School crime and individual responsibility: The perpetuation of a myth?

The thesis that the organizational structure of school manufactures school crime is explored. It is argued that schools contribute to: (1) student academic failure; & (2) a process that generates negative self-, teacher, peer, & parental expectations, the outcome being high rates of youth misconduct & crime. The school is viewed as an important competitive arena for youth, strategically between SC origins & SS/occupational destinations, in which students forge both personal identity & life skills. Relationships among academic competence, school organizational features, social labeling, & rates of youth misbehavior & crime are detailed. It is suggested that schooling, not individual shortcomings, contributes largely to the development of deviant careers. Intervention efforts must be focused on reversing both the short- & long-term negative consequences of commonplace educational practices that are producing deviant career identities & high rates of school crime. 55 References. Modified AA.