NCJ Number
51386
Editor(s)
E WENK,
N HARLOW
Date Published
1978
Length
238 pages
Annotation
THIS ANTHOLOGY CONSIDERS ISSUES RELATED TO SCHOOL CRIME, ITS CAUSES, AND ITS PROBABLE SOLUTIONS. THE PAPERS FOCUS ON PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO SCHOOL CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL.
Abstract
THE COLLECTION BEGINS WITH TWO PAPERS DESCRIBING APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF CRIME IN SCHOOLS. A STRATEGY FOR BASING PREVENTION PROGRAMS ON THE FINDINGS OF RESEARCH TAILORED TO PARTICULAR SCHOOLS IS OUTLINED, AND A MODEL OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS' SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IS PRESENTED OFFERING A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING AND PREVENTING SCHOOL CRIME. THE SECOND CATEGORY OF PAPERS SUGGESTS COHERENT THEORIES OF CAUSATION AND PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR ALTERING CONDITIONS IN SCHOOLS AND SOCIETY WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO SCHOOL CRIME. ONE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN SCHOOL IS GENERATED BY NEGATIVE SCHOOL EXPERIENCES AND RESULTING LOW SELF-ESTEEM. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ALTERNATE SCHOOL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH POSITIVE EXPERIENCES ARE IDENTIFIED. STUDY FINDINGS ON THE AESTHETICS OF VANDALISM, OR THE FACTORS WHICH MAKE VANDALISM ENJOYABLE, ARE PRESENTED; AND CHANGES IN DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND SCHOOL RESPONSE ARE RECOMMENDED FOR REDUCING INCENTIVES TO VANDALISM. THE LACK OF MEANINGFUL ROLES FOR YOUTH IN SOCIETY IS DISCUSSED ALSO AS A CAUSAL FACTOR IN SCHOOL CRIME, AND THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS IMAGINATIVE WAYS OF DIVERTING CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY-BENEFICIAL ACTIVITIES. THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS SOURCES OF SOCIAL POWER ON CHILDREN ARE CONSIDERED, AND IT IS SUGGESTED THAT STUDENTS ATTACK THE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY CANNOT DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THEIR ROLE IN SOCIETY. THE EFFECTS OF LABELING ON STUDENTS AND THE BENEFITS OF INCREASING LINKS BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES ARE DISCUSSED. THE FINAL CATEGORY OF PAPERS CONCENTRATES ON SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OR ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN TO REDUCE SCHOOL CRIME. THESE INCLUDE HUMAN RELATIONS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR HEIGHTENING AWARENESS OF RACIAL BIASES IN TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS, SCHOOL GOVERNANCE MODELS DISPERSING EDUCATIONAL DECISIONMAKING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, SMALLER SCHOOLS, TECHNIQUES FOR NEGOTIATING SCHOOL CONFLICTS, AND PROGRAMS FOR TRAINING SPECIALISTS TO WORK WITH DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DAG)