How Students’ Friend Groups Help with Challenges and Belonging

In the 4 – 8 surveys Association Range, Social Support and Trauma qualities consistently score in the bottom five qualities and often with negative scores. Of the three, Association Range is a quality unique to the Middle School survey.  Since student development in this age range is impacted by the nature of associations with other students, we include this key influence on development with the following positive and negative statements for Association Range :

In developing the Association Range quality, the dialogue among contributing educators highlighted three distinct types of influence: the richness of exposure to different cultures and identities, students’ ability to respond to troubling situations and the authenticity of their sense of belonging. As such, the data relating Association Range to the Trauma and Sense of Belonging is both informative and the source of questions that can support dialogue to help educators address the challenge of low Association Range scores.

In most surveys, the average Association Range quality score is either zero or slightly negative. It is almost always in the bottom five of the 18 quality scores. In terms of correlations, there is almost no statistical relationship between Association Range and Trauma. The same is true for Sense of Belonging, except for the most heterogeneous student bodies which afford students more opportunities and, in some cases, facilitate broader associations. Students that are part of homogeneous student bodies almost by definition “spend most of my time with people most like me.”

Plots of individual student scores for each quality Sense of Belonging and Trauma versus Association Range inform dialogue around these relationships.  The first plot shown in the graphic relates Trauma to Association Range and shows a relative balance across all four quadrants consistent with the near zero correlation coefficient. Only 22% of Middle School students indicate a positive Trauma and Association Range score, the absence of trauma combined with a wide range of backgrounds among their friend group.

The 60% of the students with negative Association Range scores (the two quadrants on the left side of the plot) are evenly distributed between those experiencing trauma and those with an absence of trauma. The upper left-hand quadrant with positive/neutral trauma scores but narrow groups of friends are students that communicate they haven’t faced traumatic events. However, these students are possibly missing the potential to broaden themselves through their associations. The bottom two quadrants are both problematic but distinct, students experiencing trauma and either facing their ordeal with or without a broad range of associations.

While this Trauma versus Association Range comparison doesn’t reveal a simple solution, as schools work on these two qualities and Social Support, it does show the three quadrants with at least one negative quality score must be treated differently. The discussion might consider how a student’s friend group makeup may or may not impact how they deal with their challenges.

Note: the analysis chooses to deem 0’s (zeroes) as neutral and group these students with the positive score set. This respects the Inclusivity Index structure and the possibility that zero scores result from students avioding choices about that quality.

The Sense of Belonging data again shows a lack of correlation between the two qualities but contrasts to the trauma analysis in that there are two concentrations of students. 40% of the students reject the idea that they are outsiders through their Sense of Belonging scores, yet they “spend most of my time with people most like me.” In contrast almost none of the students (7%) that spend time with a far ranging group do not feel they belong.

Note: the analysis chooses to deem 0’s (zeroes) as neutral and group these students with the positive score set. This respects the Inclusivity Index structure and the possibility that zero scores result from students avioding choices about that quality.

You might consider the questions this data raises along with those posed by these thoughts:

• As teachers consider the social and emotional development aspects of Middle School students, how can they communicate the benefits of a broad range of relationships?

• In confronting the subset of students reporting trauma or losing sleep over events at school, what role does a healthy group of friends from different backgrounds play?

• Can we help students understand that in dealing with challenging situations at school, friends from other backgrounds may add unique perspectives as they deal with their challenges?

• Are students who note a strong Sense of Belonging combined with a narrow Association Range missing something in their development years?