Objective

While previous studies have identified relationships between school truancy and adolescent substance use risk, sexual risk remains unaddressed.

Methods

Urban early adolescents (mean age, 13.14 years) with mental health symptoms completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews regarding risk behaviors.

Results

Teens who reported a history of skipping school (n = 25), compared with those who did not (n = 113), indicated greater frequency of having ever engaged in oral, vaginal, and anal sex, as well as nonintercourse sexual behaviors. They also reported less value in remaining abstinent but did not demonstrate differences in HIV knowledge or school connectedness.

Conclusion

Truancy may serve as an important marker for the early identification of youth at risk for unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

The current study examines emotion regulation as a novel dynamic factor of juvenile arrest as it compares with known static and dynamic risk factors. Participants included seventh graders at five urban public schools (N = 420, M _age = 13, 53% male). The predictive relationship between adolescent self-, parent-, and teacher-report of baseline adolescent emotional competence and arrest at 30-month follow-up was assessed. Stepwise logistic regression analyses revealed that teacher report of emotion regulation strategies, minority status, and lifetime marijuana use were significant predictors of arrest. Findings indicate teacher report of emotion regulation competence in early adolescence may be an important consideration for prevention program development.