GROUP DISORDERS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• NCJ Number: 11503
• Journal: American Sociological Review Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (AUGUST 1973) Pages: 461-467
• Author(s): P RITTERBAND; R SILBERSTEIN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1 R01 MH17613-01
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: American Sociological Review
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF SERIOUS STUDENT DISORDERS IN NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOLS AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE SOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.

Abstract

SERIOUS STUDENT DISORDERS WERE DEFINED AS THOSE TO WHICH POLICE WERE CALLED DURING THE PERIOD NOVEMBER 1968JUNE 1969. THREE ALTERNATIVE MODELS WHICH MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR UNDERSTANDING GROUP DISORDERS ARE PROPOSED. THE FIRST OF THESE, RANDOM EVENTS, ASSUMES THAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF EVENTS DOES NOT REFLECT PATTERNED VARIATION IN FACTORS PRESUMED TO BE CAUSAL. THE SECOND MODEL, EXOGENOUS CAUSATION, REFERS TO THE ETHNIC ATTRIBUTES OF THE PUPILS AND STAFF. THE THIRD MODEL, SYSTEM EFFECTS, REFERS TO THE DYNAMICS OF THE DISORDERS THEMSELVES AND THE CUSTODIAL AND ACADEMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOLS. THE ONLY MEASURED CHARACTERISTICS FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANT WERE THE ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE STUDENT BODY AND THE TEACHING STAFF. THE DATA SUPPORT THE THESIS THAT DISORDER PRONENESS WAS A FUNCTION OF INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR INTERACTIONS, NOT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE SCHOOLS DID SEEM TO CREATE THEIR OWN POLITICAL CLIMATE AS MUCH AS THEY REFLECTED THE POLITICAL CLIMATE OF THE LARGER SOCIETY. INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSION ARE THE STATISTICAL RESULTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)