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Young People, Crime and School Exclusion: A Case of Some Surprises

NCJ Number
208809
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 12-28
Author(s)
Philip Hodgson; David Webb
Date Published
February 2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Based on the findings from a British study, this article questions the commonly assumed link between school expulsion and juvenile crime.
Abstract
The sample consisted of 45 male and 11 female juveniles with a mean age of 14.2 years. All had been expelled from school for either a fixed term or permanently. A total of 19 males and 6 females had been permanently excluded from school. Using a self-report questionnaire, 40 juveniles (71.4 percent) admitted to committing a criminal offense. All reported the onset of offending prior to age 14, with 20 percent reporting their first offense before they were 10 years old. Of these 40 juveniles, 90 percent stated that their first offense was committed prior to their first expulsion from school. Of the total sample, 47 (83.9 percent) stated that being expelled from school did not influence their commission of crimes. Of the remaining nine members of the sample, two believed the expulsion from school led to an increase in the likelihood of them offending; seven stated they were less likely to commit a crime after expulsion. These findings support those of Hayden and Martin (1998), who suggested that the causal link assumed between school attendance and delinquent behavior is not based on robust research evidence. Apparently, school expulsion does not immediately and necessarily directly propel youth into crime. The evidence from this study is that parental action during the expulsion period has more influence than the expulsion itself on delinquent behavior after the expulsion. 5 tables, 14 notes, and 65 references