Who are truant youth? Examining distinctive profiles of truant youth using latent profile analysis
Open accessAbstract
The present study explored the heterogeneity of truant youth to provide a more nuanced examination of the nature of adolescent truancy and examine distinct profiles of truant youth as they relate to externalizing behaviors. Latent profile analysis was employed to examine the heterogeneity of truant youth by using a nationally representative sample of 1,646 truant adolescents (49.8 % female) from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Five key indicator variables were utilized to identify latent classes: school engagement, participation in school-based activities, grades, parental academic involvement, and number of school days skipped. Additionally, multinomial regression was employed to examine the relationship between latent truant youth classes and externalizing behaviors. Four classes of truant youth were identified: achievers (28.55 %), moderate students (24.30 %), academically disengaged (40.89 %), and chronic skippers (6.26 %). Additionally, group membership was found to be associated differentially with marijuana use, fighting, theft and selling drugs. Results from the present study suggest that truant youth are not a homogenous group, but rather present with different risk profiles as they relate to key indicators, demographic characteristics and externalizing behaviors. Implications for practice, policy and future research are discussed.
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Dimensional approaches focus on fluid or latent constructs such as attendance profiles, absenteeism severity, risk factors, functions, and interventions arranged along spectra or continua.
“Such approaches, described in more detail in later sections, focus on fluid or latent constructs such as attendance profiles, absenteeism severity, risk factors, functions, and interventions that can be arranged along various spectra or continua”
From Reconciling Contemporary Approaches to School Attendance and School Absenteeism: Toward Promotion and Nimble Response, Global Policy Review and Implementation, and Future Adaptability (Part 1) (2019) · cites this paper as Maynard et al., 2012
The Method (Statistical Analyses and Measures; page unavailable) uses latent profile analysis with continuous indicators, including days skipped, to identify attendance-related profiles. The Introduction discusses truancy risk factors, but the paper does not describe functions or interventions as constructs arranged along spectra or continua. Its profiles are formulated as distinct classes, so it supports only part of the broader description. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSchool attendance problems (SAPs) are heterogeneous with respect to etiology and presentation.
“School attendance problems (SAPs) are heterogeneous with respect to etiology and presentation.”
From Differentiation between school attendance problems: why and how? (2019) · cites this paper as Maynard et al., 2012
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- Authors
- Maynard, B. R., Salas-Wright, C. P., Vaughn, M. G., & Peters, K. E.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Saint Louis University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Maynard, Brandy R.
- Venue
- Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Published
- 2012-07-06
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1671-1684
- ISSN
- 0047-2891 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6601
- PMC
- PMC3653415
- OpenAlex
- W1967519467
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 44.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Youth and Adolescence (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Institute of Education Sciences
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P50HD052117)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Youth Substance Use and School Attendance
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Outcomes and Influences
- Keywords
- externalizing problems, school engagement, school skipping, student disengagement, cannabis use, fighting, theft, drug selling, risk profile
- MeSH terms
- Absenteeism, Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Female, Humans, Life Style, Male, Peer Group, Regression Analysis, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Schools, Socioeconomic Factors, Students, United States
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