A model of rural delinquency: Collective efficacy in rural schools.

Researchers have long studied the links between neighborhood contexts and adolescent behaviors. However, most literature examining neighborhood influences on juvenile behavior has focused on urban and semiurban populations. When these urban-centric models are applied to rural populations, results are generally mixed and often contradictory to patterns established in urban populations. The current study tested an alternative model for predicting juvenile problem behaviors in rural areas by examining the validity of previously conceptualized neighborhood collective efficacy in rural schools. A construct of school collective efficacy (Williams & Guerra, 2011) was supported in this sample, and this construct was significantly negatively correlated to self-reported adolescent problem behaviors. As hypothesized, school collective efficacy was more strongly related to self-reported problem behaviors than neighborhood collective efficacy for this sample. Directions for future research and implications for policies are discussed.