NCJ Number
68397
Date Published
Unknown
Length
218 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF A FRENCH RESEARCH PROJECT EXPLORING THE ATTITUDES OF AGENTS OF SOCIAL CONTROL AND DELINQUENT JUVENILES TOWARDS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
JUVENILE DELINQUENTS AND AGENTS OF SOCIAL CONTROL (POLICE OFFICERS, JUDGES, AND SOCIAL WORKERS) WERE ASKED TO RATE 25 COMMON JUVENILE OFFENSES ON A SCALE RANGING FROM 'NOT SERIOUS' TO 'VERY SERIOUS.' THE PARTICIPANTS WERE THEN INTERVIEWED ON THEIR OPINION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. THE REPLIES OF THE STUDY GROUPS WERE COMPARED TO THOSE OF A CONTROL GROUP CONSISTING OF FRENCH PARENTS AND HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. ALL JUVENILES QUESTIONED WERE BETWEEN 16 AND 18 YEARS OLD. A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE 2,256 QUESTIONNAIRES REVEALS THAT POLICE OFFICERS (THOSE WITH CLOSE CONTACT TO OFFENDERS) GAVE THE MOST SEVERE RATINGS, WHILE SOCIAL WORKERS IN CHARGE OF SOCIAL REINTEGRATION WERE MOST LENIENT IN THEIR JUDGMENT. THE JUDGES HELD A MIDDLE POSITION WHICH IS RELATED TO THE COMPLEX AND CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF THEIR FUNCTION. AMONG THE CONTROL GROUPS, VOCATIONAL STUDENTS GAVE THE SEVEREST RATINGS WHILE COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS WERE MOST LENIENT. THE PARENT GROUP HELD A MIDDLE POSITION. OVERALL, RATINGS FOR THE CONTROL GROUPS WERE MORE SEVERE THAN THOSE OF THE STUDY GROUPS. IN SUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS, THOSE WHO GAVE SEVERE RATINGS WERE SHOWN TO BE PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED BY THE MASS MEDIA. A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF GROUP RESULTS SHOWS THAT EACH GROUP IS EXTREMELY DIVIDED IN ITS OPINIONS AND THAT THE ONLY AREA OF OVERALL AGREEMENT WAS IN THE REJECTION OF VIOLENCE. THE STUDY INCLUDES NUMEROUS STATISTICAL CHARTS AND GRAPHS, AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE. --IN FRENCH.