NCJ Number
58785
Date Published
1978
Length
51 pages
Annotation
THE THESIS THAT RULE-ORIENTED SCHOOLS EXPERIENCE MORE DISRUPTION THAN SCHOOLS WHICH STRESS DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT COMMITMENT IS EXPLORED.
Abstract
FOLLOWING AN OVERVIEW OF EXPLANATIONS FOR SCHOOL CRIME AND A DISCUSSION OF THE PRESUMED RELATIONSHIP OF LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS TO SCHOOL CRIME, AN ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL CONTROLS IS PRESENTED. TWO APPROACHES TO HANDLING STUDENT DISRUPTIONS ARE IDENTIFIED: EXTERNAL CONTROL (RULES AND COERCION) AND INTERNAL CONTROL (CONFORMITY TO SHARED, INTERNALIZED NORMS). THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL SUPPORT IS CITED FOR THE CONTENTION THAT SCHOOLS ORGANIZED ALONG RULE-ORIENTED CONTROL PATTERNS ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE IN RESPONDING TO DISRUPTION (AND MORE LIKELY TO ENGENDER IT) THAN ARE SCHOOLS WITH AN INTERNAL CONTROL (NORMATIVE) ORIENTATION. SUCH SUPPORT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS: (1) UNLIKE EXTERNAL CONTROLS, INTERNAL CONTROLS NEED NOT RELY ON THE QUESTIONABLE EFFECTS OF DETERRENCE; (2) THE ABSENCE OF INTERNAL CONTROLS HAS BEEN LINKED BY RESEARCHERS TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; AND (3) ALTHOUGH POVERTY IN ITSELF DOES NOT EXPLAIN DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR BY STUDENTS, MANY STUDENTS OF LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ATTEND RULE-ORIENTED SCHOOLS IN WHICH DISRUPTION IS A PROBLEM. A REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE SCHOOL CRIME PROBLEM--SECURITY SYSTEMS, COUNSELING SERVICES, CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS, ORGANIZATIONAL MODIFICATIONS--CONCLUDES THAT THE LAST APPROACH IS THE BEST. THIS APPROACH IS EXEMPLIFIED IN WEST POINT'S RESPONSE TO A CHEATING SCANDAL BY TRANSFERRING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENFORCING ITS HONOR CODE FROM FACULTY TO CADETS. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)