Social Context Of Thefts At Czech Schools

Abstract

Thefts at school are one of the obstacles in building a safe school environment that makes the effective teaching process easier. Although this is not a rare phenomenon, literature covers it only marginally. This paper presents quantitative results of the author’s dissertation thesis describing in the first part the thefts committed by pupils aged 11-15 years in a school environment in the Czech Republic. The second part introduces significant variables from the social context of these pupils by means from regression model. The outcomes of the statistical analyses enrich not only pedagogical theory but at the same time indicate important elements of family and school contexts of the pupils who commit these thefts. Four variables were on the significant level 5% in the regression: attachment to school, self-control, tension in family and other demonstrations of risk behaviour and these may be regarded the most important from the point of view of thefts at school. The variables social learning in family and delinquent friends were also marginally significant. With regard to the delinquency theories on thefts at school committed by pupils, the following theories are important: Problem Behaviour Theory, General Theory of Crime, General Strain Theory mainly focused on family context and Social Control Theory and Social Bond Theory.