NCJ Number
49226
Date Published
1975
Length
95 pages
Annotation
THE STUDY DETERMINES WHETHER A PROGRAM OF SEXUAL INTEGRATION HAS ANY EFFECT ON AN INCARCERATED DELINQUENT'S SELF-CONCEPT, SEXUAL IDENTITY, AND ADJUSTMENT.
Abstract
THE SUBJECTS FOR THE EXPERIMENT WERE SELECTED USING A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING APPROACH AND MATCHED ACCORDING TO DEMOGRAPHIC DATA. THE FOLLOWING SELECTIONS WERE MADE: (1) 50 INCARCERATED FEMALE WARDS FROM A SEXUALLY SEGREGATED INSTITUTION; (2) 50 MALE WARDS FROM A SEXUALLY SEGREGATED INSTITUTION; (3) 50 MALE WARDS FROM A SEXUALLY INTEGRATED INSTITUTION; AND (4) 50 MALE AND 50 FEMALE WARDS FROM A SEXUALLY INTEGRATED INSTITUTION. THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE EXPERIMENT WERE THE TENNESSEE SELF-CONCEPT SCALE AND THE BELL ADJUSTMENT INVENTORY. FROM THE FINDINGS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE SELF-WORTH OF MALE DELINQUENTS IN SEXUALLY INTEGRATED INSTITUTIONS IS MORE ENHANCED THAN IN SEXUALLY SEGREGATED ONES; BUT, THE SELF-CONCEPT OF WOMEN IS MORE ENHANCED WHILE RESIDING IN A SEXUALLY SEGREGATED INSTITUTION. THIS IS EXPLAINED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE TRADITIONAL MALE DOMINANCE AND FEMALE SUBMISSIVENESS AURA AND PATTERNS CARRIED FROM THE LARGER SOCIETY INTO SEXUALLY INTEGRATED INSTITUTIONS. WHILE THE SELF-CONCEPT OF THE MALE OFFENDERS IS ENHANCED THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF DOMINANT BEHAVIOR IN RELATION TO WOMEN, SUCH BEHAVIOR AND INTERACTION IS BELIEVED TO ERODE THE SELF-CONCEPT OF WOMEN. THE AUTHOR ARGUES FOR SEXUALLY INTEGRATED FACILITIES IN ORDER TO HAVE THE ENVIRONMENT OF INCARCERATION SIMILAR TO THE LARGER SOCIETY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME URGING THAT THE LARGER SOCIETY MOVE INCREASINGLY TOWARD PATTERNS OF MALE-FEMALE INTERACTION WHERE POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPTS ARE MUTUALLY NOURISHED. DATA FROM THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (RCB)