Abstract
Researchers have found mixed support for documenting whether work is protective or harmful during adolescence. This study examined the association between work and problem behaviors among African American youth (N = 592; 53% female; M = 14.8 years, SD = .60) followed from mid-adolescence to young adulthood over eight Waves (90% response rate over the first four Waves and a 68% response rate across all eight Waves). We explored three competing operationalizations of work: work history (never worked, worked), work intensity (no work, 20 h or less, and 21 h or over), and work trajectories (never worked, episodic work, stopped working, late starter, and consistent worker). Non-working youth reported higher marijuana use during young adulthood than their working counterparts. Nonworkers reported lower self-acceptance during young adulthood than those working greater number of hours per week. Differences in work trajectories for cigarette use, depression, and anxiety during adolescence imply that when and for how long youth work are also important factors to explore. Our findings lend tentative support to the work benefits perspective and suggest that the association between work and problem behaviors may depend on the work measure used. We discuss the implications of employing different work measures in adolescent research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 877-890 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of Youth and Adolescence |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Oct 2007 |
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Keywords
- Adolescent development
- African American
- Employment
- Externalizing behavior
- Mental health
- Work transitions
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Working in high school and adaptation in the transition to young adulthood among African American youth. / Bauermeister, José A.; Zimmerman, Marc A.; Barnett, Tracey Elaine; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard.
In: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 36, No. 7, 01.10.2007, p. 877-890.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Working in high school and adaptation in the transition to young adulthood among African American youth
AU - Bauermeister, José A.
AU - Zimmerman, Marc A.
AU - Barnett, Tracey Elaine
AU - Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard
PY - 2007/10/1
Y1 - 2007/10/1
N2 - Researchers have found mixed support for documenting whether work is protective or harmful during adolescence. This study examined the association between work and problem behaviors among African American youth (N = 592; 53% female; M = 14.8 years, SD = .60) followed from mid-adolescence to young adulthood over eight Waves (90% response rate over the first four Waves and a 68% response rate across all eight Waves). We explored three competing operationalizations of work: work history (never worked, worked), work intensity (no work, 20 h or less, and 21 h or over), and work trajectories (never worked, episodic work, stopped working, late starter, and consistent worker). Non-working youth reported higher marijuana use during young adulthood than their working counterparts. Nonworkers reported lower self-acceptance during young adulthood than those working greater number of hours per week. Differences in work trajectories for cigarette use, depression, and anxiety during adolescence imply that when and for how long youth work are also important factors to explore. Our findings lend tentative support to the work benefits perspective and suggest that the association between work and problem behaviors may depend on the work measure used. We discuss the implications of employing different work measures in adolescent research.
AB - Researchers have found mixed support for documenting whether work is protective or harmful during adolescence. This study examined the association between work and problem behaviors among African American youth (N = 592; 53% female; M = 14.8 years, SD = .60) followed from mid-adolescence to young adulthood over eight Waves (90% response rate over the first four Waves and a 68% response rate across all eight Waves). We explored three competing operationalizations of work: work history (never worked, worked), work intensity (no work, 20 h or less, and 21 h or over), and work trajectories (never worked, episodic work, stopped working, late starter, and consistent worker). Non-working youth reported higher marijuana use during young adulthood than their working counterparts. Nonworkers reported lower self-acceptance during young adulthood than those working greater number of hours per week. Differences in work trajectories for cigarette use, depression, and anxiety during adolescence imply that when and for how long youth work are also important factors to explore. Our findings lend tentative support to the work benefits perspective and suggest that the association between work and problem behaviors may depend on the work measure used. We discuss the implications of employing different work measures in adolescent research.
KW - Adolescent development
KW - African American
KW - Employment
KW - Externalizing behavior
KW - Mental health
KW - Work transitions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548810979&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10964-007-9196-0
DO - 10.1007/s10964-007-9196-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34548810979
VL - 36
SP - 877
EP - 890
JO - Journal of Youth and Adolescence
JF - Journal of Youth and Adolescence
SN - 0047-2891
IS - 7
ER -