COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MALE AND FEMALE DELINQUENCY

• NCJ Number: 56832
• Journal: Sociological Quarterly Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER 1979) Pages: 131-145
• Author(s): S A CERNKOVICH; P C GIORDANO
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 15 pages
• Grant Number(s): NO MH 29095-01
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare; Bowling Green State University
• Corporate Author: Midwest Sociological Soc
• Sale Source: Midwest Sociological Soc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRICE QUOTED IS FOR ENTIRE ISSUE REVISION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE 1977 MEETINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION RESEARCH COMMITTEE FOR THE SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL AUGUST 9-11, DUBLIN

Annotation

THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE CONTENTION THAT THE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR OF MALES AND FEMALES IS MORE SIMILAR THAN IS GENERALLY ASSUMED. IT CONCLUDES THAT THE PATTERN OF DELINQUENCY FOR BOTH GROUPS IS IDENTICAL.

Abstract

THE STUDY FOCUSED ON A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MALE AND FEMALE SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY INVOLVEMENT. THE GOALS OF THE ANALYSIS WERE (1) TO EXAMINE THE FREQUENCY OF ADOLESCENT SELF-REPORTED INVOLVEMENT IN A WIDE VARIETY OF OFFENSES, (2) TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF SPECIALIZATION OR VERSATILITY OF INVOLVEMENT IN THESE OFFENSES, AND (3) TO COMPARE MALES AND FEMALES, IN GENERAL AND BY RACE, ALONG THESE DIMENSIONS IN ORDER TO ISOLATE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THEIR DELINQUENT INVOLVEMENT. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM ANONYMOUS SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES WHICH WERE ADMINISTERED TO A 1977 SAMPLE OF 822 STUDENTS IN 2 MIDWESTERN URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS. ONE OF THE SCHOOLS WAS A LOWER-STATUS INNER-CITY SCHOOL AND THE OTHER WAS A HIGHER-STATUS SUBURBAN SCHOOL. THE MEAN AGE OF THE SUBJECTS WAS 16.68 YEARS. FEMALES CONSTITUTED 56.5 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE, AND WHITES 48 PERCENT. A TOTAL OF 36 DELINQUENT ACTS WERE LISTED ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE. MAJOR FINDINGS ARE THAT (1) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW MINOR OFFENSES, MORE MALES THAN FEMALES REPORTED ENGAGING IN EACH OF THE 36 DELINQUENT ACTS; (2) THE OVERALL MALE-FEMALE RATIO FOR PERCENT REPORTING INVOLVEMENT IN EACH OF THE DELINQUENT OFFENSES IS 2.18, CONSIDERABLY SMALLER THAN THE OFFICIAL ARREST RATIO OF 3.72; (3) WHEN MEAN FREQUENCY OF INVOLVEMENT IN EACH OF THE DELINQUENT ACTS IS EXAMINED, ALMOST 28 PERCENT OF THE MALE-FEMALE DIFFERENCES ARE SHOWN TO BE INSIGNIFICANT, AND THERE IS CONSIDERABLE UNIFORMITY BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES; (4) THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NONWHITE AND WHITE MALES BUT THERE ARE DISTINCT DIFFERENCES IN TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT FOR NONWHITE AND WHITE FEMALES; AND (5) RANK ORDER CORRELATIONS INDICATE MORE UNIFORMITIES IN FREQUENCY AND TYPE OF DELINQUENCY INVOLVEMENT WITHIN RACIAL GROUPS THAN WITHIN SEX GROUPS. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)