Page 241 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 241
students’ social and civic competencies: predictors of esl
prior delinquency has been found to predict ESL beyond the influence of
poor academic achievement (Battin-Pearson et al., 2000). Parker and Asher
(1987) report that, among personal factors, a disruptive behavioural profile
(i.e., aggressive-hyperactive-oppositional behaviours) has repeatedly been
shown to predict early withdrawal from school, even after controlling for fa-
milial and socioeconomic factors. Ensminger and Slusarcick (1992) showed
that aggressive behaviours and low grades as early as first grade predict-
ed later school dropout. On a similar note, after reviewing 25 years of pre-
vious research Rumberger and Lim (2008) concluded that engaging in any
deviant behaviour (as described above) increases the risk of ESL. Two stud-
ies (Battin-Pearson et al., 2000; Newcomb et al., 2002) controlled for a host
of different predictors, including prior academic achievement and family
background. Both studies established that deviant behaviour at age 14 had a
significant and direct effect on ESL by age 16, and high school failure (drop-
out and months of missed school) in grade 12. Some studies (Bernburg &
Krohn, 2003; Hannon, 2003; Sweeten, 2006) examined involvement in the
justice system and found that being arrested had a separate and generally
bigger effect on ESL than delinquency. Sweeten (2006) also determined that
involvement in court after being arrested was a much stronger ESL predic-
tor than simply being arrested without any court involvement.
With regard to drug and alcohol use, in their review Rumberger and
Lim (2008) established that drug and alcohol use during high school and
also during middle school was associated with higher ESL in most studies
examined. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco are often correlated, but two stud-
ies found that tobacco use during middle school had a direct effect on the
chances of ESL, while drug (marijuana) use did not (Ellickson, Bui, Bell, &
Mcguigan, 1998; Battin-Pearson et al., 2000). Another study showed that
both marijuana and tobacco use had direct effects on ESL, but marijuana
use had the stronger effect (Bray, Zarkin, Ringwalt, & Qi, 2000).
Another important indicator of deviant behaviour studied in the re-
search literature is teen pregnancy and parenting. There is an issue of es-
tablishing a causal connection between teenage pregnancy and ESL, not
knowing whether teenage pregnancy directly makes females drop out or if
other unobservable factors contribute to both the pregnancy and the ESL.
Rumberger and Lim (2008) report that 50 out of 62 studies found teenage
parenting and childbearing to increase the odds of ESL or reduce the odds
of graduating. Further, teenage parenting held more serious consequenc-
es for females than for males (Fernandez, Paulsen, & Hirano-Nakanishi,
241
prior delinquency has been found to predict ESL beyond the influence of
poor academic achievement (Battin-Pearson et al., 2000). Parker and Asher
(1987) report that, among personal factors, a disruptive behavioural profile
(i.e., aggressive-hyperactive-oppositional behaviours) has repeatedly been
shown to predict early withdrawal from school, even after controlling for fa-
milial and socioeconomic factors. Ensminger and Slusarcick (1992) showed
that aggressive behaviours and low grades as early as first grade predict-
ed later school dropout. On a similar note, after reviewing 25 years of pre-
vious research Rumberger and Lim (2008) concluded that engaging in any
deviant behaviour (as described above) increases the risk of ESL. Two stud-
ies (Battin-Pearson et al., 2000; Newcomb et al., 2002) controlled for a host
of different predictors, including prior academic achievement and family
background. Both studies established that deviant behaviour at age 14 had a
significant and direct effect on ESL by age 16, and high school failure (drop-
out and months of missed school) in grade 12. Some studies (Bernburg &
Krohn, 2003; Hannon, 2003; Sweeten, 2006) examined involvement in the
justice system and found that being arrested had a separate and generally
bigger effect on ESL than delinquency. Sweeten (2006) also determined that
involvement in court after being arrested was a much stronger ESL predic-
tor than simply being arrested without any court involvement.
With regard to drug and alcohol use, in their review Rumberger and
Lim (2008) established that drug and alcohol use during high school and
also during middle school was associated with higher ESL in most studies
examined. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco are often correlated, but two stud-
ies found that tobacco use during middle school had a direct effect on the
chances of ESL, while drug (marijuana) use did not (Ellickson, Bui, Bell, &
Mcguigan, 1998; Battin-Pearson et al., 2000). Another study showed that
both marijuana and tobacco use had direct effects on ESL, but marijuana
use had the stronger effect (Bray, Zarkin, Ringwalt, & Qi, 2000).
Another important indicator of deviant behaviour studied in the re-
search literature is teen pregnancy and parenting. There is an issue of es-
tablishing a causal connection between teenage pregnancy and ESL, not
knowing whether teenage pregnancy directly makes females drop out or if
other unobservable factors contribute to both the pregnancy and the ESL.
Rumberger and Lim (2008) report that 50 out of 62 studies found teenage
parenting and childbearing to increase the odds of ESL or reduce the odds
of graduating. Further, teenage parenting held more serious consequenc-
es for females than for males (Fernandez, Paulsen, & Hirano-Nakanishi,
241
