Date of Conferral

12-10-2024

Degree

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Raj Singh

Abstract

Education and delinquency are two social issues that can impact youth's social and educational success. From 2007 to 2018, 17,597 public schools closed in the United States, affecting three million students. This study focused on the influence of juvenile crime and students' educational experiences in urban communities where a disproportionate number of public schools closed. The problem was limited research on how school closing impacted juvenile delinquency. This qualitative study explored the influence of public school closure on juvenile delinquency through the lens of defense attorneys. Travis Hirschi's social control theory and Robert Agnew's strain theory were used as the conceptual framework to explain the nature and cause of juvenile delinquency. The central research question was: What influence did public school closings have on juvenile delinquency in Detroit from 2008 to 2020? The study employed a pragmatic approach to qualitative inquiry to understand the participants' lived experiences. Data collection consisted of interviews with 11 juvenile defense attorneys using open-ended questions. Thematic coding was to create and identify codes and themes relevant to the research questions. The data analysis procedure recorded similar words and phrases addressing the research questions. A codebook was developed to identify patterns that resulted in the identification of six major themes. One finding identified was the parent and child's perception of education, suggesting that parents' and students' views about education were not positive before school closings. The implications for social change resulting from this study were for policymakers to rethink closing public schools because of its harmful effects on juvenile delinquency.

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