Religion as an insulator of delinquency in schools

While much of the current social control literature has examined the role of religiosity in delinquency, very little attention has been given to its effect on school delinquency. This study sought to fill that void by examining the effectiveness of social bond theory in restraining students from committing school delinquency in a rural Southern county. Further, given the literature that suggests that delinquency varies along developmental stages, the authors also sought to determine the effect of the revised social bond along 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. Findings indicate that social control theory was moderately successful in explaining school delinquency, while religion achieved significance in the 6th, 8th, and 12th grades, but not the 10th grade. Suggestions for practitioners and policy makers are also discussed. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Criminal Justice Association, Raleigh, NC, 2004.     

The policy impact of unified government: evidence from 2000 to 2002

Do the outcomes of government action differ between periods of unified and divided government? Using “event study” methodology, this articles addresses the question by looking at sudden shifts between divided and unified government—Bush v. Gore, the Jeffords switch, and the 2002 election. The results show that oil and gas stocks (i.e. Republican “constituent firms”) rose abruptly as Republicans took unified control, while renewable energy stocks (i.e. Democratic “constituent firms”) fell. The pattern reversed, however, when Democrats took back control of the Senate. These outcomes call into question non-partisan theories of law making.     

Ten costly mistakes in disciplining disruptive students

Disciplining disruptive students is necessary to maintain order and proper decorum in public schools. School officials must, however, be certain that they do not violate the rights of students as they strive to achieve order in schools. They must also refrain from exhibiting overly aggressive behavior if the situation does not warrant it. School officials must respond to disciplinary infractions in a reasonable and defensible manner. This will usually occur when they follow legally defensible school or district policy and ensure that the due process rights of students are protected. Violation of student rights in the absence of defensible reason may result in legal charges against school officials.