The Impact of Negative Life Events on Young Adolescents: Comparing the Relative Vulnerability of Middle Level, High School, and College-Age Students

Early adolescence represents a particularly vulnerable period of development during which young people are susceptible to establishing lifelong behavior patterns associated with poor life, health, and educational outcomes (McGee & Williams, 2000; Mohay & Forbes, 2009; Morgan & Todd, 2009; Schumacher & Kurz, 2000). Previous research demonstrates older adolescents and young adults often experience negative life events (NLEs) prior to corresponding periods of depression, anxiety, and anger (Johnson, Whisman, Corley, Hewitt, & Rhee, 2012; Sigfusdottir & Silver, 2009) and that NLE-related distress can influence students’ readiness to learn (De Anda et al., 1997; Franko et al., 2004; Oliva, Jiménez, & Parra, 2009).