NCJ Number
45768
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 69 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 115-125
Date Published
1978
Length
12 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE THE EXPLANATORY VALIDITY OF THREE SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF REBELLIOUSNESS (SOCIAL DEVIANCE), A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 300 SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS.
Abstract
THE THREE THEORIES EXAMINED ARE THE STRAIN OR ANOMIE THEORY, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT BLOCKED ATTAINMENT OF GOALS LEADS TO THE USE OF ILLEGITIMATE MEANS TO ACHIEVE LEGITIMATE ENDS; CULTURE CONFLICT THEORY, WHICH POSITS THE EXISTENCE OF SUBCULTURAL NORMS AT VARIANCE WITH THE NORMS OF THE LARGER OR MORE POWERFUL CULTURAL GROUP; AND THE INTERNAL SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT DEVIANT OR DELINQUENT ACTS ARE PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FREE TO COMMIT SUCH ACTIONS BECAUSE THEIR SOCIAL TIES WITH THE CONVENTIONAL ORDER ARE BROKEN. SEVEN VARIABLES INDICATIVE OF PUPIL REBELLIOUSNESS WERE CHOSEN FROM AMONG THE TEN QUESTIONNAIRE MEASURES. FACTOR ANALYSIS INDICATED TWO DIMENSIONS OF DEVIANCE, TRADITIONAL (CHEATING, SCHOOL MISBEHAVIOR, FIGHTING IN SCHOOL, TRUANCY, ETC.) AND DRUG USE DEVIANCE, FOR WHICH DEVIANCE SCALES WERE CREATED. SCALES WERE ALSO DEVISED TO MEASURE THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF THE THREE THEORIES. REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF DATA DEMONSTRATES THAT ALL THREE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ARE ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR AT LEAST SOME SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE VARIANCE IN BOTH TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DEVIANCE AND DRUG USE. ON THE BASIS OF THE FINDINGS, A PATH MODEL OF INTERRELATIONSHIPS IS PRESENTED FROM WHICH IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT CULTURE CONFLICT AND STRAIN ARE POSITIVELY RELATED TO HIGH SCHOOL DEVIANCE IN INVERSE PROPORTION TO THE LEVEL OF SOCIAL CONTROL PRESENT; THAT THERE WILL BE LITTLE OR NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRAIN AND HIGH SCHOOL DEVIANCE OR BETWEEN CULTURE CONFLICT AND HIGH SCHOOL DEVIANCE; AND THAT, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS LOW IN SOCIAL CONTROL, THERE WILL BE A SUBSTANTIAL ASSOCIATION BETWEEN STRAIN AND HIGH SCHOOL DEVIANCE AND BETWEEN CULTURE CONFLICT AND HIGH SCHOOL DEVIANCE. QUESTIONNAIRE DATA ARE FOUND TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THESE HYPOTHESIZED RELATIONSHIPS FOR DRUG USE, BUT LESS STRONGLY SUPPORT THEM FOR TRADITIONAL DEVIANCE, I.E., SOCIAL CONTROL IS STRONGLY RELATED TO LOWER LEVELS OF DRUG USE BUT LESS STRONGLY RELATED TO LOWER LEVELS OF TRADITIONAL DEVIANCE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT ALL THREE THEORIES PROVIDE SOME EXPLANATION FOR ADOLESCENT SOCIAL DEVIANCE AND THAT SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY MANIFESTS THE GREATEST EXPLANATORY POWER. THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS NOT INCLUDED. (JAP)