AFFLUENT SUBURBAN DELINQUENT - A STUDY OF MIDDLE AND UPPER MIDDLE CLASS MALE DELINQUENCY IN A SUBURBAN COMMUNITY WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELING

• NCJ Number: 7300
• Author(s): J J TOBIAS
• Date Published: 1967
• Length: 171 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATION

Annotation

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TYPES OF MISCONDUCT AND THE CAUSAL FACTORS INVOLVED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNSELORS WORKING WITH DELINQUENT YOUTH.

Abstract

THE SAMPLING OF DELINQUENTS WHICH THE AUTHOR STUDIED BRIGHTER ACADEMICALLY THAN THEIR URBAN COUNTERPARTS, THE ACTS OF VANDALISM, MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, AUTOMOBILE OFFENSES, DRINKING, RUNNING AWAY, AND LARCENY. THE KEY CAUSAL FACTOR WAS NOT THE TRADITIONAL BROKEN HOME FROM WHICH ONE OF THE PARENTS HAD DEPARTED, BUT RATHER THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY BROKEN HOME. OTHER CAUSES INCLUDED BOREDOM, SUBURBAN MATRIARCHY, PARENTAL NEGLECT, MOBILITY, AND TOO MUCH MONEY. SINCE THE SUBURBAN DELINQUENTS ARE GENERALLY FIRST OFFENDERS AND APPEAR TO BE SOMEWHAT BRIGHTER ACADEMICALLY THAN THEIR URBAN COUNTERPARTS, THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS PROMPT COUNSELING AS A DETERRENT TO FUTURE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. COUNSELORS ARE URGED TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES PREVENTIVELY WITH STUDENTS WHOSE RECORDS INDICATE BROKEN HOMES, LOW ACHIEVEMENT, HOSTILITY, AND WHO CONSISTENTLY GET INTO TROUBLE IN SCHOOL. NUMEROUS TABLES AND DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRES ARE INCLUDED. (MODIFIED AUTHOR ABSTRACT).