Skip to main content
Log in

A differential survey of the problems of privileged and underprivileged adolescents

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The problems of adjustment during the midadolescent years were examined in 1298 privileged and underprivileged adolescents from the Sydney Metropolitan Area, Australia. Girls reported more problems than boys in all areas of adjustment and underprivileged adolescents more problems than the privileged group; however, a significant interaction effect was also found. Whether high-income or low-income group, the overwhelming number of problems were associated with educational adjustment and were interpreted as the reaction to pressures to achieve imposed on adolescents of this age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abel, H., and Gingles, R. (1965). Identifying the problems of adolescent girls.J. Educ. Res. 58: 389–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amos, R. T., and Washington, R. M. (1960). A comparison of pupil and teacher perceptions on pupil problems.J. Educ. Psychol. 51: 255–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angelino, H. (1956). Development tasks and problems of the middle adolescent period.Education 76: 226–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, D. L., and Mooney, R. L. (1943). A student's problem check list for junior high school.Educ. Res. Bull. 22: 42–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ausubel, D. P. (1954).Theory and Problems of Adolescent Adjustment, Grune and Stratton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakwin, H., and Bakwin, R. M. (1972).Behaviour Disorders in Children, Saunders, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Block, V. (1937). Conflicts of adolescents with their mothers.J. Abnorm. Soc. Psychol. 32: 193–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clements, H. M., and Oelke, M. C. (1967). Factors related to reported problems of adolescents.Personnel Guidance J. 45: 697–702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, L., and Hall, I. (1970).Psychology of Adolescence, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, J. K., and Harper, J. (1974). Problems of adolescents in Sydney, Australia.J. Genet. Psychol. 125: 187–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Congalton, A. A. (1969).Status and Prestige in Australia, Cheshire, Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, W. F., Francis, E. P., and Skilbeck, E. E. (1957).Growing up in an Australian City, Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crow, L. (1956). Teenage traits, interests and worries.Educ. Forum 20: 423–428.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elias, L. J. (1949).High School Youth Look at Their Problems, State College of Washington, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1965).Childhood and Society, Hogarth Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, K. C. (1965).Psychology of Adolescence, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, K. C., and Cunningham, B. W. (1952). Personal problems of ninth grade pupils.School Rev. 60: 30–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Havighurst, R. J. (1953).Human Development and Education, Longmans, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemming, J. (1967).Problems of Adolescent Girls, Heinemann, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertzler, A. E. (1950). Problems of the normal adolescent girl.Calif. J. Sec. Educ. 15: 114–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurlock, E. B. (1967).Adolescent Development, McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhlen, R. G., and Lee, B. (1943). Personality characteristics and social acceptability in adolescence.J. Educ. Psychol. 34: 321–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lent, A. (1957). A survey of the problems of adolescent high school girls 14 to 18 years of age.Alberta J. Educ. Res. 3: 127–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, O. Y. (1949). Problems of the adolescent.Calif. J. Sec. Educ. 24: 215–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, C. M., and Horrocks, J. E. (1960). An experimental approach to the analysis of adolescent needs.Child Develop. 31: 479–487.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney, R. L. (1942a).Problem Check-list, Bureau of Educational Research, Ohio State University.

  • Mooney, R. L. (1942b). Surveying high school students' problems by means of a problem checklist.Educ. Res. Bull. 21: 57–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pflieger, E. F. (1947). Pupil adjustment problems and a study of relationships between scores on the California Test of Personality and the Mooney Problem Check.J. Educ. Res. 41: 265–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinter, R., and Lev, J. (1940). Worries of school children.J. Genet. Psychol. 56: 67–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pope, C. (1943). Personal problems of high school pupils.School Soc. 57: 443–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Remmers, H. H., and Shimberg, B. (1949).Problems of High School Youth, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, B. M., Bahn, A. K., and Kramer, M. (1964). Demographic and diagnostic characteristics of psychiatric clinic outpatients in the U.S.A.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 34: 455–467.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield, M. (1965).The Sexual Behaviour of Young People, Harmondsworth, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schonfeld, W. A. (1967). Socioeconomic affluence as a factor.N.Y. State J. Med. 67: 1981–1990.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, R. E. (1958). Patterns of personal problems of adolescent girls.J. Educ. Psychol. 49: 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, R. (1962). Youth's need for challenge and place in society.Children 9: 131–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staton, T. F. (1963).Dynamics of Adolescent Adjustment, Macmillan, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suttie, I. D. (1935).The Origins of Love and Hate, Kegan Paul, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tryon, C. (1939). Evaluations of adolescent personality by adolescents.Monogr. Soc. Res. Child Develop. 4: Serial 23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, D. K. (1961). Popularity among adolescents in Western Australia and the U.S.A.School Rev. 69: 67–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yellowlees, H. (1940). The problem of adolescence.Lancet 6: 233, 279, 326, 371.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received her M.A. (Hons.) and Ph.D. from Macquarie University. Member of Australian Psychological Society. Principal research interests are child psychopathology and psychology of adolescence.

Received his M.A.(Hons.) and Ph.D. from Sydney University. Fellow of Australian Psychological Society. Principal research interest is psychology of adolescence.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harper, J., Collins, J.K. A differential survey of the problems of privileged and underprivileged adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 4, 349–358 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536900

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536900

Keywords

Navigation