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Sense of Futility: The Missing Link Between Track Position and Self-Reported School Misconduct

¹ Ghent University
² University of London

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Mieke.VanHoutte{at}UGent.be.

	Abstract

It is often reported that delinquency and school misconduct are more prevalent among students in lower academic tracks. This article examines the relationship between school type (general vs. technical/vocational) and self-reported school misconduct, considering simultaneously two recurrent explanations: the students’ self-esteem and "strain theory." Through a multilevel analysis, we assess the explanatory value of self-esteem, the sense of futility, and a school’s overall culture of futility in this relationship. Data on 6,373 students from 44 Flemish schools gathered in the 2004-2005 academic year show that technical/ vocational students report higher levels of school misconduct. The association between school type and self-reported misconduct cannot be attributed to the students’ self-esteem. Their sense of futility, however, proves to be wholly responsible for the relationship. The culture of futility at a school, on the other hand, does not seem to be related to misconduct.

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