DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR LINKED TO EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND POST-HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCES (FROM COLLOQUIUM ON THE CORRELATES OF CRIME AND THE DETERMINANTS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, 1978, BY LAURA OTTEN - SEE NCJ-53455)

• NCJ Number: 53456
• Author(s): J G BACHMAN; L D JOHNSTON; P M O'MALLEY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 43 pages
• Corporate Author: Mitre Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

DETAILS ARE PROVIDED OF A PORTION OF THE FINDINGS FROM FIVE WAVES OF THE YOUTH IN TRANSITION PROJECT CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN'S INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH.

Abstract

THE STUDY BEGAN IN 1966 WITH A NATIONWIDE CROSS SECTION OF YOUNG MEN IN THE 10 GRADE, WHO WERE THEN RESURVEYED IN 1968, 1969, AND 1970. THE FIFTH DATA COLLECTION OCCURRED IN 1974, 5 YEARS AFTER MOST HAD GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. AMONG THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES WERE THE FOLLOWING: (1) TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL PARTICULARLY BY COMPARING THE OCCUPATIONAL ATTAINMENTS OF DROPOUTS WITH THOSE OF GRADUATES; (2) TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEGREE TO WHICH 10TH GRADE MEASURES CAN PREDICT EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL ATTAINMENTS; (3) TO ASSESS THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN OCCUPATIONAL ATTAINMENTS, ESPECIALLY AS COMPARED WITH THE ROLE OF FAMILY BACKGROUND AND INTELLECTUAL ABILITY; AND (4) TO DISCOVER THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS POSTHIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES ON VALUES, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS. THE 2,213 ADOLESCENT MALES WERE MEASURED ALONG THE FOLLOWING DIMENSIONS: SELF-ESTEEM; OCCUPATIONAL SATISFACTION; JOB SATISFACTION; VIEWS ON RACE RELATIONS, GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES, FAMILY PLANNING, POPULATION ISSUES, USE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS; SELF-REPORTED DRUG USE; AND DELINQUENT/CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THE FINDINGS IMPLY THAT MOST HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS ARE NO BETTER OR WORSE AS EMPLOYEES THAN THOSE WHOSE EDUCATION STOPPED WITH A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. ALTHOUGH EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IS CORRELATED WITH DELINQUENCY, CIGARETTE USE, AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, IN EACH CASE THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOR PRECEDED SORTING OUT BY LEVEL OF EDUCATION. IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE YOUNG MEN WITH HIGH RATES OF DELINQUENCY, CIGARETTE USE, AND ALCOHOL USE ARE LESS LIKELY TO REACH HIGH LEVELS OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND THOSE WITH ABOVE-AVERAGE LEVELS OF DELINQUENCY AND DRUG USE ARE LESS LIKELY TO ATTAIN HIGH STATUS JOBS. REFERENCES AND TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)