Social gaming--online gameplay involving digital interactions with others--is a common form of social media use among adolescents. Research on this topic has neglected the social aspect of gaming and the potential role of social gaming in adolescent development. In this article, we define social gaming, drawing on interdisciplinary theories to…

Connections between prosociality and antisocial behaviors have been recognized; however, little research has studied their developmental links longitudinally. This is important to illuminate during early adolescence as a sensitive period for social development in which prosociality could protect against the development of later antisocial…

This study examined patterns of peer affiliations and their associations with child maltreatment, substance use, and future expectations. This study focused on 844 adolescents from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. We identified four distinct peer-affiliation patterns: (1) no affiliation with peers who engage in either prosocial…

Research shows that peer relationships are associated with students' school adjustment. However, the importance of advantageous and disadvantageous factors for students' educational outcomes may vary by socioeconomic positioning. Drawing on sociometric and register data from a nationally representative sample of Swedish youth (n = 4996, girls 50%;…

This four-wave longitudinal study among 698 Chinese early adolescents explored (1) how personal identity coherence and confusion develop; and (2) whether parenting style and peer relationships (i.e., close friend relationships and peer preference) were related to personal identity development. Participants (M[subscript age] = 11.39 yrs.,…

The objective of this study is to explore the inclusiveness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents in junior high school from the perspective of LGBTQ adolescents in Sweden. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 GBTQ adolescents aged 16 to 19. The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review…

We sought to understand the school and legal experiences of "at-risk youth". Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black adolescents (aged 15-19) participating in a youth program. Based on a narrative analysis, three core narratives emerged--(a) school staff and family members as motivating school success; (b)…

Contemporary research on mental health and well-being highlights the importance of understanding the complexities of adolescent life. Adolescence is a critical developmental stage, marked by various challenges and opportunities that shape mental health outcomes. Our study aims to explore both positive and negative experiences related to school,…