NCJ Number
59847
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
VIEWING STUDENT SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND SUBCULTURES AS POTENTIAL FORCES INFLUENCING SCHOOL CRIME, THE MODIFICATION OF THESE STRUCTURES TO SUPPORT THE LEGITIMATE CULTURE IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOUTH TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS IN THE MIDDLE-CLASS CULTURE AND/OR CRIMINAL SUBCULTURES IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE SINGLE MOST INFLUENTIAL THEORY OF YOUTH CRIME IN THE 1960'S AND 1970'S. CLOWARD AND OHLIN, IN THEIR THEORY OF DELINQUENCY AND OPPORTUNITY, MAINTAIN THAT COMMUNITIES AFFORD YOUTH VARYING DEGREES OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS. IN OTHER THEORIES, BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS SOMETIMES OVEREMPHASIZE THE AVAILABILITY OF CRIMINAL OPPORTUNITIES IN UNDERSTANDING YOUTH CRIME. ALSO IMPORTANT IN THE POTENTIAL EXPLANATION OF YOUTH CRIME IS THE EXTENT OF MORAL RATHER THAN OPPORTUNISTIC COMMITMENT TO VALUES THAT DISCOURAGE CRIME. BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOUTH FROM DISORGANIZED HIGH-CRIME AREAS, POVERTY NEIGHBORHOODS, AND GHETTO AREAS ARE SOCIALIZED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF COMPETING SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND CULTURES (CRIMINAL AND NONCRIMINAL). FURTHERMORE, SCHOLARS GENERALLY ASSUME THAT YOUTHFUL VIOLENT AND/OR DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR CONSTITUTES ONLY EXPRESSIVE OR NONGOAL-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR. BASED ON A REVIEW OF RESEARCH THEORIES AND A STUDY OF SCHOOL-RELATED CRIME IN CALIFORNIA, A STUDENT SOCIAL STRUCTURE-SUBCULTURE IS PROPOSED AS A THIRD CLUSTER OF CONCEPTS AND VARIABLES IN ADDITION TO LEGITIMATE AND CRIMINAL WORLDS. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)