NCJ Number
28893
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUGUST 1975) Pages: 229-241
Date Published
1975
Length
13 pages
Annotation
VALIDATION TEST OF THE LABELING OR SOCIETAL REACTION APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CAUSES BY MEASURING LEMERT'S CONCEPTS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DEVIATION.
Abstract
ACCORDING TO LEMERT PRIMARY DEVIATION REFERS TO THOSE ACTS TO WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL AND OTHERS CONSIDER ALIEN TO (I.E. NOT INDICATIVE OF) HIS TRUE SELF OR CHARACTER. THESE ACTS ARE REGARDED AS ACTS OF DEVIANCE WHICH ARISE OUT OF VARIOUS FACTORS AND CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY REMAIN PRIMARY AS LONG AS THE INDIVIDUAL CAN CARRY OUT A RESPECTABLE ROLE IN SOCIETY AND MAINTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE SELF-IMAGE TO HIMSELF AND TO OTHERS. SECONDARY DEVIANCE, ON THE OTHER HAND, REFERS TO THE PROCESS WHEREBY DEVIANT ACTS TAKE ON SELF-IDENTIFYING FEATURES. THAT IS, WHEN A PERSON BEGINS TO EMPLOY HIS DEVIANT BEHAVIOR OR A ROLE BASED UPON IT AS A MEANS OF DEFENSE, ATTACK, OR ADJUSTMENT TO THE OVERT AND CONVERT PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE CONSEQUENT SOCIETAL REACTION TO HIM HIS DEVIATION IS SECONDARY. IN THIS STUDY, INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 36 MALE YOUTHS WHO HAD BEEN INCARCERATED IN JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS. FINDINGS TEND TO SUPPORT MANY OF THE CLAIMS OF THE LABELING APPROACH. FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MORE ONE'S STATUS OF DEVIANT WAS REINFORCED BY OTHERS (INCLUDING AGENCIES OF CONTROL AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS) THE MORE ONE TENDED TO VIEW ONESELF AS DEVIANT AND TO BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DEVIANCE ARE USEFUL CONCEPTS WHICH CAN BE MEASURED. FURTHER RESEARCH IS SUGGESTED TO COMPARE THOSE WHO, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NOT. SUCH METHODS AS COHORT ANALYSIS AND MORE LONGITUDINAL STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES WOULD FURTHER INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS AREA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)