Risk and protection of students during the final years of elementary school

Abstract The study compared students with low, medium and high school performance in relation to risk factors: school disapproval and intra and extrafamiliar violence and protection: social skills, self efficacy and social support. A total of 400 students (M = 13.6 years, SD = 1.22) participated in the last three years of elementary school education in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Students answered the Demographic Information Questionnaire, Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents, Social Support Perception Scale, and Self-efficacy Scale. The results indicated that students with low school performance had more risk factors and less protection factors when compared to students with medium and high school performance. No differences were found in the social skills of Assertiveness, Affective Approach and Social Development between groups. The study discusses influences of personal variables and context of students for school performance at the end of Elementary School.