Search

THE FOCUS OF THIS STUDY WAS ON LOCATING REGULARITIES OR COMMON ELEMENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL SITUATIONS WHICH MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL DAMAGE BY CHILDREN. RESEARCH WAS CENTERED UPON THE FOLLOWING STUDY ELEMENTS--(1) THE NATURE OF AN ACT OF VANDALISM, (2) THE SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHILDREN INVOLVED, (3) THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING SUCH FACTORS AS MORALE, TEACHER-PUPIL RELATIONSHIPS, AND EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS, AND (4) THE HOME ENVIRONMENT WITH REGARD TO THE ATTITUDE OF PARENTS TOWARD SUCH ACTS, TOWARD THE SCHOOL, AND TOWARD SOCIETY VALUES. THE STUDY SAMPLE INCLUDED THE HISTORY AND DAMAGE SCALE RATING OF 16 HIGH SCHOOLS. INTERVIEW ANSWERS FROM APPROXIMATELY 350 TEACHERS, AND QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES FROM 1,170 STUDENTS. PROJECT RESULTS SHOWED THAT MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RELATIVE AMOUNT OF SCHOOL DAMAGE AND TO A HIGH RATE OF VANDALIC STUDENT BEHAVIOR INCLUDED SUCH FACTORS AS (1) LOW SOCIOECONOMIC COMMUNITY STATUS AND HIGH COMMUNITY TRANSIENCY, (2) HIGH LEVELS OF SCHOOL CHANGE AND INSTABILITY, (3) LOW LEVEL OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION WITH A SCHOOL AND ITS GOALS AMONG STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS, (4) INADEQUATE ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP, AND POOR COMMUNICATION WITHIN A SCHOOL, (5) POOR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS WITHIN A SCHOOL AND BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND FAMILY, AND (6) LOW LEVEL OF SCHOOL MORALE. IT WAS ALSO SHOWN THAT CERTAIN SITUATIONS AROUSE STRAIN OR INSECURITY IN ANY SOCIAL GROUP OR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. EXPECTATIONS WERE THAT EDUCATORS MADE AWARE OF THESE STRAINS COULD THEN DEVELOP METHODS FOR MINIMIZING DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR BY STUDENTS. (JH)