Stigma and Deviant Careers in School

Abstract

Academic and non-academic grades of two groups of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade pupils were compared. One was a publically “deviant,” or delinquent, group; the other had no known history of delinquency. These comparisons were designed to test certain claims of the “labelling theory” approach to deviance. Findings were not entirely consistent with the theoretical claims. Further areas of research to assess these claims more rigorously are suggested.