NCJ Number
44943
Editor(s)
T N FERDINAND
Date Published
1977
Length
160 pages
Annotation
SEVEN STUDIES EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING THEMES: THE IMPACT OF COURTS AND THE POLICE ON JUVENILES; THE NEUTRALIZATION THEORY AMONG DELINQUENTS; AND THE BELIEF THAT JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN.
Abstract
THE DISPOSITIONS OF JUVENILES IN A MICHIGAN JUVENILE COURT ARE EXAMINED, AND FINDING THAT STATUS OFFENDERS WERE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY FROM BOTH FELONY OFFENDERS AND MISDEMEANANTS ARE DISCUSSED. THIS STUDY ALSO SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON THE DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT ACCORDED BOYS AND GIRLS. ANOTHER DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON A 10-YEAR DATA SET OF FACTORS CORRELATED WITH DISPOSITIONS OF A RURAL COURT. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF SEX ON JUVENILE DISPOSITIONS IS CONTINUED, BUT THE IMPACT OF RACE IS INCLUDED AS WELL; A CLEAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEX AND DISPOSITION IS REPORTED. THE ORIGINS OF ADOLESCENT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE ARE CONSIDERED; THE AUTHORS OF THIS STUDY POINT OUT THAT NEGATIVE CONTACTS WITH THE POLICE ARE NEARLY TWICE AS IMPORTANT AS POSITIVE CONTACTS IN SHAPING ADOLESCENT ATTITUDES TOWARD LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE SECOND THEME, THE NEUTRALIZATION THEORY, IS DISCUSSED FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF ATTRIBUTION THEORY IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, SUGGESTING THAT NEUTRALIZATION IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS 'ATTRIBUTED' NEUTRALIZATION, I.E., NEUTRALIZING ATTITUDES ATTRIBUTED TO THE DELINQUENT'S PEERS, IN RELEASING THE JUVENILE FROM THE INHIBITING PRESSURE OF HIS CONVENTIONAL BELIEFS. FROM A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT, THE AUTHOR OF A PAPER ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF NEUTRALIZATION AND DELINQUENCY SUGGESTS THAT BOTH A COMMITMENT TO DELINQUENT VALUES AND NEUTRALIZATION ARE FACETS OF THE SAME FACTOR -- AN ACCULTURATION TO DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE. THE FINAL THEME EXPLORED IS THE POPULAR BELIEF THAT JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS ARE ILL SUITED TO CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN. THE AUTHORS DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF CAMP HILL, AN ADULT INSTITUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA WHERE JUVENILES WERE ALSO HOUSED, AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIVERTING DELINQUENTS TO COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS.