Self-Regulation Snap Shot #4: A Focus on Middle-School Aged Youth

This snapshot summarizes key concepts about self-regulation development and intervention for middle-school aged youth for practitioners and educators interested in promoting self-regulation for this age group. It is based on a series of four reports on Self-Regulation and Toxic Stress prepared for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Visit the Toxic Stress and Self-Regulation Reports page for more information.

Self-regulation skills developing in middle- school aged children:

• Completing longer and more complex tasks
• Self-monitoring
• Planning, prioritization, and time management to achieve goals
• Using strategies to manage stress
• Using health-promoting strategies to calm down when distressed
• Considering consequences before acting
• Making effective decisions “in the moment”
• Solving more complex problems independently
• Goals, behavior, and decision-making guided by empathy and concern for others

Key considerations for promoting self-regulation in middle-school aged youth:

• Encourage a positive school climate for all students
• Deliver self-regulation skills training in at-risk schools
• Train teachers and afterschool staff to teach, model, reinforce, and coach self-regulation skills
• Identify ways to support school and program staff’s own self-regulation capacity
• Provide parent education supports that address co-regulation

Murray, D.W. and Rosanbalm, K. (2017). Self-Regulation Snap Shot #4: A Focus on Middle-School Aged Youth. OPRE Report #2018-13, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.