NCJ Number
136378
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (March 1992) Pages: 79-94
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Findings of earlier research on the relation between school features and petty crime were the starting point for the current study of Dutch secondary schools that focused on the effects of delinquency for students between 15 and 17 years of age.
Abstract
The study included the formulation and an empirical test of a conditional social control theory. A main version was formulated as a cultural theory about the influence of social networks on social behavior. The study stressed the influence of school organization and student networks on the delinquent behavior of students. A preliminary study of 52 junior high schools was conducted in Dutch cities with more than 80,000 inhabitants. The main study was carried out 2 years later on a selection of 14 of the 52 schools. Research methods included half-structured interviews, structured observations, student and teacher surveys, a small survey of observers, and sociograms. Results indicated almost no influence of school features on social integration and petty crime, in contrast to the results of several other studies. Methodological explanations are offered for the conflicting results. First, schools chosen in the present study were all of the same type. Second, there are cultural differences between schools in the Netherlands. Further, all studied schools lacked intentional influence on students and internal cohesion with respect to educational policies. 27 references, 7 tables, and 2 figures