YOUTH VIEWS OF DELINQUENCY CAUSATION - A CONSIDERATION IN COMPREHENSIVE JUVENILE JUSTICE PLANNING

• NCJ Number: 56352
• Journal: Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1979) Pages: 41-46
• Author(s): N A REUTERMAN; M DURBIN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY IS CONCERNED WITH DIFFERENCES AMONG VARIOUS GROUPS OF THE TEENAGE PUBLIC IN THEIR VIEWS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CAUSATION, WITH ATTENTION TO AGE, SOCIOECONOMIC, AND SEX FACTORS IN JUVENILE ATTITUDES.

Abstract

RESPONDENTS INCLUDED 188 STUDENTS IN ATTENDANCE ON A GIVEN DAY AT A PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL LOCATED IN A SMALL MIDWESTERN TOWN. BECAUSE THE TOWN IS ON THE PERIPHERY OF A LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA, IT IS LARGELY MIDDLE CLASS IN TERMS OF INCOME, AND INCLUDES A SMALL MINORITY POPULATION; RESPONDENTS WERE NOT REPRESENTATIVES OF TEENAGERS IN CITIES AND LARGE METROPOLITAN AREAS. ITEMS INCLUDED IN A STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE PERTAINED TO SEX AND AGE OF RESPONDENT AND TYPE OF PARENT EMPLOYMENT. STUDENTS WERE ALSO ASKED TO COMMENT ON WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO BE MAIN CAUSES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. EIGHTEEN GENERAL CATEGORIES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CAUSES OFTEN MENTIONED WERE LACK OF PARENTAL SUPERVISION, LACK OF PARENTAL DISCIPLINE, PARENTAL INDIFFERENCE, GENERALLY POOR HOME AND FAMILY CONDITIONS, LACK OF LOVE IN THE HOME, LACK OF ATTENTION IN THE HOME, MISCELLANEOUS HOME AND FAMILY INFLUENCES, BROKEN HOMES, PEER GROUP INFLUENCES, SCHOOL INFLUENCES, COMMUNITY INFLUENCES, SOCIETAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES, PURPOSIVE DELINQUENCY, NORMAL NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF ADOLESCENCE, LACK OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, POVERTY, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, AND MISCELLANEOUS (I.E., ANY CAUSE NOT CLEARLY FALLING INTO ONE OF THE PRECEDING CATEGORIES). AFTER THE CODING OF THESE CATEGORIES, COMPARISONS WERE MADE IN TERMS OF SEX, SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL AS INDICATED BY TYPE OF PARENT EMPLOYMENT, AND AGE. NO SINGLE CAUSATIVE CATEGORY REGARDING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY WAS MENTIONED BY A MAJORITY OF STUDENTS. FEMALES SEEMED LIKELY TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HOME AND FAMILY LIFE. FOR MANY CITED CAUSES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT VARIATION AMONG SEGMENTS OF THE TEENAGE PUBLIC. SYSTEMATIC DIFFERENCES AMONG SEGMENTS OF THE TEENAGE PUBLIC IN THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING CERTAIN DELINQUENCY FACTORS CLEARLY INDICATE THAT THEIR VIEWS SHOULD BE GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION IN COMPREHENSIVE JUVENILE JUSTICE PLANNING. SUPPORTING DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)