Whereas in years past, young people typically made a discrete transition from school to work, two ideal typical routes now characterize the sharing of school and work roles during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. Longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study show that one route involves less intensive employment during high…

A 4-year study of 1,000 high school students found that they work increasingly through high school and for long hours. They move up to more complex work and receive increasing amounts of training. The way they describe their jobs and their subjective reactions suggest the employment provides developmental benefits. (SK)

A 3-year study of 1,000 adolescents and their parents found that student employment has significant effects on family relationships. It fosters separation and individuation, of which parents approve, and diminished family time did not affect the quality of relationships. Boys' work had more positive effects than did girls' work. (SK)

Data from the Youth Development Study on adolescents who worked in high school were used to examine mental health, work stress, and work/school interactions. The quality of high school work experiences had significant consequences for mental states during high school, but had little effect on long-term mental health. (Contains 70 references.) (SK)

Reviews five books that illustrate the diversity in the paths youth take as they move from adolescence to adulthood: "Opportunity and Uncertainty" (Anisef et al.), "Children on the Streets of the Americas" (Mickelson), "No Shame in My Game" (Newman), "The Exploited Child" (Schlemmer), and "The Ambitious Generation"(Schneider and Stevenson).…

Review of research on adolescent employment found the following: (1) employment patterns were relatively unchanged in 40 years; (2) emerging literature challenges the assumption that "floundering" is necessarily bad; and (3) increasing amounts of work negatively affect school performance. Methodological issues include selection bias, sampling…

This longitudinal study examined adolescents' mental health, academic achievement, and behavioral adjustment in relation to work intensity during high school. Data were collected from approximately 1,000 adolescents during a 4-year period, beginning in the subjects' freshman year of high school. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed…

This book reports on the Youth Development Study, which followed young people for more than a decade in St. Paul, MN, focusing on work experiences during high school. Chapter one, "Should Adolescents Work" discusses historical and contemporary studies, gender differences, controversies, and the cases for and against adolescent work.…