Theoretical and Empirical Foundations of the Continuing Racine Research on Delinquency and Crime

• NCJ Number: 112990
• Author(s): L W Shannon
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 55 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Iowa
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper summarizes the theoretical implications of five empirical studies related to delinquency and crime based upon longitudinal data obtained from Madison and Racine, Wis., beginning in 1956.

Abstract

The first study (1980) examined the relationship of juvenile delinquency to adult crime, and the second study (1982) considered the relationship of juvenile delinquency and adult crime to the changing ecological structure of the city. The third study (1984) examined the development of serious criminal careers and the delinquent neighborhood, followed by a fourth study (1986) that assessed the effects of sanctions on subsequent criminal behavior, particularly offense seriousness. The fifth project (1987) marked a return to the initial concern of predicting adult criminal behavior from juvenile delinquency, with a focus on the predictive power of police contact data and justice system responses to police contacts. The discussions support an integrated theory of delinquency and crime, which begins with the ecology of the city and cultural deviance, proceeds through the social structure and processes, and then adds social-psychological variables that account for differences occurring within groups in the larger structural framework. 8 tables, 155 references.