| Abstract: | Investigated the relationships among perceived social support and academic, behavioral, and social indicators for 1,711 students in Grades 3 through 12. Data were collected with the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, the Social Skills Rating System, the Student Self-Concept Scale, and the Behavior Assessment System for Children. Results show significant, positive relationships among perceived social support and a variety of positive indicators (e.g., social skills, self-concept, and adaptive skills). In addition, significant, negative relationships among perceived social support and a variety of problematic behavioral indicators (e.g., internalizing and externalizing behaviors) were found. Students with low perceived support obtained significantly higher scores on problematic behavior indicators and significantly lower scores on positive behavior indicators than students with average or high perceived support. Only student-rated social skills and self-concept were significantly higher for the high vs the average level of perceived support. These results are followed by a discussion of the importance of varying levels (low, average, high) of perceived social support in students' lives. Implications of the findings of this study for school psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved) |
