SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY (FROM ZAGADNIENIA NIEPRZYSTOSOWANIA SPOLECZNEGO I PRZESTEPCZOSCI W POLSCE, P 345-366, 1978, BY JERZY JASINSKI - SEE NCJ-68628)

• NCJ Number: 68638
• Author(s): D WOJCIK
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Country: Poland

Annotation

POLISH STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT LEARNING AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS AT SCHOOL OFTEN PRECEDE DELINQUENCY. IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO DETECT SUCH PROBLEMS EARLY AND OFFER THE STUDENTS APPROPRIATE HELP.

Abstract

LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AT SCHOOL ARE CLOSELY LINKED WITH BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES, SINCE STUDENTS' FAILURE TO LEARN OFTEN CAUSES AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND TRUANCY. THIS BECOMES A VICIOUS CYCLE, BECAUSE TRUANCY, IN TURN FURTHER IMPEDES LEARNING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TEACHERS AND THE PARENTS, INSTEAD OF HELPING THOSE CHILDREN LEARN AND DEVELOP BETTER SELF-IMAGES, PUNISH AND STIGMATIZE THEM AS FAILURES. STUDIES SHOW THAT JUVENILE DELINQUENTS OFTEN DROP OUT OF SCHOOL, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET A GOOD JOB AND HAMPERS THEIR START IN LIFE. THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCHOOL IS OFTEN TRANSFERRED TO THE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT MANY CHILDREN WHO HAD THEIR FIRST LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN SCHOOL EXPERIENCED CONFLICTS AT HOME WHEN THEY WERE 8 TO 9 YEARS OLD, AND COMMITTED THEIR FIRST OFFENSE WHEN THEY WERE 13 TO 14 YEARS OLD. ANOTHER STUDY OF CHILDREN (FROM 15 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHO HAD LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS SHOWED THAT 71.4 PERCENT WERE STEALING, AND 2.5 YEARS LATER 27.4 PERCENT WERE CONVICTED IN JUVENILE COURT. FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. --IN POLISH.