NCJ Number
68980
Journal
Social Defence Volume: 15 Issue: 58 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 54-58
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR OFFENSES WERE ASSESSED IN THIS STUDY WHICH WAS CONDUCTED IN INDIA.
Abstract
THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP CONSISTED OF 350 DELINQUENTS IN DETENTION HOMES AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WHO HAD COMMITTED A VARIETY OF OFFENSES. A CONTROL GROUP OF EQUAL SIZE CONSISTING OF YOUTHS HAVING NO RECORD OF DELINQUENT CONDUCT WAS SELECTED SO THAT BOTH GROUPS WERE MATCHED IN TERMS OF AGE, SOCIAL STATUS, EDUCATION, LANGUAGE, AND PLACES OF RESIDENCE. THE ASSESSMENT DEVICES INCLUDED THE HOLTZMAN INKBLOT TECHNIQUE; ROSENZWEIG'S PICTURE FRUSTRATION STUDY; WAGNER'S HAND TEST; A CLINICAL INTERVIEW COVERING PARENTAL AFFECTION, PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION, EMOTIONAL CLIMATE OF THE HOME, NATURE OF EMOTIONAL TONE IN THE FAMILY, AGGRESSION, STRESS-TOLERANCE, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF SOCIALIZATION DYNAMICS; AND A QUESTIONNAIRE THROUGH WHICH THE SUBJECTS RATED THE PERCEIVED SERIOUSNESS OF OFFENSES ON A SCALE OF ONE TO SIX. THE CHI-SQUARE TEST WAS USED TO DETERMINE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. THE FINDINGS REVEALED THAT DELINQUENTS (1) PERCEIVE LESS 'REASONABLENESS' IN THEIR PARENTS' PUNISHMENTS; (2) ARE MORE ON THE 'DISCORD' END OF THE 'CONCORD-DISCORD' DIMENSION IN RELATION TO THEIR PARENTS; (3) EXPERIENCE LESS ADEQUATE COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR PARENTS; (4) ARE PREDOMINANTLY DEPRIVED OF COMFORTABLE HOME CLIMATES; (5) ARE AWARE AT AN EARLY AGE OF BEHAVIOR ABERRATIONS AND ADDICTION IN THE FAMILY. ALSO, DELINQUENTS (6) EXPERIENCE LESS OPEN AND STRONG AFFECTION FROM THEIR PARENTS; (7) FEEL THEMSELVES LESS IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR PARENTS; (8) ARE LESS MATURE IN THE AFFECTIVE SPHERE OF THEIR MENTAL LIFE AND TRY TO OVERCOMPENSATE FOR THE SHORTCOMING BY BEING AGGRESSIVE, OVER-CONTROLLED OR UNDER-CONTROLLED; AND (9) DISPLAY INCORRIGIBILITY, IMPULSIVITY, AGGRESSIVE OUTBURSTS, UNSPECIFIED RETALIATORY TENDENCIES, AND TRUANCY AS PRECURSORS TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. ALTHOUGH THE CHI-SQUARE VALUES FOR THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS ARE PRESENTED, TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE NOT PROVIDED.