NCJ Number
167084
Journal
Adolescence Volume: 31 Issue: 124 Dated: (Winter 1996) Pages: 973-989
Date Published
1996
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study compared 532 adolescents being detained by county juvenile authorities with 354 adolescents attending public school in reference to the volume of delinquent activity committed for 1 year prior to the survey.
Abstract
Four levels of delinquent activity were developed, ranging from minor offenses such as runaway behavior to serious offenses such as assault. Participants were also compared on how they responded to several Likert-type questions that measured factors associated with the inclination to commit delinquent acts (anomie, social bonding, delinquent peer association, labeling, and self-esteem). This comparison provided information on the multiple pathways to delinquency that suggested forms of intervention. The study concluded that youths who experience high anomie and low social control and who associate with delinquent peers are more likely to be labeled by adults and thus are more susceptible to the development of low self-esteem, which contributes to juvenile delinquency. Those youths who become delinquents are less successful at reducing their level of environmental frustration, are attached to those who engage in aberrant behavior, and view themselves in a more demeaning fashion than those who remain nondelinquent. This study and a number of others show that the pathway to delinquency is multiple and diverse. If treatment strategies or interventions are to be effective, then holistic, comprehensive approaches must be used. Early interventions on several fronts are appropriate. Programs that aid youths who reside in areas of high-risk delinquency, who display family and school problems, and who need help in the development of social skills must be undertaken simultaneously. 59 references