NCJ Number
54676
Date Published
1978
Length
309 pages
Annotation
A THEORY BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT DIFFERENCES IN MALE AND FEMALE ROLE EXPECTATIONS EXPLAIN WHY BOYS HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF DELINQUENCY THAN GIRLS IS TESTED, WITH FEMININITY VIEWED AS A CONTROL ON BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
THE THEORY PREDICTS THAT GIRLS HAVING A LOW DEGREE OF CONFORMITY WITH TRADITIONAL FEMININE ROLE EXPECTATIONS ARE MORE LIKLEY TO BE DELINQUENT THAN THOSE WHOSE CONFORMITY IS GREATER AND THAT BOYS WHO HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF CONFORMITY WITH TRADITIONAL MASCULINE ROLE EXPECTATIONS ARE MORE LIKLEY TO BE DELINQUENT THAN THOSE WHOSE DEGREE OF CONFORMITY IS LOWER. DATA USED TO TEST THE THEORY WERE OBTAINED FROM 3,145 QUESTIONNAIRES ADMINISTERED TO SOUTHERN ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN 1974-1975. MOST OF THE STUDENTS WERE WHITE; MEXICANAMERICAN STUDENTS COMPRISED THE LARGEST MINORITY GROUP. QUESTIONNAIRES ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES: (1) EFFECTS OF SEX ROLE CONFORMITY ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF BOYS AND GIRLS IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR; (2) CONDITIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIATIONS IN SEX ROLE CONFORMITY; AND (3) WAYS IN WHICH THESE CONDITIONS AFFECT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT SEX ROLE CONFORMITY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR WERE ASSOCIATED ONLY WEAKLY UNLESS OTHER CONTROLS ON BEHAVIOR WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. WHEN GIRLS WERE ONLY WEAKLY CONTROLLED, THOSE HAVING A LOW DEGREE OF CONFORMITY WITH SEX ROLE EXPECTATIONS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE DELINQUENT THAN THOSE WITH A HIGHER DEGREE OF CONFORMITY. FOR BOYS, HOWEVER, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEX ROLE CONFORMITY AND DELINQUENCY WAS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME REGARDLESS OF BEHAVIOR CONTROLS. VARIATIONS IN SEX ROLE CONFORMITY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS, INCLUDING SOCIOECONOMIC POSITION, SEX OF SIBLINGS, PARENTAL ABSENCE, PARENTAL IDENTIFICATION, AND HAVING AN EMPLOYED MOTHER. NONE OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS CONSTITUTED SIGNIFICANT PREDICTORS OF SEX ROLE CONFORMITY, AND THEY WERE NOT EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. DELINQUENT ACTS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS (PRIMARILY FOR GIRLS), PRESENCE OF SISTERS, THE ABSENCE OF A NATURAL PARENT, IDENTIFYING WITH ONE'S FATHER RATHER THAN WITH ONE'S MOTHER (FOR GIRLS ONLY), AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF THE MOTHER. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PARENTAL ABSENCE, THESE ASSOCIATIONS TENDED TO BE LOW. IN MOST CASES, SEX ROLE CONFORMITY ALONE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO EXPLAIN THE FINDINGS, AND ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS ARE PROVIDED. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE STUDY IS CONTAINED IN A SERIES OF APPENDIXES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEP)