Family and school capital effects on delinquency: Substitutes or complements?

Studies imply that family and school resources independently affect delinquency. Yet research has not developed a conceptual or analytic framework for exploring how these variables may interact to affect delinquent behavior. The authors propose that certain family and school variables may serve as substitute or complementary forms of capital in equations designed to predict delinquency. In particular, school capital may substitute for low family capital to decrease involvement in delinquent behavior. Using data from the 1990 National Educational Longitudinal Study and the 1994 - 1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health ( Add Health), the authors find that high-quality school environments serve as substitutes for poor parental attachment and a lack of parental involvement in children's schooling, especially among adolescents who experience low academic achievement or report a lack of academic values. Hence, school-based social capital attenuates involvement in delinquency partly by compensating for high-risk family environments.