Truancy in Secondary Schools

Students who skip school face a number of negative consequences.

Truancy is a warning sign for parents and educators. It indicates a lack of attachment to the school. Truancy is a sign of current trouble and an indicator of trouble to come. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) defines truancy as having an unexcused absence for one or more portions of the day for at least three school days during five-day school week.

Student Characteristics

Students who engage in truancy behaviors may perform at, above or below educational standards. According to the OJJDP, some students are afraid to go to school due to violence or bullying. Others come from troubled or dysfunctional families. Some students may lack the social skills needed to do well in school. Still other youths are involved in gang related activities that make school a low priority.

Prevalence

Statistics gathered at the state level by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) indicates truancy is a serious problem. In Milwaukee, there are about 4,000 unexcused absences each day. In Pittsburgh, approximately 12 percent of the student body is absent on any given day. Seventy percent of these absences are unexcused. In Philadelphia, about 2,500 students miss school each day for an unapproved reason.

Effects

The ED argues "truancy is the first sign of trouble, the first indicator that a young person is giving up and losing his or her way." Students who skip class are more likely to drop out of school altogether. High school dropouts have considerably less opportunities. The ED contends they are twice as likely to be unemployed. They are more likely to be underemployed or to end up on welfare. Students who skip school habitually are more likely to commit crimes or to engage in other illegal or illicit behaviors.

Crime

Truant students often find unproductive ways to fill time. Crimes committed during regular school hours are directly related to high truancy rates. Truancy statistics on a national level are not available according to the ED. State statistics do provide a link between crime and truancy. In Minneapolis, daytime crime dropped by 68 percent after police officers began ticketing truant students. In Miami, over 70 percent of students prosecuted for delinquent and criminal behaviors had records of truancy. In San Diego, almost half of juvenile crimes occur during the hours when the juveniles should be in school.

Prevention/Solution

Truancy prevention involves the efforts of parents, the school, law enforcement, social services, religious organizations, the juvenile justice system and members of the community. The policy implemented must match the community's resources and specific characteristics. Zero tolerance policies and stiff penalties are good deterrents for would-be truants. Some states initiate penalties for parents as an incentive to get their children to school. In-school truancy prevention programs help engage students in the learning process and address problems that are the underlying cause of the truancy. Law enforcement involvement helps ensure the youths stay in school and off of the street.

References

• U.S. Department of Education: The Problem of Truancy in America's Communities
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: Truancy Reduction Demonstration Program

Resources

• Ed.gov: Truancy-A Serious Problem for Students, Schools, and Society