Loneliness linked to fear of embarrassment: teen research

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A University of the Sunshine Coast study of young teenagers has identified a vicious cycle of loneliness linked to the fear of embarrassment or judgement by peers.

The study of more than 170 children aged 13 to 15 found that those staying under the radar socially to avoid judgement reported greater loneliness, as well as lower trust, connection and participation in friendships.

“It explored why some teens feel lonely even when surrounded by their peers, and identified the key pattern of social avoidance,” said UniSC Lecturer in Psychology Helen Hall, a practising psychologist who led the research for her ongoing PhD.

“They withdraw from socialising to avoid being judged, then fail to learn skills around trust, joining in, and give-and-take, then feel lonely and avoid their peers even more.

“Unfortunately, some teens suffer because they have empathy and recognise other perspectives, which are wonderful skills that are decreasing among this age group.”

She said it was somewhat surprising that teens who chased popularity or status among their peers reported less loneliness, despite other studies to the contrary.

“Previous research has shown that large friend networks or status goals do not necessarily lead to greater wellbeing or healthier social behaviour,” said Ms Hall, acknowledging the ‘mean girls’ factor.

“However, in this case, they do appear to be protective factors against loneliness when they are channelled into mutually supportive, trusting relationships.”

She said the overall findings reflected some key reasons for the global loneliness epidemic producing poorer psychological and social outcomes among adolescents.

“Parents and teachers need to help our teens find safe, low-pressure ways of participating and connecting with their peers,” said Ms Hall, a mother of four.

“Don’t rely on the old advice to ‘stop caring what others think’ and be cautious if encouraging social media contact. Generally, our teens will gain richer skills when they participate with others in-person.

“Listen and validate what they’re experiencing and help them take small steps.”

Five tips to help a lonely teen

1. Pivot the focus to trust. Find one peer they feel most at ease with and one adult they can talk to, then discuss what action they can do to strengthen those ties;
2. Teach reciprocity by creating micro-scripts of give-and-take in friendships – checking in, asking people to sit with them, showing empathy;
3. Encourage them to practise social courage. What’s one small step they can take this week instead of avoidance?
4. Make sure they are getting some decent sleep and self-care;
5. Try a 10-minute ‘download’ (write the worry), then a reset routine (shower, music, stretch).

The study involved students from four independent schools across Queensland and was published in the journal Child & Youth Care Forum with UniSC supervisors and co-authors Dr Prudence Millear and Professor Mathew Summers.

Ms Hall is now examining how this social avoidance can impact student engagement with schools and self-belief in their own academic abilities.

The UniSC Psychology Honours graduate was awarded the University’s top student honour, the Chancellor’s Medal, in 2018 for her contributions to academia, the university and wider communities.

Ms Hall’s research is already having an impact on parents and adolescents through the work of Michelle Mitchell, a best-selling author of parenting and children’s resources who speaks at schools and community events across Australia.

Ms Mitchell said there was “gold” in the findings for parents trying to better understand their children’s needs for belonging and security in social situations.

“I’m particularly keen to share the concept of reframing that old advice about not caring what others think,” she said.

“I hope every parent takes that saying out of their vocabulary and realises that our kids do need to pay attention to what other people think. Social feedback is important. That's how they read the room and understand themselves in context, so they can contribute in a meaningful way.”

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DOI

10.1007/s10566-026-09923-6 

Do best friends or popular peers shape teen behavior?

 As children enter adolescence, peers become a dominant force in their lives. With adult supervision waning, teens look to agemates for guidance on how to act, think and fit in. But who matters most –friends or the popular classmates? A groundbreaking longitudinal study from Florida Atlantic University reveals that peer influence is not a monolithic process. Instead, different types of peers exert influence over entirely different domains of a child’s life.

Researchers at FAU and collaborators at Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania) conducted a long-term study to directly compare these two sources of influence. The study, published in the journal Development and Psychopathology, is the first to simultaneously compare the relative impact of best friends versus classroom norms, which are driven by popular classmates. The findings indicate that while best friends primarily shape a child’s internal emotional state and academic behavior, popular peers set the standard for public image and social media engagement.

The investigators followed 543 students ages 10 to 14 (middle school in Lithuania is fifth through eighth grade) across a semester, examining self-reports of academic performance, emotional well-being, problem behaviors, social media use and concerns about weight. Participants also identified their best friends and classmates they considered popular. Popularity norms described classmate behaviors in each domain, weighted by popularity scores.  

