One of 52 theoretical papers on school crime and its relation to poverty, this chapter is an attempt to bridge theory, research, experience, and practical responses in schools encountering crime. Based on extensive work in schools experiencing high rates of violence and vandalism, the authors present a brief review of existing theoretical perspectives and develop a new framework for examining both individual and institutional interchanges and how these interchanges affect delinquency behavior over time. The article presents a methodological approach to research in school settings and discusses access, entry, data collection techniques, and realistic avenues for long-range responses to school crime. (Author/MLF)