It takes a village: examining social capital effects of parental and community agency involvement on school delinquency

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research indicates the importance of parental and community agency involvement for the reduction of adolescent delinquent behavior. However, few studies specifically examine the role of parental involvement within the physical school context, and many neglect to examine this issue based on school administrator perceptions. This study, a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the 2008 School Survey on Crime and Safety, examines the impact of parental and community agency involvement in schools on student delinquency among a representative sample of 2,331 schools. Findings show that parental involvement in schools is predictive of decreased delinquency, while formal community agency involvement in schools by agencies such as law enforcement and social services is predictive of increased delinquency. Results suggest that based on school administrator perceptions, stimulating parent involvement in schools may reduce delinquency and serve as a preventative measure, allowing schools to rely less on reactive punishment. Furthermore, additional work should be done to determine how the involvement of both formal and informal community agencies impact student behavior.