Open AccessPredicting School Suspension Risk from Eighth Through Tenth Grade Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Author(s) -
Thomas F. Gross,
Jenna Duncan,
Samuel Y. Kim,
W. Alex Mason,
Kevin P. Haggerty
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
contemporary school psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2161-1505
pISSN - 2159-2020
DOI - 10.1007/s40688-018-00215-y
Subject(s) - strengths and difficulties questionnaire , psychology , developmental psychology , logistic regression , competence (human resources) , clinical psychology , rating scale , exploratory factor analysis , percentile , educational psychology , cutoff , psychometrics , social psychology , mental health , statistics , psychiatry , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The current study examined (1) if the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) would yield alternative factor structures related to either symptoms or strengths with early adolescent students when an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used; (2) which scales best predicted suspensions of typically developing early adolescents; and (3) what cut-off scores were useful for identifying youth at risk for suspensions. The current study included 321 parent-student dyads, who were followed from the middle of eighth grade until the end of tenth grade. A symptoms-based EFA yielded three factors: Misbehavior, Isolation, and Agitation. A strength-based EFA yielded three factors, as, well: Emotional, Social, and Moral competence. Logistic regression path analyses were used to predict risk of any suspension at the end of eighth, ninth, and tenth grades. The predictor variables were the original SDQ Conduct Problems and Hyperactivity scales in one model, the Misbehavior and Agitation scales in a second model, and the Emotional and Moral competence scales in the third model. Only the Misbehavior scale consistently predicted suspensions across each grade ( b = .27, OR = 1.32, p < .001; b = .15, OR = 1.18, p = .029; b = .17, OR = 1.18, p = .029, respectively). For the Misbehavior scale, cut-off scores were established that reflected the 75 th and 90 th percentile; however, each cut-off demonstrated strengths and weaknesses for identifying at-risk students. The expectation of screening to identify youth at-risk for suspensions, a complex school discipline decision, is discussed.