Transcript – Social and Contextual Influences on Children’s Development: Insights from Secondary Data Analysis

A substantial body of evidence indicates that children’s psychological adjustment and educational outcomes are heavily influenced by their social context. The aims of our T-3 project are to examine associations among multiple social contextual influences, including children’s neighborhoods, schools, families, parents and their peer relationships on psychological and educational outcomes. Outcomes of interest include, more specifically, externalizing and internalizing problems, self-regulation and academic performance to achieve these aims. This study will utilize secondary data analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study ECLSS K 2011, a nationally representative sample of over 18000 children followed from kindergarten through fifth grade. Thus far, we have identified and procured data from the Israelis k 11 prepared data for analysis. We have completed detailed reviews of existing manuals, codebooks and supporting documentation, and created internal code books and spreadsheets to identify specific variables and data relevant for the aims of our project after developing specific research questions that could be investigated using the available data. We have completed extensive data analysis. These analyses are now being used in order to submit our first publication, which is near completion and with the submission goal of December 2020. This publication examines the impact of bullying and peer victimization on children’s externalizing, internalizing problems and self-regulation. We’re also planning to initiate a second publication in 2021, notably funding support from the T-3 grant was primarily used to provide graduate research assistantships to two doctoral students. These students have been extensively involved in the progress we have made thus far and our T-3 grant has been instrumental in providing these student opportunities for professional development and enhancing their research skills. Finally, we have also identified several funding agencies that support the use of secondary data to examine topics pertaining to contextual influences on children’s psychological adjustment and educational outcomes. Upon completion of our publications from this project, efforts will also be taken to procure additional external funding support to continue and expand on the broader aims of this project.