NCJ Number
49275
Date Published
1978
Length
149 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ECOLOGICAL VARIABLES CAN BE USED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS IN AREAS WITH HIGH DELINQUENCY RATES.
Abstract
THIS STUDY ANALYZES DATA FROM A LARGE SURVEY PROJECT KNOWN AS THE NORTH PHILADELPHIA PROJECT. THE SAMPLE WAS DRAWN FROM NEGRO MALES, AGES 13 TO 15, RESIDING IN THE TARGET AREA. A SELECTION OF 921 INTERVIEWS WITH THE YOUTHS AND A RESPONSIBLE ADULT WERE EMPLOYED IN THE FINAL SAMPLE. TWO MEASURES OF ASSOCIATION WERE UTILIZED: CHI-SQUARE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND GOODMAND AND KRUSKAL'S TAU B FOR STRENGTH OF ASSOCIATION. IT WAS FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH A FEW VARIABLES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, THEY CONTRIBUTED LITTLE, IN TERMS OF VARIABILITY, TO RESOLVING THE PROBLEM OF THIS STUDY. A DEMOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA IS PROVIDED, WITH ATTENTION TO POPULATION, SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, FAMILY, HOUSING, AND DELINQUENCY. DETAILS ON FAMILY STRUCTURE, INCLUDING THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF PARENTS, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, AND SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES SUCH AS OCCUPATIONAL STATUS, EDUCATION, HOME OWNERSHIP, ROOM DENSITY, AND LOWER VERSUS WORKING CLASS STATUS ARE ASSESSED. THE INADEQUACY OF THE METHODOLOGY DUE TO COMPLEXITY, CAUSE AND EFFECT, AREA LOCATION AS AN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE, AND APPREHENSION RATES ARE UNDERSCORED IN THE INTERPRETATION OF THE FINDINGS. A MAP OF THE STUDY AREA, SAMPLING PROCEDURES, AND TABULAR DATA ARE APPENDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED IN EACH CHAPTER. (KBL)