Background: We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness--a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes--from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset. Methods: We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian…

With the global increase in forcibly displaced populations, understanding and improving educational opportunities and outcomes for refugee youth is of paramount importance. This scoping review focuses on understanding the extent and nature of evidence related to school engagement among refugee parents and students. The review's scope was limited…

This article examines how educators can create a sense of belonging in their school and classroom communities by infusing Indigenous perspectives. A literature review was conducted by examining various peer-reviewed sources. It was found that students who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to be more motivated at school, take risks, and…

The earliest School Resource Officer Programs in Canada date back to the 1970s. This study examines how police officers, teachers, school administrators, students, and journalists use a discourse of relationship-building between police and youth to frame School Resource Officers (SROs): who they are, the work they do, their roles in students'…

The Province of Ontario welcomes the largest population of high school Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SILFE students) in Canada to its secondary schools. Many of these students arrive late in age with significant academic gaps and face many barriers to reaching their post-secondary goals in Canada. Literature has identified…

In a sample of youth aged 10-16 years with chronic physical illness, this study examined psychometric properties of a modified Psychological Sense of School Membership (m-PSSM) scale; described longitudinal trends in perceptions over 24 months; and, identified factors associated with school belonging. Youth were recruited from a pediatric hospital…

Background: Boys use cannabis at a younger age and more frequently than girls. It has been suggested these sex differences might vary according to students' relationship to school. We explored whether the association between sex and adolescents' cannabis use varies among schools and according to students' school connectedness. Methods: The study…

Objective: Suicide ideation and attempt are leading risk factors for mortality in young adults. However, the adolescent risk factors distinguishing suicide ideation from attempt in young adults remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which within-person stability and change in depressive symptoms, school difficulties, and…

Objective: To explore the experiences of how Syrian refugee youth resettled in Canada negotiate and facilitate a sense of belonging within their school environment. Method: Semi-structured interviews in English were conducted with nine Syrian refugee youths aged 16 to 18. The content of the interviews was analysed through Interpretive…

Objective: To compare risk factors and associated mental health and academic outcomes between international and domestic students. Participants: Canadian university undergraduate students. Methods: Electronic surveys were completed at university entry and the end of first year. Surveys assessed demographics, risk factors, symptoms of mental…

International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers…

This study examined the association between school climate and bystander responses to bullying. Participants included 26,176 secondary students (grades 8-12; 13,224 girls) from 76 schools across Western Canada, who were asked to complete a self-reported, district-wide, school-based survey. Results from a contextual effects model in a two-level…

Twice-exceptional (2e) students are a unique group at risk for social/emotional difficulties and disenfranchisement in schools. These students' profiles combine giftedness with areas of struggle such as learning disabilities, social impairments, emotional and mental health issues, or behavioural problems. Supporting 2e students requires developing…

In studies of academic resilience, the concept is typically operationalized by pre-defined cutoff values of students' achievement level and their social background. A threat to the validity of such arbitrary operationalizations is that students around the cutoff values may be misclassified. The main objective of the current study is to apply a…

Most peer mentoring studies have focused on outcomes for mentees. This investigation examines seventh- and eighth-grade youth mentors' roles in providing support and companionship to younger peer mentees. Group concept mapping (GCM) explored youth mentors' reflections on the connections and relationships made through a peer mentoring program, 2 to…