NCJ Number
14616
Date Published
1974
Length
281 pages
Annotation
EXAMINATION OF THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND DROPOUT AMONG STUDENTS IN TWO CALIFORNIA METROPOLITAN AREAS.
Abstract
MANY PERSONS PERCEIVE A LINKAGE BETWEEN DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL AND OTHER SOCIAL PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY UNEMPLOYMENT AND DELINQUENCY. THIS DOCUMENT REPRESENTS ONE STEP IN TESTING THIS POPULARLY ASSUMED CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP. THE INITIAL TASK IN THIS RESEARCH WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEMATIC THEORY SUFFICIENTLY COMPREHENSIVE TO ACCOUNT FOR DELINQUENCY AND DROPOUT AMONG INTELLECTUALLY CAPABLE STUDENTS. THE THEORY DEVELOPED BY THE AUTHORS TO EXPLAIN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IS ESSENTIALLY A MODIFICATION AND EXTENSION OF CLOWARD AND OHLIN'S THEORY OF DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION AND ANOMIE. THE SAMPLE FOR THIS STUDY, CONSISTING OF 2617 STUDENTS, WAS DRAWN FROM EIGHT SCHOOLS LOCATED IN TWO CALIFORNIA METROPOLITAN AREAS. DATA WERE OBTAINED COMMENCING WITH THE STUDENTS' ENROLLMENT IN THE NINTH GRADE AND THEREAFTER ON A YEARLY BASIS OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD THE DATA CONSISTED OF STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRES, PARENT INTERVIEWS. DROPOUT INTERVIEWS, TEACHERS' EVALUATIONS, AND OFFICIAL RECORDS. CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE MEASUREMENT OF DELINQUENCY AND THE DEFINITION OF DROPOUT. COMMENTS ARE MADE AS WELL ON PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND PRESENT FINDINGS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND DROPPING OUT. THE AUTHORS THEN DISCUSS SUPPORT OF HYPOTHESIZED INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF DELINQUENCY AND DROPOUT -- FAILURE AND ANTICIPATED FAILURE, EXPLANATION OF FAILURE, ALIENATION, AND PATTERNS OF DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT THE DATA GENERALLY SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SCHOOL IS THE CRITICAL CONTEXT FOR THE GENERATION OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE DATA ALSO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION FOR THE FACT THAT DROPPING OUT IS RELATED TO CLASS WHILE DELINQUENCY IS NOT. (SNI ABSTRACT)