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. 2023 May 5;16(3):717-729.
doi: 10.1007/s40653-023-00546-w. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Academic Achievement After Violence Exposure: The Indirect Effects of School Attachment and Motivation to Succeed

Melanie Sonsteng-Person  1 , Jeremiah W Jaggers  2 , Alysse M Loomis  2
Affiliations

Academic Achievement After Violence Exposure: The Indirect Effects of School Attachment and Motivation to Succeed

Melanie Sonsteng-Person et al. J Child Adolesc Trauma. .

Abstract

Disparities in educational outcomes for students living in communities burdened with high rates of violence are striking as they are at an increased risk for misbehavior, low GPA, poor school attendance, and decreased standardized test scores. However, limited research identifies the role that schools play in exacerbating exposure to violence to inform changes that aid in mitigating violence exposure. As such, this study utilizes the Pathways to Desistance Study to explore the mediating roles of school attachment and motivation to succeed on students' academic outcomes after exposure to community violence. Using a serial mediation model, findings indicate that school attachment and motivation to succeed mediate the relationship between exposure to violence and grades. Implications for adapting school programs and policies as well as providing teacher training to increase school attachment and motivation are discussed.

Keywords: Academic outcomes; Motivation to succeed; School attachment; Serial mediation; Violence exposure.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest/Competing InterestsThe authors claim no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Serial mediation of school attachment and motivation to succeed in the relationship between violence exposure and grades and non-standardized beta values. *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001
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