Testing the effects of delinquent peers and self‐control on disruptive behaviors in the college classroom

Abstract

While many studies have examined the effects of disruptive behaviors in the secondary classroom, few have focused on disruptive behaviors in the college classroom. Also, no study has examined whether concepts from criminological theories (i.e., self‐control and delinquent peer association) predict disruptive behaviors in the classroom, controlling for delinquent behaviors outside of the classroom. Using self‐reported data from 705 college students, this study found that delinquent peer association, low self‐control, and delinquency were all significantly related to a participant’s level of disruptive classroom behaviors. These results highlight the need for further investigation of disruptive behaviors in the college classroom.