Attributions of Delinquency by Delinquent Minors, Their Families, and Probation Officers

• NCJ Number: 130656
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 16 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1991) Pages: 43-57
• Author(s): I J Sagatun
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A sample of 101 probation officers, 68 minors, and 57 parents answered questions regarding their attributions of responsibility for the minors' delinquency.

Abstract

Perceptions of responsibility are important because recommendations of probation officers, which impact greatly on juvenile judges' decisions, depend more on attributional style than on the actual crime; minors and parents are more likely to cooperate with the system if they agree with the court's perceptions of attribution and responsibility. Surprisingly, all three groups said that the minor was most responsible for the delinquent behavior. Although this contradicts conventional theories of ego-defensive behavior patterns, the author suggests that the respondents in this study may have assumed responsibility for their actions in a bid to receive a lighter penalty. Different social settings may present different attributional responsibilities. While the three groups all named family and friends as important factors in delinquency, their perceptions differed in degree and combination. 4 tables and 11 references (Author abstract modified)