“This is the first study to put best friends and popular peers in the same model and ask, ‘Who matters more, and for what?,’” said Brett Laursen, Ph.D., a professor of psychology in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

The findings revealed a striking pattern. Best friends primarily shaped a child’s internal emotional states and academic behaviors, whereas popular peers set the standard for public image. Specifically, best friends were the primary influencers for behaviors reflecting internal dysfunction and maladjustment, including emotional problems, lack of emotional clarity, problem behaviors, and low school achievement. Popular peers, by contrast, shape behaviors performed in view of others. Teens emulate high-status classmates in terms of social media use and weight concerns.

“Peer influence is too often treated as a broad, undifferentiated force, but our findings show it is actually highly specialized. Adolescents are discerning; they look to their inner circle for emotional support and to the influencers and class leaders for social cues on how to present themselves to the world,” said Mary Page Leggett-James, Ph.D., lead author and associate researcher at Gallup, describing results from her doctoral dissertation at FAU. “Put differently, in the social economy of a middle schooler, best friends deal in the ‘private currency’ of emotions and adjustment, while popular peers control the ‘public market’ of social media and appearance.”

The study suggests that adolescents use different mental calculations to navigate their social world. Friendships are based on reciprocity and intimacy, which promote shared experiences and emotional states. In contrast, peer groups are organized hierarchically. Conformity through public-facing behaviors like social media use and body image are important to maintaining status in the group. Thus, youth are not just blindly following others, they are using social strategies tailored to specific social settings.

“Friendships are powerful because they are private and emotionally intense,” Laursen said. “Teens confide in their best friends. That closeness can provide support, but it can also amplify struggles. Anxiety, disengagement from school, or acting out can spread between friends and have a snowball effect. Appearance and online behavior play out on a public stage. Popular students set the standard. Others follow because that is what earns approval in the wider peer group.”

The research offers vital insights for intervention. Because different peers shape different forms of maladjustment, uniform solutions may fail.

“Peer influence is powerful, but it is not one-size-fits-all,” said Leggett-James. “Too often we treat peer pressure as if it comes from one place. But the source of influence matters. If we target the wrong peer dynamic, we risk missing the problem entirely. To reduce emotional distress or academic problems, we need to focus on friendship dynamics and help adolescents build positive peer connections – not try to ban or break up friendships. At the same time, issues tied to social media and body image require shifting status norms. When popular students display healthier, more realistic standards, they can redefine what classmates consider normal.”

New Report Shows Slight Drop in U.S. Teacher Morale

The morale of America’s K-12 teachers dipped slightly this school year, but it’s not as bad as it was in 2023 as states emerged from the pandemic, according to a new State of Teaching 2026 report released by Education Week.

 

After ticking upward in 2024-25, the average Teacher Morale Index, which provides a panoramic view of teachers’ prior, present, and predicted perceptions of their workplace conditions on a scale of -100 to +100, declined slightly this school year from +18 to +13. In responses to open-ended questions, teachers cited student behavior, shrinking budgets, and political disagreements within school communities among the many factors influencing their attitudes.

 

Now in its third year, The State of Teaching report aims to portray the reality of today’s teaching profession, correct misconceptions, and help inform smarter policies and practices for the field of over 3 million educators. In addition to providing data on how national teacher morale has shifted over time, the report explores how Generation Z is transforming teaching; why teachers in the Northeast are the most unhappy with their jobs; strategies for building new teacher pipelines; and how the status and supports given to teachers of English learners has changed.

 

“Our State of Teaching report provides a detailed look at how teachers’ attitudes are evolving and how they grapple with and solve major challenges,” said Education Week Editor-in-Chief Beth Frerking.  “It offers important insights and intel for K-12 district leaders, principals and other school leaders, and for communities eager to attract, retain, and support teachers.”

 

Based on Education Week’s in-depth reporting from around the country and the EdWeek Research Center’s nationally representative survey of all 50 states, the report features interactive charts showing the Teacher Morale Index score for each state and examines some key drivers of teacher morale. These include compensation, class size, planning, and student discipline.

 

The report found that teacher morale levels vary significantly by state. Teachers in Arkansas have the highest score on the Teacher Morale Index at +24. At the other end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania has the lowest score at +1. For technical reasons, only national results from the 2025-26 school year can be validly compared to 2024-25.  State results from 2024-25 should not be directly compared to this year’s outcomes.

