Vision.org examines a new study published in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Child Development covering the relationship between school and family stress in the lives of 589 ninth-grade students. The study found that family relationship problems at home directly affect the quality of school experiences and vice-versa.

The UCLA researchers who conducted the analysis found an important reciprocal relationship between school and family stress in the daily lives of adolescents. The effects of family relationship problems on school stress were similar even controlling for ethnicity and gender, and the same was true of the effects of school stress on family relationships.

If family relationship problems and school stresses are reciprocal, of course, it makes sense that the solutions would be as well. This is precisely what Vision Media Family and Relationships editor Gina Stepp proposes in her article titled, "Childhood: The New Age of Anxiety." [http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=5452]

Noting that this problem is not confined to the United States, Stepp points out that "teachers and researchers are identifying increased anxiety, behavioral problems and poor academic performance among children in the classroom. Raising testing standards and increasing homework doesn’t seem to be fixing the problem."

In fact, in many cases increased school hours and heavier workloads seem to actually exacerbate the problem. Despite the fact that many Western nations during the current decade boast a previously unequalled commitment to academic achievement, Western children suffer unprecedented levels of anxiety and lower academic scores despite increases in homework.

What is the connection? According to Stepp, "Perhaps it’s not surprising that the most important factors for promoting academic success are also important in addressing other causes of childhood anxiety. And the most outstanding of these factors is the quality of the relationships within the family itself." But if children are spending more time on schoolwork and less leisure time with family, the important protection of high-quality family time is weakened. Weakened family relationships are more susceptible to problems, which spillover into school contexts affecting academic achievement. This downward spiral may be a significant contributing factor to childhood anxiety.

Among the research cited in this Vision piece is a study by psychologist Jean Twenge showing large and linear increases in childhood anxiety since 1956 when the first effective childhood anxiety scale was published.

Stepp also quotes British educators who point to social dysfunction, family breakdown, peer pressure and heavy academic pressure as key factors contributing to the high levels of anxiety among schoolchildren in the U.K.