School Climate and Diversity May Affect Students’ Delinquent Behaviors

As expected, the study of 8947 African American and White students found that being a male was associated with higher delinquent behavior scores. Conversely, being an African American was associated with lower delinquent behavior scores. Similarly, students who perceived their school climate to be non-discriminatory and inclusive reported lower delinquent behavior scores. These findings indicate students’ perceptions of their school climate may be an important influence on students’ delinquent behaviors.