The Influence of Negative Life Events and Problem Behavior on Grades in Early Adolescence: Pathways to Academic Risk in the Middle Grades

Younger adolescents demonstrate a greater vulnerability to negative life events than do older adolescents and adults. The authors examined whether this heightened vulnerability includes a greater likelihood for participating in problem behaviors associated with poor academic outcomes and receiving lower grades. The study was conducted using data from essentially the whole population of Iceland in the specified age group. Thus, the researchers were able to understand this relationship within traditionally high-risk populations as well as all young people representing the full range of possible risk. All middle grades and high school students who attended school at the time of the study completed a cross-sectional survey that included self-reports of negative life events (NLEs), participation in problem behaviors, and grades (n = 7,291, ~ 86% of population). Structural equation modeling indicated a strong pathway between NLEs, problem behaviors, and grades. For boys in the middle grades experiencing NLEs, problem behaviors mediated 100% of the variance in grades, while it mediated 56% of the variance among girls in the middle grades. Implications for research and practice are provided.