The goal of this article is to present a theoretical model integrating identification with academics, motivation and engagement behaviors, academic outcomes, and violent or deviant behavior. Four different scenarios are presented in which students might be prone to engage in violent or undesirable behavior as a consequence of low or maladaptively high levels of identification with academics. The types of violent behavior likely to result from each scenario are discussed. Because domain identification has been shown to be malleable, this theoretical perspective leads directly to specific actions that might reduce the probability of undesirable behavior, and these actions are discussed.
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