ATTITUDES OF OFFENDERS AND NON-OFFENDERS TOWARDS SCHOOL

• NCJ Number: 46279
• Journal: EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1977) Pages: 142-146
• Author(s): F J O'HAGAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: National Foundation for Educational Research Publishing Company, Ltd
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

TO EXAMINE ATTITUDINAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND NONOFFENDERS, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO A SAMPLE OF 120 BOYS, 13 TO 16 YEARS OLD. OF THESE, 60 WERE PERSISTENT AND SERIOUS OFFENDERS.

Abstract

THE NONOFFENDERS HAD NEVER BEEN BEFORE THE COURT; BOTH GROUPS CAME FROM LOWER-CLASS SCOTTISH NEIGHBORHOODS. PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS INDICATED THAT PUPILS COULD BE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE BROAD AND OVERLAPPING CATEGORIES. SCHOOL-ORIENTED PUPILS VIEW SCHOOL AS A WORTHWHILE PREAPPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AND GENERALLY DO NOT QUESTION THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OR NORMS OF THE SCHOOL. NONCHALANT PUPILS DO NOT SEEK CONFLICT WITHIN SCHOOL ALTHOUGH THEY VIEW SCHOOL AS AN UNAVOIDABLE, NOT PARTICULARLY RELEVANT, OFTEN BORING CHORE AND PREFER LEISURE AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. ANTISCHOOL PUPILS TEND TO REJECT SCHOOL, FIND LITTLE VALUE IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, GENERALLY HAVE A HISTORY OF POOR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, AND OFTEN ACTIVELY SEEK TO CAUSE TROUBLE FOR THE SCHOOL. WHILE SOME NONDELINQUENT BOYS BELONG TO THIS GROUP, A LARGE PROPORTION ARE OFFENDERS. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT OFFENDERS' ATTITUDES WOULD SHOW THE GREATEST SIMILARITY TO THIS LAST GROUP. WHILE BOTH SAMPLES REPORTED TRUANCY, TRUANCY WAS MUCH GREATER AMONG THE OFFENDERS, MANY OF WHOM ATTENDED SCHOOL ONLY IRREGULARLY. OFFENDERS SHOWED LOWER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT THAN NONOFFENDERS, AND EVEN OFFENDERS WITH HIGH INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENTS TENDED TO HAVE LOW EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE. A DIFFERENCE IN CONDUCT IN SCHOOL WAS ALSO APPARENT BETWEEN THE TWO SAMPLES. BOTH GROUPS FELT TEACHERS WERE TOO STRICT, BUT OFFENDERS TENDED TO FEEL TEACHERS WERE STRICTER AND SHOWED GREATER FAVORITISM. OFFENDERS ALSO INDICATED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER ANTAGONISM TOWARD POLICE. FINALLY, 75 PERCENT OF OFFENDERS, AS COMPARED TO 12 PERCENT OF NONOFFENDERS, WISHED TO LEAVE SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY. ONLY 20 PERCENT OF THE OFFENDERS AND 60 PERCENT OF THE NONOFFENDERS FELT SCHOOL WOULD HELP PREPARE THEM FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. ONLY 60 PERCENT OF OFFENDERS, COMPARED TO 90 PERCENT OF NONOFFENDERS, THOUGHT SCHOOL HAD DONE A GREAT DEAL FOR THEM. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)