NCJ Number
161784
Journal
Journal of Adolescence Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (February 1996) Pages: 5-18
Date Published
1996
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Drawn from a representative sample, 74 young people with an average age of 15-16 years who were arrested frequently by the police were traced and interviewed wherever they were living about aspects of their families and social lives.
Abstract
The study was conducted in two English boroughs in Midlands County and London. Police arrest records for 1992 were analyzed, and all juveniles who appeared three or more times were listed. Interviewers followed a largely structured interview containing a small number of open-ended questions. Of the 74 reoffenders interviewed, 66 were male and 8 were female. The most frequent offenses involved road traffic violations, nonresidential burglary, car theft, and criminal damage. At the time of interview, 22 lived with both parents, 32 lived with their mothers only, 5 lived with their fathers, and 15 did not live with either parent. As a whole, reoffenders had a wide range of social relationships in several different realms, including families, peers, acquaintances, and adults from criminal justice and welfare agencies. Interview data revealed high levels of family disruption and varied current and past living circumstances. Reoffenders reported good relationships with their mothers and strong social ties with friends and peers. Few were involved in constructive daily activities, and about one-third claimed to be unemployed. Both drug use and alcohol use were widespread and heavy. About half had experienced some sort of psychological intervention or counseling, and stress and lack of support were common. Intervention and policy implications of the study findings are discussed. 28 references and 4 tables