DELINQUENCY AND VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY (FROM VIOLENT CRIMES - HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, 1977, BY JAMES A INCIARDI AND ANNE E POTTIEGER SEE NCJ-52628)

• NCJ Number: 52633
• Author(s): M GOLD; O C MOLES
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA GATHERED IN A 1972 NATIONAL SURVEY OF 1,395 YOUTHS ARE EXAMINED IN LIGHT OF CLAIMS THAT CRIME IN THE SCHOOLS IS INCREASING.

Abstract

A COMPARISON OF THE 1972 DATA WITH DATA FROM A SELF-REPORT SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 1967 INDICATES THAT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN THE SCHOOLS, VIOLENT OR OTHERWISE, PROBABLY DID NOT INCREASE AT THE TIME WHEN PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT SUCH BEHAVIOR DEEPENED. THERE WAS A DECLINE IN SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY AMONG BOYS FROM 1967 TO 1972, ALTHOUGH OFFICIAL DATA FOR THE SAME PERIOD SHOW AN INCREASE IN ARRESTS OF JUVENILES. ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF CRIMES ACTUALLY RESULT IN ARREST, AND SELF-REPORTS AND POLICE RECORDS COULD SHOW DIFFERENT TRENDS, WITH ARRESTS RESPONDING MORE TO POLICE PRACTICES AND OTHER SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAN TO ACTUAL INCREASES IN DELINQUENCY. DURING THIS PERIOD, DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM AND FOR CIVIL RIGHTS SOMETIMES SPILLED OVER INTO THE SCHOOLS, RESULTING IN OCCASIONAL CONFRONTATIONS AND ILLEGAL ACTS WHICH TENDED TO RECEIVE CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY. THIS SITUATION COULD EXPLAIN THE STRONG PUBLIC CONCERN FOR DISCIPLINE IN THE SCHOOLS AT THIS TIME. THE SURVEY DATA ALSO SUGGEST THAT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN SCHOOL IS SIMILAR TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR COMMITTED ELSEWHERE. THE LEAA'S NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY DATA SHOW THAT 36 PERCENT OF ALL ASSAULTS REPORTED BY YOUTHS HAPPEN IN SCHOOLS. THIS FIGURE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE 34 PERCENT REPORTED IN THE YOUTH SURVEY. WHILE ASSAULT IS A SERIOUS DELINQUENT ACT, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOUTHS SPEND IN SCHOOL, PROPORTIONATELY LESS DELINQUENCY OCCURS THERE THAN ELSEWHERE. THE DATA ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE SAME DYNAMICS CONTROL DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AT SCHOOL AND ELSEWHERE, AND THAT SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD ALSO WORK IN THE SCHOOL, AND VICE VERSA. THE MAJOR THEORETICAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEM OF SCHOOL CRIME IS NOT THAT IT IS ACTUALLY INCREASING BUT RATHER THAT THE PUBLIC BELIEVES IT IS INCREASING. RESEARCHERS SHOULD ATTEMPT TO FIND OUT WHY THE PUBLIC HOLDS THIS BELIEF. ONE TABLE AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)