Comparison of social capital and its components in student boys and girls in Khalkhal

The aim of this study was to compare social capital and its components between male and female students in Khalkhal. The statistical population of this study was ۱۲- to ۱۸-year-old adolescents in Khalkhal, from which a sample of ۲۵۵ people was selected by convenience sampling. In order to collect information, the adolescent students' social capital questionnaire (SCQ-AS; Pavia et al., ۲۰۱۴), which was translated and validated for the first time in this study, was used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed that girls have higher levels of social capital than boys. In terms of social cohesion in school, girls' scores also show higher levels. In the dimension of trust, although boys have obtained higher scores, the difference in scores in this dimension between the two groups is not significant. Given the importance of social capital in the psychological well-being of adolescents and the prominent role of family and school in increasing this variable, the findings of this study can lead to the production of educational packages for parents and teachers and can help improve the psychological health of adolescent students.