Preschool Intervention,School Success and Delinquency in a High-Risk Sample of Youth

Abstract

A prominent thesis in criminology hypothesizes that “academic competence is linked to delinquency by way of success in and attachment to the school” (Hirschi, 1969, p. 115). The implications of this thesis are examined for a sample of low-income blacks, and a corollary to Hirschi’s thesis is proposed: Intervention prior to school entry that improves academic potential and school performance for a sample at high risk for school failure will reduce the likelihood of delinquency in that sample. Findings from multiple regression analysis indicate that school success, defined broadly to include measures beyond those specified in Hirschi’s social bonding thesis, exerts a substantial impact on one type of delinquency and a moderate effect on the other three types examined. Preschool intervention reduces involvement in two types of delinquency, but its effect does not occur through its impact on IQ or scholastic achievement. Attachment to school affects three of the outcomes but does so in a way that is independent of IQ or achievement scores. The implications of these findings for the study of schooling and delinquency and of early schooling effects on life outcomes for adolescents are discussed.