 

The report is available at https://www.edweek.org/the-state-of-teaching/2026.

Children with developmental delays or disabilities: Early services=improved academic outcome

 Children who received Early Intervention (EI) services before age 3 were more likely to meet third-grade academic standards in math and English language arts (ELA), according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the New York City Health Department. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open.

While prior research has documented the benefits of targeted developmental therapies, few studies have examined the long-term academic impact of EI services provided under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – the federal grant program to aid states in implementing a system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. This study is among the first to offer population-level evidence that EI participation is associated with measurable improvements in later school performance.

“Our findings demonstrate that Early Intervention Programs have quantifiable academic benefits for children with moderate to severe developmental delays or disabilities living in a large urban center,” said Jeanette Stingone, PhD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. “This study provides strong, population-level evidence that investments in Early Intervention are not only beneficial for children and families, but also for educational systems and communities. As policymakers consider funding priorities, these findings underscore that supporting children early can translate into measurable academic gains years later.”

 “This research demonstrates what we already know to be true -- Early Intervention has lasting positive impacts for children with developmental delays,” said Lidiya Lednyak, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Family and Child Health, and Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Early Intervention.  “The New York City Health Department is committed to supporting healthier, more equitable futures for children and families. Evidence-based programs like EI create a solid foundation for lifelong learning and development.”

The researchers analyzed linked public health and education records for 214,370 children born in New York City between 1994 and 1998 who had third-grade test data. Of these, 13,022 children (6 percent) received EI services before age 3. Using matched administrative records and regression analyses, the team compared standardized test scores and the likelihood of meeting grade-level standards between children who did and did not receive EI services.

Children who received EI had higher English language arts test scores and were more likely to meet academic standards in both math and English. The strongest associations were observed among children who later required special education services. In this group, those who had received EI were 28 percent more likely to meet ELA standards and 17 percent more likely to meet math standards compared to peers who had not received EI.

Benefits were particularly pronounced among Latino/a children—especially those whose  mothers were born outside the United States—as well as among children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, including those whose mothers had lower educational attainment or were enrolled in Medicaid at the time of delivery.

Third grade represents a key developmental milestone, when students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” The findings suggest that EI may provide foundational skills that strengthen later educational supports and underscore the importance of continued investment in early intervention services.

The study’s strengths include its large, population-based sample and the linkage of EI and New York City Department of Education records—systems that are typically separate. The authors note that some subgroup findings should be interpreted cautiously, but overall they support continued investment in EI services and strong transitions from Early Intervention to school-based programs.

“Early childhood represents a critical window of opportunity,” Stingone said. “By identifying developmental delays early and connecting families to services, we can help set children on a stronger academic trajectory. These findings reinforce the importance of sustaining and strengthening Early Intervention programs so that all children—regardless of background—have the opportunity to thrive in school and beyond.”

In an accompanying commentary, researchers at the University of California, Davis write that the study by Stingone and colleagues provides timely and compelling evidence that Early Intervention programming is associated with improved educational outcomes at the population level.

The commentators note that the academic benefits associated with EI may be even greater today, as tools for identifying and supporting children with developmental disabilities have improved since the study period. 

Strong family routines = fewer problem behaviors and ADHD symptoms starting school

 Starting elementary school is a major milestone, but it can be a difficult transition as children can experience separation anxiety or have trouble adapting to school rules and structure. However, a team led by Penn State researchers found that consistent routines in the home can reduce the likelihood that children will struggle with the school transition.

In a publication in Developmental Psychology, the researchers found that when rural, low-income families had stronger routines — such as regular bedtimes and shared meals — parents reported lower levels of behavior problems and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms from their children. However, higher levels of harsh or aggressive parenting — such as yelling or threatening by the mother or father — diminished the benefits associated with household structure.

“You need routines, but you cannot be overly rigid about them,” said co-author Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, professor and head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State. “I always say the two most important things for parenting are consistency and flexibility. It may sound like a contradiction, but these results indicate that balance really matters.”

The researchers examined data from 999 rural, low-income families in North Carolina and Pennsylvania who participated in the Family Life Project, a long-running research collaboration among Penn State, the University of North Carolina and New York University. Participants in the Family Life Project were recruited when a child was born into the family, and the study concluded when the cohort of children turned 19 years old.

