a 99-item survey that asks a variety of questions related to substance use, school adjustment, relationships with family and peers, and other individual risk factors for substance use. Surveys were conducted between 1996 and 2000. 5 tables and 80 references