NCJ Number
52487
Date Published
1978
Length
18 pages
Annotation
A THEORETICAL ORIENTATION TO THE RELATION BETWEEN SCHOOL EXPERIENCES AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS PRESENTED, ALONG WITH THE RESULTS OF A STUDY OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SELECTED VIRGINIA CITIES.
Abstract
BY ITSELF, COMPLIANCE THEORY DOES NOT PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. CONTROL THEORY TELLS COMPARATIVELY LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE BONDS OF AN ORGANIZATION CAN BE BROKEN, ALTHOUGH IT CONSIDERS HOW WEAKENED OR BROKEN BONDS AFFECT DELINQUENCY. COMPLIANCE INVOLVES STRUCTURAL AND MOTIVATIONAL COMPONENTS. THREE BASIC TYPES OF POWER ARE DELINEATED: COERCIVE, REMUNERATIVE, AND NORMATIVE POWER. ONE RESEARCHER CONTENDS THAT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CHARACTERISTICALLY EMPLOY NORMATIVE CONTROLS, WITH COERCION AS A SECONDARY SOURCE OF COMPLIANCE. IN GENERAL, PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE BEING CALLED UPON TO ACCEPT LARGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS WHOSE COMMITMENT TO THE GOALS OF THE ORGANIZATION IS NOT THE LOGICAL OUTCOME OF SELF-SELECTION, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECRUITMENT STANDARDS, OR THE UTILIZATION OF MEANINGFUL REMOVAL STANDARDS. SOCIAL CONTROL CAN BE AND OFTEN IS SO PROBLEMATIC THAT IT BECOMES A MAJOR ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL, A GOAL THAT IS FREQUENTLY PURSUED BY PRIMARY RELIANCE ON COERCIVE POWER AND SECONDARY RELIANCE ON NORMATIVE POWER. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOME IS THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS WILL BECOME ALIENATIVELY INVOLVED. THIS IS THE POINT WHERE CONTROL THEORY ASSUMES SPECIAL IMPORTANCE. IT IS MORE CONCERNED WITH RELATIONSHIPS AMONG STUDENTS, SCHOOL EXPERIENCES, AND DELINQUENCY THAN COMPLIANCE THEORY. A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE POWER EMPLOYED BY SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS. DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN PORTSMOUTH AND VIRGINIA BEACH, VA., DURING THE 1975-1976 SCHOOL YEAR. COMPLETE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE OBTAINED FROM 2,249 STUDENTS AT BOTH THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN ADDITION TO EXAMINING STUDENT ASSESSMENTS OF PERSONAL CONTROL EXERCISED IN SCHOOL, CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO WHETHER THEY VIEWED IT AS A SALIENT CONCERN. INFORMATION PROVIDED ABOUT ATTACHMENT TO THE SCHOOL ORGANIZATION, ATTACHMENT TO SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT, ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS, ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW, EDUCATIONAL EXPECTATIONS, INVOLVEMENT IN CONVENTIONAL ACTIVITIES, INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL-RELATED ACTIVITIES, AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PROVIDED AT LEAST PARTIAL SUPPORT FOR MANY OF THE PROPOSITIONS THAT MAY BE DERIVED FROM CONTROL THEORY. SUPPORTING STUDY DATA ARE TABULATED, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)