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DELINQUENCY, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND DROPOUT*
DELBERT S. ELLIOTT
San Diego State College
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308 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
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Delinquency, School Attendance and Dropout 309
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310 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
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Delinquency, School Attendance and Dropout 311
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312 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
TABLE I
DELINQUENT REFERRAL RATE* AMONG BOYS IN AND OUT OF SCHOO
In School
SES Out of School
Areas Graduates **Dropouts Sub-total **Dropouts
Lower 4.13 8.70 4.96 2.42
Higher 4.92 4.95 4.92 4.63
Total 4.34 8.03 4.95 2.75
* Number of referrals pe
** These are the same ind
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Delinquency, School Attendance and Dropout 313
boys from these two SES areas differ- The data in Table II supports this
ently. While leaving school should hypothesis. The in-school referral rate
help to eliminate the status frustration for delinquents is almost twice their
of boys from lower-class areas, it out-of-school referral rate. This rela-
would not necessarily solve the adjust- tionship holds for delinquents from
ment problem of those from middle- both lower and higher SES areas. The
and upper-class areas. Boys from rates in Table II also suggest that
lower-class areas can retreat into the
delinquents from lower SES neighbor-
lower-class community where they mayhoods have a higher referral rate than
seek employment in the unskilled or do delinquents from higher SES neigh-
semi-skilled occupations which areborhoods. This is particularly interest-
available to them. Their parents and
ing since there is little difference in the
other adult members of their com- proportions (.112 and .118) of boys
munity are willing to accept thesefrom
oc- each of these two areas who are
delinquent, i.e., who had one or more
cupations as legitimate endeavors for
young men. official referrals on file. It appears that
Boys from middle-class areas whodelinquents from lower SES neighbor-
hoods are more frequent offenders
leave school subsequently find them-
selves limited to lower-class occupa-
than are those from higher SES areas.
tions while their parents and other
Conclusion
adult members of their community
continue to hold middle-class expecta-
Cohen suggests that delinquency on
tions for them. They are unablethe
or part of lower-class boys is a re-
sponse to the unequal competition en-
unwilling to meet the formal expecta-
countered at school. Delinquency is
tions of school and are equally unable
thus associated with frustration and
to meet the expectations of their
failure particularly experienced in
parents if they drop out of school.
school, for it is in this milieu that
A separate but related issue involves
the effect of leaving school on youth
the from disparate cultural back-
referral rate of boys who were knowngrounds are forced to compete for
officially as delinquents whilemiddle-class
in success goals.
There are several alternatives avail-
school. Although the rate of delin-
quent referral is less for boys whileableout to those who experience frustra-
of school than while in school, it does tion at school. They may remain in
not necessarily follow that those who school and attempt to deal with their
have official referrals while in school frustration by attacking the system of
will have fewer referrals after leaving norms and values which they believe to
school. To test the hypothesis that be the source of their difficulties.
delinquents who drop out have a Delinquent behavior may thus be
higher referral rate while in school, in- viewed as an expression of their resent-
and out-of-school referral rates were ment toward this system and those
calculated for this group. (Table II) who attempt to enforce its norms. On
TABLE II
OFFENSE RATES* FOR DELINQUENT DROPOUTS BEFORE AND AFTER
LEAVING SCHOOL
* Number of delinquen
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314 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Nearly all writers who deal with Social class is treated as a critically
juvenile delinquency in American so-
important variable in a number of the
ciety conclude that it is primarily con-theories of delinquency. These
current
centrated in the lower socio-economic
explanations have extended the hy-
strata, but few would deny the pothesis
exist- proposed by Merton that
ence of delinquency among middle
"aberrant behavior may be regarded
class youth.1 Many undoubtedly sociologically
would as a symptom of dissoci-
agree that middle class delinquency is
ation between culturally prescribed as-
increasing, though the evidence for and socially structured ave-
pirations
such a view is impressionistic and non-
nues for realizing these aspirations."3
statistical.2 The effect of these theories has been
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