NCJ Number
207954
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 46 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2004 Pages: 553-572
Date Published
October 2004
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of classroom climate on the development of early delinquency.
Abstract
Previous research has established the importance of school and classroom climate on the development of youth. Specifically, two types of support have been identified within the school environment: emotional and instrumental. While emotional support for children within the classroom has been identified as important for at-risk youth, there has been little research concerning the impact of emotional and instrumental support on delinquency. The current study drew on 2 years of data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to explore the effects of emotional and instrumental school support on the development of early violence and property offending. Data were collected on 1,311 youth regarding involvement in violent and property offending, cumulative risk, overall school ability, and early aggression. Results of bivariate correlations and regression analyses indicated that an emotionally supportive classroom environment at the ages of 10 to 13 years was related to lower levels of violence 2 years later. Moreover, an instrumentally supportive classroom environment was related to lower levels of property offending 2 years later. Future research should measure delinquency over a longer time period in order to rule out contemporaneous associations. Tables, notes, references