School, Work, and Stability

Module 6 · Theory & Dynamics

School and work create stability.

Many people talk about education and employment as if they are the same thing. Risk and needs assessments often treat them differently.

Key takeaway

School and work matter because they create stability, strengthen bonds to conventional institutions, and increase what people have to lose if they return to crime.

School and Work Across the Life Course

The figure below shows why education and employment are treated differently in many risk and needs assessments.

For youth, school is often the primary conventional institution. Assessment items frequently focus on:

school attendance
academic performance
disciplinary problems
attachment to school
educational goals

The idea: School and employment are measured differently, but often serve similar functions.

Illustration

School and work create stability

School and employment are measured differently across the life course, but both can provide structure, accountability, future orientation, and ties to prosocial institutions.

When problems in school or employment accumulate, instability often increases—and as instability increases, so does risk.

Employment Becomes the Primary Institution

For adults, employment often becomes the primary conventional institution. Assessment items frequently focus on:

employment history
job stability
employability
income
work-related attitudes

Why These Domains Matter

Even though these domains are measured differently, they often serve similar functions.

Both can provide:

structure and routine
accountability
future orientation
connections to prosocial institutions

When problems in school or employment accumulate, instability often increases. As instability increases, so does risk.

Why This Matters

This is one reason difficulties in school and employment are considered criminogenic needs. Unlike criminal history, they can change. And because they can change, they become potential targets for intervention.

Education and employment are related but not identical
Assessments measure them differently across the life course
Improvements in school or work can contribute to reductions in need levels and risk

Bottom Line