Long-Term Trends in Socially Maladjusted Behavior of Students With and Without Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A 22-Year Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

Although the construct of social maladjustment has been used for the last six decades, relatively little research has addressed secular trends in socially maladjusted behaviors over time, and even fewer studies have addressed trends for students identified with emotional disturbance (ED). The purpose of this study was to use two nationally representative cross-sectional cohorts, one sampled in 1998 ( n = 1,509) and one sampled in 2020 ( n = 1,513), to examine long-term trends in the socially maladjusted behaviors of students with ED and their peers without disabilities. Results indicated that (a) socially maladjusted behaviors were significantly lower for the 2020 cohort compared with 1998 cohort, (b) the decrease from 1998 to 2020 was significantly more pronounced for students with ED compared with peers without disabilities, and (c) only adolescent students demonstrated significant decreases in socially maladjusted behaviors. Potential explanations, limitations of the study, and implications for schools are discussed.