NCJ Number
58788
Date Published
1978
Length
63 pages
Annotation
THE THEORY ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG SCHOOL STATUS, FEELINGS ABOUT SCHOOL, INVOLVEMENT IN ANTISOCIAL GROUPS, AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IS DEVELOPED AND TESTED.
Abstract
A RESTATEMENT OF THE GENERAL THEORY OF SUBCULTURES IN TERMS OF A SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH CALLED COGNITIVE BALANCING SUGGESTS THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE FAILING IN SCHOOL ARE LIKELY TO DISLIKE THE SCHOOL, WHICH LEADS TO INVOLVEMENT WITH PEERS WHO ALSO DISLIKE THE SCHOOL, WHICH PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR DIRECTED AGAINST THE SCHOOL. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUPPORT EACH LINK OF THIS CAUSAL CHAIN. HYPOTHESES DERIVED FROM THE THEORIZED CHAIN WERE TESTED IN A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF 469 BOYS AT 2 HIGH SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK STATE. THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CAUSAL CHAIN, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT LIKE OR DISLIKE OF SCHOOL DOES NOT APPEAR TO INTERVENE BETWEEN SCHOOL FAILURE AND THE SUBSEQUENT VARIABLES IN THE CHAIN (ANTISOCIAL GROUP MEMBERSHIP AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR). IT APPEARS THAT LACK OF STATUS AT SCHOOL IS A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF JUVENILE MISCONDUCT. THIS IMPLIES THAT SCHOOLS COULD REDUCE THEIR STUDENT DISRUPTION PROBLEMS BY WIDENING THE SCOPE OF ABILITIES THEY REWARD TO INCLUDE SOME OF THE THINGS (E.G., AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS) IN WHICH YOUTHS WHO FAIL ACADEMICALLY MIGHT EXCEL. LARGE SCHOOLS MIGHT BE WELL ADVISED TO BREAK INTO SMALL CLUSTERS, EACH WITH A FULL SET OF ATHLETIC TEAMS, COMMITTEES, AND OTHER POSITIONS THAT GIVE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN RECOGNITION AND RESPECT. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA FROM THE NEW YORK STUDY AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)