The current study used information from three waves of data collection, beginning in 2007-08 when the children were approximately four years old. These measurements captured the children in preschool, kindergarten and first grade to document the full transition to primary school. At each annual assessment, parents answered questions about family routines, harsh parenting behaviors, child behavior problems and child ADHD symptoms. At the start of the study, the researchers also measured the parents’ capacity for cognitive flexibility — the ability to adapt their thinking to a specific or changing situation.

Parents took surveys to measure harsh parenting, which included questions about them yelling, swearing, throwing things, stomping out of the room and engaging in other aggressive actions; child behavior problems, which included aggressive, oppositional and rule-breaking behaviors; and child ADHD symptoms, which included indications of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Parents also answered questions about the existence of family routines around bedtime, regular family meals and household schedules.

In families with high levels of routine and low levels of harsh parenting throughout the study, parents reported lower levels of child behavior problems and ADHD symptoms. In families where harsh parenting fluctuated from year to year, child ADHD symptoms were lower when parents reported they engaged in less harsh parenting.

Harsh parenting undermined the protective effect of family routines, the researchers explained. Children in households with high levels of routine and high levels of harsh parenting displayed levels of misbehavior similar to those of children in households with low levels of routine.

Additionally, parents who demonstrated cognitive flexibility were less likely to parent harshly.

“Children are trying to figure out how the world works,” said Gatzke-Kopp, a Penn State Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member. “The more consistent and supportive their environment is, the easier it is for children to remain calm and understand how to behave in a new setting, like school.”

For parents looking to add structure to their household, Gatzke-Kopp recommended a consistent bedtime routine that includes calming activities like reading to the child. She also identified regular, low-demand, screen-free, family time and shared meals as great opportunities for any parent to add routine to their households.

The effects of all factors identified in the study were small, but Gatzke-Kopp said that was expected.

“You can’t assume that if you establish good routines, your child will have perfect behaviors,” Gatzke-Kopp said. “There are a lot of things that influence whether your child has behavior problems, and routines and parenting style are only part of the picture.”

Every family will deal with some level of conflict, she continued.

“All children can be difficult,” Gatzke-Kopp explained. “Parents should be reassured that negative behaviors do not mean your child has a problem. And it does not mean the parents are doing anything wrong.”

Kylee Witmer, graduate student in human development and family studies at Penn State, also contributed to this research. More information about collaborators and funders is available in the paper.

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Journal

Developmental Psychology

DOI

10.1037/dev0002132 

Improve education and transitional support for autistic people to prevent death by suicide

Suicide in autistic people originates in the inequalities they face across their lives, starting in childhood, and spanning education to employment, and health and social care, a new study by a team at Cambridge and Bournemouth Universities has found.

The researchers call for a radical change in the way society understands suicide and mental illness in autistic people, who are three to five times more likely to die by suicide.

The study, published today in eClinicalMedicine, involved over 2,500 autistic people and allies/ supporters of autistic people. It is part of the biggest ever survey on suicide among autistic adults.

Historically, suicide has been attributed to mental illness, and mental illness has often been seen as an inevitable consequence of and an inherent part of autism. This narrative locates ‘sickness’ in the individual, addressed by clinical interventions that support individuals at crisis point rather than looking at and addressing the underlying societal contributions.

In contrast, participants in this study were clear that the “seeds of all autistic suicide deaths” are set in childhood, by missed diagnosis and educational systems that fail to support special educational needs (SEN) pupils. Participants in the study highlighted school years as the source of many later problems.

Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, principal investigator and Director of the Autism Research Centre, said: “Participants in our study highlighted the dire straits faced by many autistic people and their families in the UK. Misunderstood and unsupported by staff, bullied by pupils, autistic people explained that school experiences sow the seeds for their later suicidal thoughts. The parents of autistic children described being threatened by the legal consequences of absenteeism when their children were unable to cope in mainstream schools.”

These findings are startling given forthcoming SEND reforms, which are likely to result in EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plans) being scrapped for many autistic, ADHD and SEND pupils. There are fears that this will strip legal protections from many vulnerable children and parents, and place unrealistic expectations on under-resourced schools and under-trained teachers to support students in mainstream settings.

While many participants focused on their school years as the source of their suicidal thoughts, others pointed out how “absolutely useless and without hope” autistic people feel on leaving the education system. They report insufficient transitional support into adulthood, lack of support in the community, inadequate welfare systems and employment support, and inaccessible and damaging healthcare systems.

