The analysis focuses on the relationship between belief in school rules and three types of school delinquency: school crime, school misconduct, and school nonattendance. A sample of 754 middle-school students in grades seven and eight were administered an anonymous questionnaire that solicited information on personal background characteristics, family involvement in schooling, ability grouping, belief in school rules, and delinquent behavior in school. Open-ended student interviews, attendance records, behavior referral records, observations, and informal teacher interviews were used to inform questionnaire development and supplement the survey analysis. Multiple path analysis of data found support for the general hypothesis that belief in the fairness and consistent enforcement of school rules is inversely associated with school delinquency. As predicted, nonwhite students, boys, and students living with a stepparent had less belief in the fairness of school rules and their consistent enforcement. Family size, living with a single parent, and grade level had no significant impact on belief in school rules. Parental involvement with schooling had the strongest influence on belief in school rules. These results suggest that parents and schools need to work together to increase students' understanding and acceptance of school rules. 6 tables and 4 figures