The effects of neighborhood characteristics on school crime and academic achievement

Abstract

Many studies of the relationship among neighborhood demographics, school crime, and academic performance rely on broad categories of crime, such as a generalized number of crime incidents or suspensions. This study investigates these relationships by using specific crime categories not explored previously. The primary assumption, often made in studies of school-level phenomena, being challenged is that substance possession should be categorized with other types of school crime. This assumption is not supported by studies of adolescents and substance use. The current study found that most categories of school crime are associated with poor academic performance, single-parent homes, and low economic status while substance use and possession are not. Regression models found that family structure is a more important factor than poverty in driving school crime. Strong within-school associations among reports of robbery, battery, and assault with a deadly weapon were also found.