EXPLORATORY STUDY OF DELINQUENCY AND THE NATURE OF SCHOOLING

• NCJ Number: 62067
• Journal: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 25-32
• Author(s): J BRAITHWAITE; V BRAITHWAITE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Sociological Assoc of Australia and New Zealnd
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

USING SELF-REPORT DELINQUENCY DATA, THE DELINQUENCY OF AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS AT NONCOMPETITIVE SCHOOLS WAS SHOWN TO BE SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN THAT OF STUDENTS AT COMPETITIVE SCHOOLS IN THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY.

Abstract

FEW CRIMINOLOGISTS DISPUTE THAT SCHOOL FAILURE HAS A CAUSAL EFFECT UPON DELINQUENCY. IT MIGHT BE ASSUMED, THEREFORE, THAT A SCHOOL STRUCTURE WITHOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF FAILURE BUILT INTO IT (A NONCOMPETITIVE SCHOOL) WOULD REDUCE DELINQUENCY. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, A 37-ITEM SELF-REPORT DELINQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 576 MALE STUDENTS AT 8 SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BRISBANE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, AND TWO PROVINCIAL CITIES IN AUSTRALIA. FIVE OF THE SCHOOLS WERE NONCOMPETITIVE AND THREE WERE COMPETITIVE. NONCOMPETITIVENESS INVOLVED THE ABSENCE OF A COMPULSORY EXAMINATION SYSTEM OR OF ANY OTHER METHOD OF RANKING BY ACADEMIC MERIT. WHILE THE AGE AND GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE NONCOMPETITIVE SAMPLE (N=154) AND THE COMPETITIVE SAMPLE (N=422) WERE SIMILAR, THE COMPETITIVE SAMPLE WAS PREDOMINANTLY WORKING CLASS AND THE NONCOMPETITIVE SAMPLE WAS LARGELY UPPER-MIDDLE-CLASS. SUBJECTS IN THE STUDY HAD BEEN ATTENDING THEIR PRESENT SCHOOL FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS. NONCOMPETITIVE SCHOOLS WERE ALSO NONAUTHORITARIAN, IN THE SENSE THAT STUDENTS WERE EXPECTED TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS. CONTRARY TO PREDICTION, A SOMEWHAT HIGHER LEVEL OF SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY FOR THE YEAR PRIOR TO THE STUDY (1975) WAS FOUND IN THE NONCOMPETITIVE SAMPLES WHEN COMPARED TO THE COMPETITIVE SCHOOL SAMPLE. WHETHER THE MORE EVIDENT DELINQUENCY AMONG CHILDREN FROM NONCOMPETITIVE SCHOOLS IS TO BE EXPLAINED BY NONCOMPETITIVENESS, ANTIAUTHORITARIANISM, SOCIAL SELECTION, OR GREATER HONESTY IN THE REPORTING OF DELINQUENCY CANNOT BE ANSWERED ADEQUATELY BY THIS KIND OF EXPLORATORY STUDY. RESEARCH METHODS FOR DEALING WITH THESE ISSUES ARE SUGGESTED. TABULAR DATA, QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)