Vocational identity in adolescence according to family

The present study aims to analyze the relation between the statutes of vocational identity and family variables, throughout adolescence. The variables related to the family context that were taken into account were the following: parental authority, perception of parents’ support, parents’ qualifications, family self-concept, sibling friendship, divorce versus non divorce of parents, and television viewing of aggressive programs. The sample consisted of 357 students of different school years (7th, 9th and 11th grades) and of both sexes. Melgosa’s (1987) Occupational Identity Scale, already adapted to Portugal, was used as the evaluation instrument, with the following factors: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, achievement. Analyses of the results showed significant differences in most situations as regards the dimensions of vocational identity, according to each of the independent variables; these differences favored the groups belonging to better family contexts. In several of the situations the effect of the interaction of the variable school year with the variables related to the family context was also found. This study includes the discussion of the results and their comparison to somewhat similar investigations, suggesting the need for further research associated to school and personal variables

Bullying and school disruption assessment: studies with Portuguese adolescent students

Problem Statement: The question of bullying and school disruptive behavior has emerged as a powerful issue in Portuguese educational context. The lack of evaluation instruments, with studied psychometric characteristics, has constituted a problem. Purpose of Study: School disruption and bullying assessment, in Portuguese adolescents, was the focus of this research. Research Methods: The psychometric qualities — internal consistency and the external validity — were analyzed in different scales. Findings: The analyses carried out confirm the scales as reliable and valid instruments. Conclusions: These instruments may be a useful avenue for teachers, psychologists and other education professionals