NCJ Number
125622
Editor(s)
M Gummesson,
L Alexandarsson
Date Published
1989
Length
114 pages
Annotation
This collection of research papers from Sweden explores the ability of schools to prevent future crime by influencing and changing the direction of children's behavior.
Abstract
One study concludes that maladjustment at school is an early warning signal that a student is at risk of poor social and economic status in later years. This suggests that schools should establish mechanisms to prevent these future problems. Another paper examines studies in England, the United States, the Netherlands, and New Zealand which support the theory that schools with enriched curriculum's produce better student grades and social adjustment, even when other factors are controlled. Another paper uses data from two longitudinal Swedish studies to explore which circumstances in a child's early life negatively impact future social adjustment and criminality. Among the early warning signs are "acting out" behavior, aggressiveness, and impulsiveness. The concluding paper discusses the extent of bullying in a school context and the characteristics of both perpetrators and victims. Overall, the papers suggest that schools have the capability and the responsibility to intervene when children are not behaving or performing well in school, given that such problems are early warning signs of maladaptive adult behavior. Chapter tables, figures, and references