Boys' and girls' latent profiles of behavior and social adjustment in school: Longitudinal links with later student behavioral engagement and academic achievement?

Using a person-centered approach, this study identified profiles of students exhibiting behavior and social adjustment problems in school. We conducted Latent Profile Analysis to identify these subgroups in a sample of 582 fifth and sixth graders. We found four profiles among girls-well-adjusted girls (66.10%); girls displaying externalizing behaviors and student-teacher conflict (4.75%); girls exhibiting internalizing behaviors and isolation from peers (10.17%); and girls with student-teacher nonclose interactions and nonprosocial behaviors toward peers (18.98%). We found three profiles among boys-well-adjusted boys (78.05%); boys displaying externalizing behaviors and student-teacher conflict (10.10%); and boys with externalizing, internalizing, and social problems with peers and teachers (11.85%). Next, we investigated longitudinal associations between these profiles and student behavioral engagement and academic achievement. Path analysis revealed that, compared to students with a well-adjusted profile, having a non-adjusted profile was associated with negative changes in teacher-reported behavioral engagement. Girls with an Externalizing Problem/Student-teacher Conflict profile or an Internalizing Problems/Peer Isolation profile also showed negative changes throughout the school year in their self-reported behavioral engagement and in academic achievement. We discussed these results and their practical implications in light of existing literature.