CONS AND STRAIGHTS - COMPARATIVE FREE BEHAVIOR RATES OF 25 DELINQUENTS AND 25 NON-DELINQUENTS MATCHED FOR AGE AND LEGAL OCCUPATION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

• NCJ Number: 37503
• Journal: CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CORRECTIONS Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1976) Pages: 343-361
• Author(s): B C MURPHY; M SHINYEI
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: Canadian Criminal Justice Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

THE RATES OF 27 DIFFERENT KINDS OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR WERE COMPARED FOR A SAMPLE OF 25 DELINQUENTS AND A MATCHED SAMPLE OF 25 NON-DELINQUENTS TO DETERMINE BEHAVIORAL SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THESE GROUPS.

Abstract

ALL BEHAVIORAL DATA WERE GATHERED IN PERIODS WHEN THE SUBJECTS WERE NOT CONFINED IN PENITENTIARIES OR OTHER INSTITUTIONS. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT DELINQUENTS AND NON-DELINQUENTS WERE NOT RELIABLY DIFFERENT ON A WIDE VARIETY OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIORS. THE TWO GROUPS SHOWED SIMILAR PATTERNS IN SUCH LEGAL BEHAVIORS AS WELFARE, CHARITY, USE OF PRESCRIPTIONS, AND SOME SEXUAL BEHAVIORS. THE GROUPS ALSO DID NOT DIFFER RELIABLY ON NON-PRESCRIPTION USE OF DRUGS. HOWEVER, THE TWO GROUPS WERE DIFFERENT FOR SUCH BEHAVIORS AS LEGAL EARNINGS, HETEROSEXUAL INTERCOURSE, NON-DELINQUENT ASSOCIATIONS, DELINQUENT ASSOCIATIONS, CHURCH ATTENDANCE, ILLEGAL EARNINGS, AGGRESSION, AND NON-PRESCRIPTION OPIATE USE. NON-DELINQUENTS WERE FOUND TO ENGAGE IN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF CERTAIN KINDS OF ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR: ILLEGAL EARNINGS, PROPERTY DAMAGE, BARE-HANDS AGGRESSION, AND NON-PRESCRIPTION CANNABIS USE. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS NON-DELINQUENT ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR ARE BRIEFLY EXAMINED.