Juvenile Delinquency and Recidivism: The Impact of Academic Achievement

For well over a century, behavioral researchers have attempted to understand the relation between juvenile delinquency and academic achievement. The authors review current literature pertaining to academic achievement and its effect on delinquency. While researchers have not yet been able to establish a direct causal relation between these two variables, it has been demonstrated that poor academic outcomes can adversely affect a child's behavior, and early behavioral problems can lead to poor academic outcomes. Studies have also shown that rates of recidivism are highly correlated with low levels of academic performance. Lastly, research has demonstrated that the implementation of sound academic interventions, particularly in reading, can effectively reduce rates of both delinquency and recidivism.