Delinquency, Schools, and the Social Bond

Book excerpt: Annotation Eith analyzes the impact of individual and school level factors on the school bond as a protective factor against delinquency. She further assesses significant differences in school bonding between the genders and across race/ethnicity. Her results show that at the elementary school level, the school bond does not function as predicted by Hirschi (1969). However, at the secondary school levels the school bond begins to function as theorized. A student s strong bond to school at the secondary school levels serves a preventative function against delinquent behaviors, drug use, and delinquent peer associations; regardless of overall delinquency in the school environment.