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ABSTRACT
Criminologists have long observed an inverse relationship between levels of personal commitment to education and self-reported delinquency. Based upon arguments derived from arousal theory, we question whether or not this relationship is spurious. Arousal theory argues that individuals vary in their demand for stimulation. Sub-optimally aroused persons, because they require high levels of stimulation, tend to bore easily with the classroom experience but find delinquent activities rewarding. Conversely, those who require less stimulation find comfort in school and exhibit little delinquency. We test the claim by arousal theorists that the school attachment/commitment-delinquency relationship is spurious with self-report data from a sample of approximately1,600 high school students in Oklahoma. Our findings provide only limited support for this claim. When controlling for the effects of arousal theory indicators, the significant bivariate effects of two different school attachment/commitment measures on self-reported delinquency are reduced in magnitude, though most retain their significance. However, the arousal theory indicators also produced statistically significant effects, thus further establishing their theoretical salience to understanding and predicting juvenile delinquency.