NCJ Number
17776
Date Published
1971
Length
204 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY WHICH INVESTIGATED THE ROLES OF BOTH MOTHER AND FATHER TO DETERMINE WHETHER DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN DELINQUENTS AND NON-DELINQUENTS IN REGARD TO THE ADEQUACY WITH WHICH PARENTS PLAY THEIR ROLES.
Abstract
THE TECHNIQUE USED IN THIS STUDY WAS PERSONAL INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWING CONDUCTED BY MEANS OF A FORMAL INTERVIEW-QUESTIONNAIRE. A TEST SAMPLE OF 80 DELINQUENT BOYS AND A MATCHED CONTROL SAMPLE OF 80 NON-DELINQUENT BOYS WAS USED. IN ADDITION, BOTH PARENTS OF A SUB-GROUP OF THIRTY BOYS IN EACH SAMPLE WERE INTERVIEWED. THE ADEQUACY OF THE PARENTS' ROLE PLAYING WAS MEASURED IN TERMS OF THE CHILD'S PERCEPTION OF THE ROLES PLAYED BY ITS PARENTS AND IN TERMS OF THE PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR OWN ROLES. SUCH FACTORS AS PARENTAL AFFECTION, PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION, HOME CLIMATE, INFANT TRAINING, LATER TRAINING DYNAMICS OF BEHAVIOR, DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, AND FORMS OF PARENT-CHILD SEPARATION WERE CONSIDERED. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OF THESE FACTORS ARE INDICATED. THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT THE ROLE OF THE MOTHER IN INFLUENCING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN OVEREMPHASIZED, AND CONCLUDES THAT DELINQUENT BOYS TEND TO PERCEIVE GREATER DEFECTS IN THEIR FATHERS' ROLES THAN IN THEIR MOTHERS' ROLES, WHEREAS NON-DELINQUENTS TEND TO PERCEIVE THE ROLES OF BOTH PARENTS AS BEING ADEQUATE. A SAMPLE INTERVIEW-QUESTIONNAIRE IS APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)