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Poor school bonding and delinquency over time: bidirectional effects and sex differences
Jenny Freidenfelt Liljeberg1, Jenny M Eklund, Marie Väfors Fritz
1Centre for Health Equity Studies, CHESS, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Sveavagen 160, Sveaplan, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. jenny.freidenfelt.liljeberg@chess.su.se
Journal of Adolescence
|April 27, 2010
Summary
Adolescent delinquency is linked to poor school bonding, with bidirectional effects observed. School attachment and teacher relationships impact delinquency differently in boys and girls over time.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Developmental Science
Background:
- Previous research has partially explored the link between school bonding and delinquency.
- Understanding the nuances of this association, including bidirectional effects and sex differences, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the bidirectional relationship between school bonding and self-rated delinquency in adolescents over time.
- To identify potential sex differences in the association between school bonding and delinquency.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 788 adolescents (353 boys, 435 girls) surveyed at ages 14 and 16.
- Utilized questionnaires to assess school attachment, commitment, teacher attachment, and self-rated delinquency.
Main Results:
- Poor school attachment, commitment, and teacher attachment were stronger predictors of delinquency in males compared to females.
- Delinquency predicted poor school commitment in both sexes and poor school attachment in girls, indicating bidirectional effects.
- Sex differences were observed in some of these bidirectional effects.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent boys' delinquency propensity is influenced by all dimensions of school bonding.
- For adolescent girls, the relationship with teachers is particularly significant in relation to delinquency.
- The findings highlight the complex, time-varying, and sex-specific nature of the school bonding-delinquency association.
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