School Context, Gender, and Delinquency

• NCJ Number: 104746
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1986) Pages: 79-98
• Author(s): J Fiqueira-McDonough
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 20 pages
• Grant Number(s): 79-JN-AX-0030
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 1984 meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Annotation

This study compares two high schools serving the same community and compares student bodies with similar background characteristics.

Abstract

The purpose is to examine how control/strain variables predict delinquency in two distinct school contexts. It was found that minor delinquency occurred more often in the environment dominated by competitive academic achievement, routine handling of discipline, and unpredictable supervision. Examination of the model paths suggests that this environment is also conservative and unlikely to offer legitimate opportunities to girls with gender-egalitarian orientation. The school context characterized by a broader definition of success, more specialized discipline, and predictable supervision promotes stronger bonds with its students and lower levels of delinquency for both genders. (Author abstract)