EARLY MARRIAGE AND CRIMINAL TENDENCIES IN MALES

• NCJ Number: 44491
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 348-360
• Author(s): B J KNIGHT; S G OSBORN; D J WEST
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EARLY MARRIAGE AND PRIOR DELINQUENT TENDENCIES OR SUBSEQUENT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN MALES; GETTING MARRIED DID NOT APPEAR TO REDUCE DELINQUENCY.

Abstract

THE RESEARCH WAS PART OF THE CAMBRIDGE STUDY IN DELINQUENT DEVELOPMENT, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, A LONG-TERM SURVEY OF 411 MALES DRAWN FROM THE SCHOOL POPULATION OF A WORKING-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD OF LONDON WHO WERE FOLLOWED FROM AGE 8 TO AGE 22 OR 23. DELINQUENT STATUS AT AGE 21 AND MARITAL STATUS AT THE SAME AGE WERE ASCERTAINED AND COMPARED. OF THE 411 ORIGINAL SUBJECTS, 113 WHO WERE STILL RESIDING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND WHO HAD CONVICTIONS FOR OFFENSES COMMITTED BEFORE THE AGE OF 21 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS WERE INTERVIEWED DURING 1974-1975. A CONTROL GROUP OF 117 NONDELINQUENTS OF THE SAME AGE WAS ALSO SELECTED, OF WHOM 105 WERE SUCCESSFULLY INTERVIEWED. PART 1 OF THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES ANALYSES CARRIED OUT TO DISCOVER ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MARITAL STATUS AT AGE 21 AND PERSONAL OR BACKGROUND VARIABLES ASSESSED AT EARLIER AGES. PART 2 DEALS WITH THE SAMPLE INTERVIEWED AT AGE 21, ANALYZING THE CONTRASTS IN REPORTED BEHAVIOR BETWEEN THOSE WHO WERE MARRIED OR SINGLE, DELINQUENT OR NONDELINQUENT, AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW. FORMAL MARITAL STATUS WAS FOUND TO BE UNRELATED TO CONVICTION HISTORY OR TO MOST OF THE BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIAL HABITS TYPICAL OF DELINQUENTS. NEITHER SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY ADMISSIONS NOR POSTMARITAL CONVICTION RECORDS YIELDED EVIDENCE THAT EARLY MARRIAGE PRODUCED ANY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SUBSEQUENT CRIMINALITY, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM. INTERVIEWS AT 21 SHOWED THAT THE SOCIAL HABITS CHARACTERISTIC OF DELINQUENTS AT 18 HAD BECOME LESS PROMINENT IN THE SAMPLE AS A WHOLE, BUT THAT ON MOST ITEMS THE DELINQUENTS STILL MAINTAINED A RELATIVELY DEVIANT POSITION. ALTHOUGH GETTING MARRIED DID NOT APPEAR TO REDUCE DELINQUENCY, IT DID EFFECT A REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE SOCIAL HABITS ASSOCIATED WITH DELINQUENCY, NOTABLY DRINKING, SEXUAL PROMISCUITY, PROHIBITED DRUG USE, AND TIME SPENT AWAY FROM HOME. SUPPORTING STATISTICS AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.