High school students typically reach an age where they want to gain financial independence, which is why they take up part-time jobs in order to save for a higher education or earn some spending money.

However, a new study suggests that parents may want to keep an eye on how much their child works each week, as findings published in the journal Child Development found that teens who worked more than 20 hours each week were at a greater risk for academic and behavioral problems.

The researchers reported that students who worked more than 20 hours a week had a higher association with declines in school engagement and had a higher chance of carrying a weapon, using illegal drugs and stealing.

"Working part-time during the school year has been a fixture of American adolescence for more than 30 years," said Kathryn C. Monahan, a postdoctoral research scientist at the University of Washington, who led the study. "Today, a substantial proportion of American high school students hold part-time jobs during the school year, and a large number of them work more than 20 hours each week."

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