Control theories and school antisocial behavior: Understanding the interdependency of self-control, social bonds, and school collective efficacy.

摘要

There has been an increased interest in school antisocial behavior in recent years, likely due to the extensive media coverage given to high profile acts of violence occurring in schools. However, there is little theory, and not much research, that has been done to explain school antisocial behavior. In this study, a multilevel control model of school antisocial behavior will be proposed. This model will utilize individual (self-control), social psychological (social bonds), and macrosocial (collective efficacy) control theories. This study seeks to not only offer a more complex understanding of the causes of school antisocial behavior, but also to demonstrate how multiple levels, or types, of control can, and should, be integrated with one another. Data are drawn from a large sample of middle school students (8th graders), and analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Results suggest that self-control, social bonds, and school collective efficacy have significant direct effects on school antisocial behavior. Moreover, the effect of self-control on school antisocial behavior is partially mediated by social bonds. In addition, the effect of self-control is conditioned by the level of school collective efficacy. These results indicate that control theories, especially when used in conjunction with one another, provide a rich explanation of the occurrence of school antisocial behavior. The findings also support the notion that individual and contextual factors should be considered simultaneously. That is, individuals should be studied in context.