NEW MULTIPLE-FACTOR APPROACH TO DELINQUENCY AND ITS APPLICATION TO TYPES OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 18885
• Author(s): N A REUTERMAN
• Date Published: 1968
• Length: 256 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DISSERTATION - UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STUDY IN WHICH SEVERAL MAJOR DIMENSIONS OF THE MULTIPLE-FACTOR SCHEME WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANT IN IDENTIFYING DIFFERING ETIOLOGICAL INFLUENCES.

Abstract

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISTINGUISHING AMONG TYPES OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS IS DISCUSSED. THE DIFFICULTIES AND ADVANTAGES OF THE MULTIPLE-FACTOR APPROACH TO DELINQUENCY ARE NOTED. A SYSTEMATIC MULTIPLE-FACTOR SCHEME IS DISCUSSED. THIS APPROACH IS BASED ON THREE PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS; THE SOURCE OF THE FACTOR (SOCIAL OR INDIVIDUAL), THE LIFE SEGMENT IN WHICH THE FACTOR OPERATES (PEERS, FAMILY, SCHOOL OR CITY), AND THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP THE FACTOR HAS WITH A DELINQUENT ACT (INSTIGATION, FACILITATION, PERMISSION, DIVERSION, AND PROHIBITION). THE COMBINATION OF THESE DIMENSIONS PERMITS THE SPECIFICATION OF 40 SEPARATE FACTOR CATEGORIES. THE PURPOSE IS TO DETERMINE HOW VARIOUS TYPES OF DELINQUENTS DIFFER IN TERMS OF THE MULTIPLE-FACTOR SCHEME. A QUESTIONNAIRE INTENDED TO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF EACH OF THE FACTOR CATEGORIES WAS DEVELOPED. THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS THEN ADMINISTERED TO A GROUP OF ADJUDICATED DELINQUENTS AND A GROUP OF COMPARABLE NON-DELINQUENTS. THE SUBJECTS WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF OFFENDER VARIABLES, INCLUDING SEX, AGE, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, INTELLIGENCE, MOBILITY, FAMILY COMPOSITION AND ETHNIC GROUP MEMBERSHIP. IN ADDITION, THE DELINQUENTS WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF OFFENSE TYPE VARIABLES. DIFFERENT TYPES OF DELINQUENTS WERE THEN COMPARED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF THEY SCORED DIFFERENTLY ON THE VARIOUS FACTOR CATEGORIES. THE NON-DELINQUENTS WERE USED AS CONTROL SUBJECTS TO INSURE THAT DIFFERENCES AMONG DELINQUENTS WERE NOT DUE TO GENERAL DIFFERENCES FOUND FOR ALL ADOLESCENTS. THE INFLUENCE OF OTHER VARIABLES WAS CONTROLLED. DATA ANALYSIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE USE OF MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE AND MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION. DIFFERENCES WHICH REMAINED WHEN OTHER VARIABLES WERE CONTROLLED WERE FOUND WHEN CLASSIFICATION WAS BASED ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SEX, AGE, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, INTELLIGENCE, ETHNIC GROUP MEMBERSHIP, CRIMINAL-CHILDREN IN NEED OF SUPERVISION OFFENSE AND MULTIPLE-FIRST OFFENSE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)