NCJ Number
97400
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 31 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1985) Pages: 1-6
Date Published
1985
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study validated the usefulness of the socialization scale of the California Personality Inventory in discriminating among juvenile nonoffenders, status offenders, property offenders, and violent offenders.
Abstract
Study data came from 121 males aged 15 and 16. The subjects were contacted through various social service and correctional institutions in a major metropolitan area and included 30 nonoffenders, 31 property offenders, 30 violent offenders, and 30 status offenders. All were from the lowest two groups as Hollingshead's scale for determining socioeconomic status, because prior evidence suggested that the socialization scale was more discriminating among samples of low socioeconomic status. Four hypotheses regarding the scale's ability to differentiate among groups were tested. The scale showed discriminatory ability and indicated that status offenses are antisocial activities. The position of those who believe that status offenders should be treated either as delinquents or at least differently from nonoffenders was supported. One table and a list of 30 references are supplied.