Does School Involvement Aggravate or Mitigate the Prediction of Student Delinquency?

• In Event: Investigations of School Crime Across Multiple Data Sources

Abstract

Previous research has produced mixed results regarding the relationship between involvement in extracurricular activities and student delinquency, with differences indicated by the type of activity and the type of delinquent behavior. We use a large nationally representative sample of middle school students to investigate this relationship, by examining the influence of participation in various extracurricular activities (such as performing arts, student government, service clubs, team sports, and individual sports) on involvement in a multitude of deviant behaviors (such as fighting, truancy, and substance use).

Authors

• Madeline Reynolds, Villanova University

• Allison Payne, Villanova University