NCJ Number
51628
Journal
American Sociological Review Volume: 43 Issue: 5 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 643-656
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASS AND CRIME/DELINQUENCY IS STUDIED USING AGE, SEX, RACE, PLACE OF RESIDENCE, OR OFFENSE AS UNITS OF ANALYSIS.
Abstract
THIRTY-FIVE STUDIES WERE REDUCED TO COMPARABLE STATISTICS ON INSTANCES WHERE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MEASURE OF INDIVIDUAL CLASS POSITION AND CRIME/DELINQUENCY INDICATORS WAS REPORTED. THE FINDINGS OF 363 INSTANCES WERE EVALUATED AND PATTERNS WERE IDENTIFIED. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED USING THE FOLLOWING AS INDEPENDENT OR CONTROL VARIABLES: TYPE OF SAMPLE IN THE STUDY, SIZE OF THE SAMPLE, TYPE OF PLACE WHERE THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, SIZE OF THE AREA FROM WHICH THE SAMPLE WAS DRAWN, AREA OF THE WORLD OR COUNTRY WHERE THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, DATE OF THE STUDY, INDICATORS OF CRIME/DELINQUENCY, AND TYPE OF DEVIANCE (MAJOR AND MINOR YOUTH OFFENSES, PERSONAL OFFENSES, PROPERTY CRIMES, VIOLENT CRIMES, AND UNDIFFERENTIATED OFFICIAL RECORDS). THE OVERALL MEAN ASSOCIATION (GAMMA) FOR THE 363 INSTANCES WAS ONLY MINUS 0.09. THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS ASSOCIATION VARIED BY TYPE OF DATA EXAMINED AND BY DECADE IN WHICH THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED. ONLY A SLIGHT NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASS AND CRIMINALITY WAS OBSERVED, WITH SELF-REPORT STUDIES REFLECTING LOWER ASSOCIATIONS THAN OFFICIAL STUDIES. A CLEAR HISTORICAL DECLINE IN THE MAGNITUDE OF ASSOCIATIONS WAS FOUND, TO THE POINT WHERE BOTH SELF-REPORT AND OFFICIAL STATISTICS STUDIES CONDUCTED IN THE 1970'S REVEALED NO SOCIAL CLASS VARIATION. THIS HISTORICAL TREND IS SHOWN TO BE DUE TO CHANGES IN THE FINDINGS USING OFFICIAL STATISTICS AS INDICATORS OF CRIMINALITY. ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATIONS ARE DISCUSSED, BUT THEY RAISE RAISE SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF DEVIANCE THEORIES CONTAINING ASSUMPTIONS OF CLASS DIFFERENCES. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEP)