NCJ Number
46977
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A MODEL OF DELINQUENCY IS PROPOSED IN WHICH DELINQUENCY IS VIEWED AS AN EXPRESSION OF INTERGROUP CONFLICT. BOTH YOUTH AND MINORITY GROUPS ARE IN CONFLICT WITH THE DOMINATING ELEMENTS IN SOCIETY.
Abstract
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CAUSES OF THESE CONFLICTS. ONE IS THAT THE PARENTS, IN A PROCESS ANALOGOUS TO DOMINANT GROUP PROJECTION OF REPRESSED DESIRES INTO THE MINORITY GROUP, MAY PROJECT THEIR OWN LATENT TENDENCIES FOR DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS INTO THEIR OFFSPRING SUCH THAT IT PROVIDES A VICARIOUS ACTING-OUT OF PATHOLOGIES FOR THEM. IN ADDITION YOUTH ARE ACCORDED A LOW STATUS IN SOCIETY AS ARE MINORITY GROUPS. FURTHER, A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ACTUAL STATUS AND EXPECTED STATUS RESULTS IN FRUSTRATION WHICH MAY EXPRESS ITSELF AS RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR. AS IN INTERGROUP RELATIONSHIPS WHERE STRANGERS ARE ABHORRED AND SUSPECTED, JUVENILES ARE OFTEN VIEWED WITH DISTRUST IN THE FAMILY GROUP AND THE LARGER SOCIAL GROUP; THE CHILD'S PRESENCE DISRUPTS THE RELATIVELY HARMONIOUS PARENTAL DYAD, AND YOUTH AS CULTURAL CARRIERS OF BOTH CONTINUITY AND CHANGE THREATEN THE ESTABLISHED SOCIAL ORDER. CONFLICTS SUCH AS THESE BETWEEN A DOMINANT AND A SUBORDINATE GROUP HAVE A NUMBER OF CONSEQUENCES. INTERGROUP CONFLICTS INCREASE INTRAGROUP SOLIDARITY AND COHESIVENESS, WHICH IN TURN LEADS TO SEGREGATION OF THE OUTGROUP (THE MINORITY GROUP, YOUTH) FROM THE INGROUP (THE LARGER AND ADULT SOCIETY). SUCH SEGREGATION CAN BE SEEN IN THE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION BY YOUTH OF COMMODITIES AIMED AT THEM, AND THE SPATIAL SEGREGATION OF YOUTH IMPOSED BY SCHOOLS, CHILDREN'S QUARTERS ETC. MUTUAL SEGREGATION, IN TURN, INVOLVES CHANGES IN INTERPERSONAL PERCEPTION AND LIMITS INTERPERSONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE TWO GROUPS RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL INTERGROUP ALIENATION, CONFLICTS, AND STEREOTYPING. THUS, MINORITY GROUP MEMBERS ARE VIEWED AS EMBODYING THE NEGATION OF THE DOMINANT GROUP'S VALUES. NEGATIVISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF MINORITY GROUP BEHAVIORS HELD BY THE MAJORITY GROUP RESULT IN THE MINORITY GROUP'S ADOPTION OF BEHAVIOR WHICH CONFORMS TO THESE EXPECTATIONS. WHILE THESE CONFLICTS WHICH RESULT IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND SOCIALLY DEVIANT BEHAVIORS CAN NOT BE ELIMINATED COMPLETELY, INTERACTION BETWEEN ADULTS AND YOUTHS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMON GOALS, ACTIVITIES, AND ENVIRONMENTS CAN DO MUCH TO MITIGATE INTERGROUP CONFLICT AND HOSTILITIES AND MAY AID IN REDUCING DELINQUENCY. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)