NCJ Number
57983
Journal
Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1979) Pages: 58-74
Date Published
1979
Length
17 pages
Annotation
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SOCIALIZATION, NEUTRALIZATION, AND RACE ARE EXPLORED IN A SAMPLE OF INSTITUTIONALIZED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IN A SOUTHEASTERN STATE.
Abstract
NEUTRALIZATION THEORY REFLECTS A CONTROL MODEL OF BEHAVIOR, I.E, THE IDEA THAT CONFORMITY DEPENDS ON BONDS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND THE SOCIAL ORDER. NEUTRALIZATION IS A PROCESS OF LOOSENING BONDS AND LAPSING INTO DEVIANCE. WHEN TESTS DESIGNED TO MEASURE SOCIALIZATION (INTENSITY OF PROSOCIAL COMMITMENTS) AND NEUTRALIZATION (ACCEPTANCE OF JUSTIFICATIONS FOR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR) WERE ADMINISTERED TO 148 BLACK AND 166 WHITE INCARCERATED DELINQUENTS (MALES AND FEMALES, AVERAGE AGE 15.3 YEARS), THE HYPOTHESIS THAT BLACKS WOULD SCORE HIGHER THAN WHITES ON BOTH DIMENSIONS WAS BORNE OUT, AS WAS THE EXPECTATION THAT SOCIALIZATION AND NEUTRALIZATION WOULD BE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED FOR BOTH GROUPS. ALTHOUGH THE NEGATIVE CORRELATION WAS WEAKER FOR BLACKS THAN FOR WHITES, THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT OF THE MAGNITUDE EXPECTED. THAT BLACKS WERE MORE SOCIALIZED IS INTERPRETED AS A REFLECTION OF THEIR HAVING BEEN EXPOSED TO LESS NORM-DESTROYING DEVIANCE THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS BEFORE BEING INCARCERATED, WHICH IN TURN REFLECTS THE TENDENCY OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO INCARCERATE BLACKS MORE READILY THAN WHITES. THE NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIALIZATION AND NEUTRALIZATION IS AN INDICATION THAT YOUTHS WITH WEAKER BONDS TO THE SOCIAL ORDER ARE MORE INCLINED TO SEEK RATIONALIZATION OF THEIR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, PERHAPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BOLSTER THEIR SELF-ESTEEM. SEVERAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE FAILURE TO FIND A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE SOCIALIZATION-NEUTRALIZATION CORRELATIONS OF BLACKS AND WHITES ARE CONSIDERED, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE SUGGESTED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)