NCJ Number
62633
Journal
Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1979) Pages: 361-365
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
A RESEARCH EXPERIMENT SHOWED THAT POOR READING ACHIEVEMENT, LONG LINKED TO DELINQUENCY, IS ALSO RELATED TO A HISTORY OF VIOLENT OFFENSES AMONG MALE AND FEMALE JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
Abstract
THE STUDY DIVIDED OFFENDERS INTO GOOD VERSUS POOR READERS AND COMPARED THEIR VIOLENCE RECORDS. THE SUBJECTS WERE 120 CONSECUTIVE PROBATION REFERRALS, AGED 13 TO 17 YEARS. EACH WAS ADMINISTERED READING AND IQ TESTS AS PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR TREATMENT PLANNING PURPOSES. AS HYPOTHESIZED, THE DELINQUENTS WHO EARNED HIGH READING ACHIEVEMENT QUOTIENTS SCORED LOW ON THE VIOLENCE SCALE WHILE VIOLENCE QUOTIENTS WERE HIGH FOR POOR READERS. SEX AND ETHNICITY REMAINED AS SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES WITH MALES AND NON-ANGLOS SHOWING A HIGHER DEGREE OF VIOLENCE IN SERIOUS OFFENSES. THE RESULTS ALSO SUPPORTED SCHUBERT AND CROPLEY'S 1972 EXTENSION OF LURIA'S VERBAL-CONTROL-OF-BEHAVIOR THEORY WHICH EMPHASIZES THE FUNCTION OF VERBAL ABILITY IN CONTROLLING ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (MJW)