Children's school adjustment: A developmental transactional systems perspective

Developmental pathways relating to internalizing disorders among girls and externalizing disorders among boys were applied to the study of school adjustment within a transactional systems framework. Reports of hassle frequency, hassle severity, and uplift frequency were obtained from 701 third- through fifth-grade children across parent, peer, academic, and family domains. Frequency of peer hassles and uplifts and perceptions of hassle severity were examined in relation to girls' school adjustment. Parental and school-related hassles and uplifts were examined in relation to boys' adjustment. Gender differences and patterns of relationships among predictor variables and adjustment status generally supported the application of developmental transactional systems to understanding school adjustment. implications of these data for school-based prevention efforts are discussed.