The seeds of suicide thrive in a culture where autistic people feel unwelcome and unwanted, they said.  

Autistic people have the lowest employment rates of any disabled group, with only 30% of autistic people in employment currently. Improving employment rates among autistic people is another priority, given the role participants said that employment difficulties and related poverty played in their suicidal thoughts.

Beyond education and employment, autistic people in the new study were clear: halting progression towards suicide deaths requires committed long-term vision from the government. Chief among this is a commitment to a properly resourced and co-produced Autism Strategy, as called for in the recent Autism Act Review.

Dr Rachel Moseley, lead author of the new study and principal academic at Bournemouth University, said: “Our suicidal autistic participants expressed desperation waiting for health and social care that never arrives. But they didn’t reach that point of desperation overnight. Rather, they got there through a lifetime of inequalities in a society that fails to protect and support autistic people. There will never be enough crisis support to save every suicidal autistic person if we don’t disrupt the suicidal trajectory.”

Co-author Dr Carrie Allison, Deputy Director of the Autism Research Centre, said: “If we consider suicide in autistic people as a societal issue rather than an individual one, then we can do something about it. Autistic deaths by suicide are needless and preventable. We urge the government to partner with autistic people and their allies to develop to a cross-sector strategy to support autistic people throughout their lives.”

The study was initiated by charity Autism Action, whose number one priority is reducing suicide in autistic people, and led by the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, with a project team including academics from Bournemouth University, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, and SOAS University of London. 

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Alternatively, you can contact PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide) HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 or by texting 88247.

Reference

Moseley, RL et al. "The best way we can stop suicides is by making lives worth living": a mixed-methods survey in the UK of perspectives on suicide prevention from the autism community. eClinMed; 3 Mar 2026; DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103793

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Journal

EClinicalMedicine

DOI

10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.103793 

Child exploitation cases surge, victims getting younger

 

Reports of commercial sexual exploitation of minors have skyrocketed 700% over the past decade in Orange County, especially non-trafficking exploitation, according to a new policy brief from UC Irvine researchers.

Exploitation cases are not only increasing dramatically but also affecting younger children and a broader demographic than previously thought, challenging long-held assumptions about who is at risk, says Jodi Quas, professor of psychology and co-author of the policy brief with research scientist Nan Xiao.

“The average age of non-trafficking exploitation victims is now in middle-school, while trafficking victims (exploited by a third-party trafficker) are typically high school age,” Quas says. “We’re seeing a rapidly expanding crisis that requires immediate attention and updated intervention strategies that target the most common forms of exploitation being identified.” 

Quas and Xiao stress that effective prevention and intervention requires involvement of larger groups of professionals, including those in social service sectors, healthcare and education settings. They report that the vast majority of children, for instance, seek health services while being exploited and are in school, with some children doing well academically while being exploited. 

The good news is that healthcare and school professionals are highly skilled at identifying vulnerable children, Quas points out.

“The challenge is that professional groups often lack clear protocols for responding to exploitation, and some healthcare first responders view intervening as beyond their professional responsibility,” she says. “Because health practitioners are highly trusted by youth, they could significantly improve identification and intervention, but they need proper training to do so.”

Compounding the local crisis, federal prosecutions of sex trafficking have declined since 2017, with slight drops in conviction rates as well, Quas and Xiao report.

They suggest this indicates mismatches among current practices, victim engagement and interviewing strategies, and evidence presentation in federal investigation efforts.

The researchers stress that law enforcement agencies need to receive training in specialized questioning techniques adapted from best practices for interviewing child victims, which have been shown to increase cooperation and disclosures in adolescent trafficking victims much more than commonly employed interrogative practices designed for suspects that fuel mistrust and inhibit victim disclosure.

Call for evidence-based solutions

“An important bright spot is the county’s recognition of the problem and collective efforts to develop solutions,” Quas says. “Cross-agency integration of victim data in Orange County, for instance, is helping lead to more targeted identifications and strong collaborations between government agencies and nonprofits are expanding awareness, prevention and outreach efforts in multiple ways. The county’s approach is a model for other jurisdictions facing similar increases in victimization.”

What remains needed, in Orange County and elsewhere, is ongoing formal evaluations of and updates to programs to ensure that they are tailored and maximally beneficial for the types of children most at risk for exploitation today, according to the brief.
— Mimi Ko Cruz