Relevance of Social Class to Delinquent Behavior - A New Test

• NCJ Number: 84395
• Author(s): R E Johnson
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Eric Document Reproduction Service; Not Available Through National Institute of Justice/NCJRS Document Loan Program
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

The apparent refutation by self-report studies of social class-related theories of juvenile delinquency is reviewed and challenged on conceptual and methodological grounds.

Abstract

Improper conceptualization and consequent operationalization of the social class dimension is considered to be the most serious contributor to the inconsistent findings. A more appropriate Underclass/Earning Class model of stratification is suggested. Although no empirical support was found for a relationship between commonly employed socioeconomic status (SES) of father's occupation and self-reported delinquent behavior, indications are that social class is slightly more related to self-reported delinquency using the underclass/earning class model. However, there appears to be no reason to expect social class to emerge as a major correlate of delinquent behavior no matter how class is measured. (Resources in Education (ERIC) abstract)