NCJ Number
59010
Journal
CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (1978) Pages: 170-174
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
CAUSES UNDERLYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND DELINQUENCY ARE EXPLORED ON THE BASIS OF DATA RELATING TO 3,070 HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THE MONTREAL AREA IN QUEBEC, CANADA.
Abstract
DECISIVE FACTORS FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS OR FAILURE ARE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, SELF-IMAGE, ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL, ASPIRATION, RELATIONSHIPS TO TEACHERS, AND THE REACTION OF TEACHERS TO DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS. POOR PERFORMANCE (IN 24.6 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE) TENDS TO CAUSE DETERIORATION OF SELF-IMAGE (ABOUT 24 PERCENT) AND A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD SCHOOL (35 PERCENT); 32.7 PERCENT HAVE LITTLE OR NO CONTACT WITH TEACHERS, WHILE ONLY 10.3 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS ARE SOMETIMES OR OFTEN SEVERELY PUNISHED. STUDENT ATTITUDE TOWARD SCHOOL SERVES AS A BAROMETER OF STUDENT INTEREST. POSITIVE DYNAMICS AMONG DIFFERENT VARIABLES OF SCHOOL INTERACTION MAINTAIN STUDENT CONFORMITY. NEGATIVE DYNAMICS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ENGENDER PROGRESSIVE DISINTEREST, WHICH BECOMES EVIDENT IN THE LEVEL OF A STUDENT'S SCHOOL WORK AND RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN STUDENT GROUPS. IN THE MODEL ILLUSTRATING MALADAPTATION, ATTITUDES TOWARD ONESELF AND SCHOOL ARE VERY IMPORTANT, WHILE THE REACTION OF TEACHERS, WHO CONTRIBUTE TO STUDENT EXCLUSION, IS CRUCIAL. PROGRESSIVE WITHDRAWAL OF THE STUDENT, IF NOT HALTED, LEADS TO ALIENATION. MALADJUSTMENT IN SCHOOL IS APPARENTLY THE FIRST STAGE OF GENERAL PROBLEMS CULMINATING IN DELINQUENCY; 61.6 PERCENT OF THE MALADJUSTED STUDENTS ARE AT THE POINT OF DELINQUENCY AND 36.9 PERCENT ARE ALREADY DELINQUENT. FUTHERMORE, SCHOLASTIC PROBLEMS ARE TYPICAL OF DELINQUENTS: 36.6 PERCENT OF THE DELINQUENTS TESTED HAVE BEGUN TO HAVE SCHOOL PROBLEMS, WHILE 53.9 PERCENT ARE ALREADY MALADJUSTED. SCHOOL IS AN IMPORTANT SOCIALIZATION PROCESS, WHICH IF INADEQUATE MAY FORCE STUDENTS TO SEEK ILLICIT GRATIFICATION. TABLES AND A FEW NOTES ARE FURNISHED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)