Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

While findings related to externalizing and internalizing problem behaviour are very important outcomes of school-based research, such behaviours have not been well analysed to date in boarding schools. Study group/methods: We examined 665 German adolescents aged 12-19 years old at boarding and day schools in a cross-sectional design. Results: Students from boarding schools reported higher levels of peer problems, conduct problems, and total difficulties in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire than students from day schools. Furthermore, students from Christian boarding schools reported fewer conduct problems than students from other boarding schools. After excluding adolescents who attended boarding schools because of prior behavioural problems at home or at their day schools, the between-group differences vanished with the exception of peer problems. Conclusions: We conclude that individual-focused interventions aimed at reducing problem behaviours should be implemented in boarding schools. Furthermore, we conclude that many problem behaviours of students from boarding schools are attributable to pre-existing behavioural problems before attending boarding school.

Keywords: Problem behaviour, emotional problems, hyperactivity, adolescence, boarding school, residential school, Germany