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CONCEPTUAL SYSTEMS AND DELINQUENCY

NCJ Number
3411
Author(s)
O J HARVEY; E H JUERS
Date Published
1963
Length
13 pages
Annotation
JUVENILE DELINQUENTS - PERSONALITY STRUCTURES AND RECIDIVISM.
Abstract
FROM AN INTENSIVE EXAMINATION OF 100 RANDOMLY SELECTED FILES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD BEEN COMMITTED TO THE STATE TRAINING SCHOOL FOR BOYS, REDWING, MINNESOTA DURING THE PERIOD OF 1954-1957. SUBJECTS WERE CLASSIFIED AS REPRESENTING ONE OF THE FOUR PRINCIPAL SYSTEMS OR MODES OF CONCEPTUAL FUNCTIONING POSITED BY HARVEY, HUNT AND SCHRODER (1961). IT WAS FOUND THAT SYSTEM 2 INDIVIDUALS, THOSE WITH THE MORE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD AUTHORITY AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES, COMPRISED ALMOST 50 PERCENT OF THE BOYS THAT HAD BEEN COMMITTED ONLY ONCE WHILE THEY COMPRISED 65 PERCENT OF THE RECIDIVISTS. POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR IMPROVED REHABILITATION OF SYSTEM 2 INDIVIDUALS WAS BRIEFLY SUGGESTED.