School factors related to delinquency

345 Pages·013.778 MB·English

by  Nolan, Esther Grace

SCHOOL FACTORS RELATED TO DELINQUENCY
A Dissertation
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education
by
Esther Grace Nolan
June 1950
UMI Number: DP25786
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This dissertation, written under the direction
of the Chairman of the candidate’s Guidance
Committee and approved by all members of the
Committee, has been presented to and accepted
by the Faculty of the School of Education in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Education.
Date. . /£.y..............
( f l L * ..
Dean
Guidance Committee
Jfaairman
The author of this dissertation was granted special
permission to use Elite type, because she had specially purchased
an Elite machine for that purpose and because much of the material
of the dissertation, such as the Appendix and the Bibliography,
has already been typed by the secretary on an Elite machine.
ii
TO mils W. CLARK
Under whose professional supervision, Gonstant encourage­
ment, understanding attitude, and rare insight, the author
always found adequate courage and strength to overcome
obstacles in her progress toward this goal, this manuscript
is dedicated.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Certain acknowledgments need to be made to persons -whose
assistance has proved pertinent to the conducting and completing of
this research study.
First, appreciation is hereby expressed to Dr. C. C. Trillingham,
Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, under whose wise and
democratic administration and whole-hearted approval this study was
conducted in the secondary districts and junior and senior high schools
which are provided educational supervision, guidance, and special
services by the County Superintendents Office.
The chief counselors and administrators of each of the co­
operating schools who gave of their time and effort to facilitate the
development of this research study, chose the necessary case record
data, and gave the required information, deserve recognition and
special thanks for their cooperation, without which this study could
never have been made.
To Mr. Gunnar Wahlquist, Miss Ruth Magaw, and Mrs. Elizabeth
L. Jaques, the chief counselors of the three schools in the Pilot Study,
the investigator wishes to express her thanks and appreciation for their
valued judgments and participation, especially in the evaluation con­
ference of the Validation Jury.
Appreciation is hereby expressed, also, to Dr. Harry Smallenburg,
Dr. Claude E. Wilson, Mr. Harold Hodge, and Mrs. Helen Macy for their
constructive suggestions and critical evaluation at the Validation Jury
conference.
The Validation Jury was greatly strengthened and the suggestions
made highly constructive by the further evaluations offered by
Dr, Willis W. Clark, to whom the investigator will always remain
indebted.
To Delena Blake, Jennie Doran, and Elzanore Gruwell, who acted
as secretaries, typists, and proofreaders, the author is gratefully
indebted for many long, tedious hours of labor and painstaking effort
which can never truly be repaid by monetary remuneration.
Esther Grace Nolan
Los Angeles, California
June 1950
V
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INSTITOTXNG THE INVESTIGATION FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE
PROBLEM . . . . . ................................ 1
Statement of the problem • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1
Preliminary statement. . . . . . . ............... 1
Specific questions the study will attempt to answer. • 3
Area I: Diagnosis ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Area IIs Inter-relationships . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Area III: Prevention and correction • • • • • . • • 5
Importance of the problem .............. 5
The immediate need • • • • • • • • ... 5
More remote instances of need . • . • • • • * • • • 5
Related investigations and definitions of delinquency
and pre-delinquency ............ • • • • • 7
Psychological definitions.............. &
Educational definitions.................... &
Legal definitions.............. 9
Research definitions ................. . . . . . . U
Research literature findings . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Scope and delimitations of the investigation........ 23
Methods of procedure • • • • • • • • • • • • . . . • • 25
II. techniques identified in THE EEC ceded DATA........... 29
Questionnaire data.................... 29
Comments and suggestions from the data • • • • • • • • 66
vi
CHAPTER PAGE
III. ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION, AND IMPLICATIONS OF
RECORDED D A T A ................................... 78
Diagnosis........... . 73
Inter-relationships.................. 95
Prevention and Correction........................ 102
Difficulties encountered in securing the desired
information . • • • • • • . • .............. . . • 126
IV. TWENTY-FIVE CASES IN 'WHICH DELINQUENCY WAS NOT
/
PREVENTED . . . . . . . . . ...................... 131
V. TWMTY-FIVE CASES IN WHICH DELINQUENCY WAS
PREVENTED....................................... 202
VI. SUMMARY OF ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUES IN THE CONTROL OF
SCHOOL FACTORS OF DELINQUENCY.................... 2S0
VII. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND
SUGGESTIONS FCB FURTHER RESEARCH . ............... 295
Summary of the problem.................... 295
Conclusions......................... 299
Implications . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . 305
Recommendations................................. 307
Suggestions for further research studies in
the field............................. 312
Suggestions by the validation jury................. 315
BIBLIOGRAPHY . ................................... 316
APPENDIXES.................... 318
A. List of districts and schools and average daily
attendance . . . . . ........................ 318
1. Questionnaire utilized to secure the recorded data 322
vii
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
I. Sources of Data by Schools and Sex of Cases........... 30
II. Estimates by Chief Counselors of Amount of Delinquency . 32
III. Number of Cases for Which I.Q.*s Were Recorded.... 33
IV. Cumulative Record Data Available by Number of Schools
and Recorded Cases • • • • • • . ......... . . . . . 34
V. Use of Standardized Test Data by Schools and Gases ... 36
VI. Number of Cases in Which Each Test Was Used • • • • • • • 37
VII. Number of Cases in Which Specific Techniques Were
Used to Secure Information Regarding Delinquency ... 30
VIII. Types of Problems Presented, as Indicated by the
Chief Counselors.............. 42
IX. Improvement Noted as a Result of Remedial Instruction . . 52
X. Improvement Noted as a Result of Modification of
Curriculum ..................................... 53
XI. Success or Failure Achieved by Means of Certain
Techniques ................ 54
XII. Success or Failure of Working with Parents........ 61
XIII. Additional Techniques Utilized with Success or Failure . 62
XIV. Success or Failure of Changing Teacher Attitudes
Toward Delinquent Students • • • • • • • • • • • • . . 64
XV. Success or Failure Secured by Certain Techniques
Utilized with First Group of Case Studies..........200
XVI. Success or Failure Secured by Certain Techniques
Utilized with Second Group of Case Studies........277