Does It Take a School? Revisiting the Influence of First Arrest on Subsequent Delinquency and Educational Attainment in a Tolerant Educational Background

Objectives: By drawing on cumulative influences of labeling in Western samples, this study examined the relationship between first-time arrest and delinquency and educational attainment in South Korea, a unique cultural context characterized by a heightened focus on education. Method: Propensity score matching was employed to match arrested and nonarrested juveniles. After the groups were balanced on 58 covariates, the matched sample was used to assess the influence of arrest on delinquency and on college enrollment with consideration of the mediating processes of the labeling mechanism and educational characteristics. Results: For a short period, arrest was significantly related to subsequent delinquency, although this association did not persist into the consecutive year. Arrest did not adversely influence college enrollment. The mediating models showed that arrest had a negative influence on deviant self-identity and educational characteristics; however, these associations did not extend to subsequent delinquency and educational attainment. Conclusions: Formal sanction experiences have a more imminent impact on amplifying deviance for arrestees, but this influence does not seem to last long term. Results imply that an education system with a tolerant atmosphere may serve as a buffer against labeling effects and highlight the importance of school context in shaping delinquent behavior.