Background In most Western countries, the individual, social, and family characteristics associated with students’ dropout in the general population are well documented. Yet, there is a lack of large‐scale studies to establish whether these characteristics have the same influence for students with an immigrant background. Aims The first aim of this study was to assess the differences between first‐, second‐, and third‐generation‐plus students in terms of the individual, social, and family factors associated with school dropout. Next, we examined the differential associations between these individual, social, and family factors and high school dropout as a function of students’ immigration status. Sample Participants were 2291 students (54.7% with an immigrant background) from ten low‐ SES schools in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Method Individual, social, and family predictors were self‐reported by students in secondary one (mean age = 12.34 years), while school dropout status was obtained five or 6 years after students were expected to graduate. Results Results of logistic regressions with multiple group latent class models showed that first‐ and second‐generation students faced more economic adversity than third‐generation‐plus students and that they differed from each other and with their native peers in terms of individual, social, and family risk factors. Moreover, 40% of the risk factors considered in this study were differentially associated with first‐, second‐, and third‐generation‐plus students’ failure to graduate from high school. Conclusion These results provide insights on immigrant and non‐immigrant inner cities’ students experiences related to school dropout. The implications of these findings are discussed.
This study examined whether recent disruptive events would increase the likelihood of high school dropout among both rural and urban youths, and whether the types of disruptive events preceding dropout would be different in rural vs. urban environments. Based on interviews conducted with early school leavers and matched at-risk schoolmates (N = 366) in 12 disadvantaged Canadian high schools, recent disruptive events appeared to generally trigger dropout. However, the prevalence of some types of events associated with dropout varies according to the environment. In agreement with social disorganization and formal/informal social control models, crises involving child welfare services or the juvenile justice system (e.g., an arrest after a fight) represented a lower share of triggering events among rural than urban leavers (8% vs. 26%, respectively), whereas those involving peer conflicts and rejection (e.g., exclusion from one's peer group) were overrepresented among rural compared to urban leavers (26% vs. 10%, respectively). These differences are thought to represent upsides and downsides associated with the relative density, stability, and overlapping nature of rural adolescents' social networks. Practical implications are discussed, notably regarding the relevance and contextual adaptation of prevention programs as a function of place.
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced unprecedented changes in the lives of many people. Although research has documented associations between concerns related to COVID-19 and poor mental health indicators, fewer studies have focused on positive factors that could help people better cope with this stressful social context. To fill this gap, the present research investigated the trajectories of self-compassion facets in times of dramatic social change. Using a longitudinal research design, we described the trajectories of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness during the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in a representative sample of Canadian adults (N = 3617). Relying on a multi-trajectory group-based approach, we identified clusters of individuals following persistently low (4.0%), moderate-low (39.3%), moderate-high (46.7%), and high (10.0%) levels of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. Interestingly, we found that compassionate self-responding trajectories were mainly stable over time with minor fluctuations for some groups of individuals, in line with the epidemiological situation. In terms of covariates, we observed that older women were more likely to follow trajectories of high compassionate self-responding, as compared to the other age and gender groups. In terms of mental health indicators, we demonstrated that trajectory groups with high levels of compassionate self-responding were associated with greater life satisfaction, more happiness, better sleep quality, higher sleep quantity, and fewer negative emotions, as compared to lower trajectory groups. The results supported the idea that self-compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic could have favored better mental health indicators and could possibly be promoted as a psychological intervention in the general population.
Research on heterogeneous pathways in school-to-work transitions (SWT), particularly longitudinal research, has been limited, as have empirical studies examining effective interventions for facilitating multiple SWT pathways among non-engaged youth (NEY), who are generally at risk of being not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
Au Québec, plusieurs écoles doivent composer avec les défis d’adaptation et d’intégration que présentent bon nombre de leurs élèves. C’est le cas notamment des écoles en milieux défavorisés desservant une forte proportion d’élèves issus de l’immigration, dont certains présentent des difficultés scolaires, émotionnelles et/ou comportementales. Bien que le parcours de ces élèves soit généralement marqué par une forte résilience et d’importantes réussites, certains jeunes sont plus à risque de maintenir des difficultés d’adaptation à plus long terme. Afin d’assurer le développement positif de ces jeunes, les activités parascolaires musicales constituent une intervention préventive de choix susceptible de s’ajouter aux ressources déjà présentes dans l’école. Elles permettent dans certains cas de limiter l’apparition des difficultés d’adaptation, encouragent le développement des compétences personnelles et sociales et contribuent au sentiment d’appartenance des élèves à l’école. Pour que ces bénéfices s’actualisent, il est toutefois crucial de comprendre les conditions optimales selon lesquelles les activités parascolaires doivent être déployées, en plus d’identifier les éléments et mécanismes essentiels du programme qui en expliquent les effets. En réponse à ces objectifs, la présente étude qualitative s’intéresse à l’évaluation de la mise en oeuvre du programme d’activités parascolaires musical La Classe Enchantée , implanté auprès d’élèves d’une école primaire en milieu défavorisé et pluriethnique, dont certains présentant des difficultés scolaires, émotionnelles et/ou comportementales. Des observations, des entrevues et des groupes de discussion ont été réalisés auprès de différents acteurs impliqués (élèves, enseignants et équipe de direction de la CE). Basés sur le modèle de la Structure d’ensemble de Gendreau (2001) ainsi que sur le Modèle systémique d’évaluation de la mise en oeuvre de Domitrovich et al. (2008), les résultats mettent en lumière les éléments et les mécanismes essentiels du programme, ainsi que les facteurs qui facilitent ou qui, au contraire, font obstacle à la mise en oeuvre de ce type d’initiative.
