NCJ Number
25593
Date Published
1974
Length
203 pages
Annotation
DOCTORAL STUDY DESIGNED TO TEST THE 'AFFECTIVE TIES' THEORY OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, WHICH EXPLAINS DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN TERMS OF THE AFFECTIVE TIES AN INDIVIDUAL HAS WITH CONVENTIONAL, AND DEVIANT OTHERS.
Abstract
THIS THEORY IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT AN ACTOR IS MOTIVATED TO MAXIMIZE THE APPROVAL AND ESTEEM OF HIS CLOSE ASSOCIATES BY ACTING IN WAYS HE BELIEVES THEY WILL APPROVE AND ADMIRE, AND BY AVOIDING ACTION THAT HE BELIEVES THEY WILL KNOW ABOUT AND DISAPPROVE. THE DISSERTATION INCLUDES A REVIEW OF THE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL LITERATURE PERTAINING TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND SUGGESTS HOW PREVIOUS FINDINGS AND THEORIES CAN BE INTERPRETED AS COMPATIBLE WITH THE AFFECTIVE TIES THEORY. BUT THE MAJOR PART OF THE DISSERTATION IS DEVOTED TO AN ANALYSIS OF DATA DESCRIBING A SAMPLE OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA ADOLESCENTS. THE EFFICACY OF INDICATORS SUGGESTED BY AFFECTIVE TIES THEORY IN PREDICTING SELFREPORTED DELINQUENCY WAS FIRST TESTED ON A SAMPLE OF 1588 WHITE ADOLESCENT MALES. THE ANALYSIS THEN FOCUSES ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE THEORY TO BOYS IN DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES. ATTENTION IS THEN FOCUSED ON A SAMPLE OF 675 WHITE ADOLESCENT GIRLS. ALTHOUGH THE THEORETICAL LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT THE PROCESS OF DELINQUENCY INVOLVEMENT IS DIFFERENT FOR BOYS IN DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES AND FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, THE FINDINGS HERE INDICATE THAT AFFECTIVE TIES THEORY IS APPLICABLE TO BOYS IN ALL CLASSES AND TO BOTH SEXES. GIRLS HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF DELINQUENCY INVOLVEMENT THAN BOYS, AND A REGRESSION STANDARDIZATION PROCEDURE WAS UTILIZED TO SHOW THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THAT DIFFERENCE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SEXES IN AFFECTIVE TIES VARIABLES. THE RESEARCHER CONCLUDES THAT STUDY FINDINGS SUGGEST THE UTILITY OF THE THEORY BUT DO NOT DEMONSTRATE ITS VALIDITY. POSSIBLE AREAS OF FUTURE RESEARCH ARE SUGGESTED. A NINE-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) RICHMOND (CA)