Situational action theory and schools: Results from a dual methods test of the individual level assertions of situational action theory in the English school context

This article uses the theoretical lens of situational action theory to develop two hypotheses about the relative rates of crime that occur when pupils with certain crime propensities spend time in schools that they perceive to have certain moral contexts. These hypotheses are tested with data from the School and Community Environment Survey and a dual-methods analytical approach. Single-level negative binomial modelling is used to explore the statistical interaction between propensity and moral context in relation to criminal offending. Simple contextual analysis is then used to explore the impact of the convergence of propensity and perceived moral context on criminal offending in schools. Findings from both methods of analysis demonstrate that pupils with high crime propensity who perceive a weak moral context engage in criminal behaviour at the highest rates in schools. Findings from the simple contextual analysis also suggest that the criminal behaviour of those with high propensity is most sensitive to the influence of perceptions of school moral context. This article makes an important contribution to the criminological knowledge base surrounding the role of individuals’ perceptions of their environment and offending. It also contributes to the debate around the suitability of different methods for testing the assertions of SAT.