NCJ Number
80144
Date Published
1976
Length
237 pages
Annotation
This study is designed to analyze the effect of the delinquent child's living arrangement upon certain sociobiographical and psychological variables as a means of examining the incidence of juvenile recidivism.
Abstract
In general, the study sought to develop a valid framework which could be used to identify the high-risk delinquent at the time of first referral to the Utah Second District Juvenile Court in Salt Lake City. The study sample consisted of 537 male and female delinquents referred to the Utah Second District Juvenile Court between March 1970 and December 1974. Data were collected by volunteers, using various interview schedules, several psychological instruments, and juvenile court records. Statistically significant findings were discovered between a child's living arrangements and 19 of the 36 sociobiographical variables investigated. Of major importance was the finding that the delinquents who lived with their mothers only had considerably higher rates of recidivism than those who lived with their natural parents or under some other living arrangement. Of even greater significance was the finding that certain personality characteristics could be used for white, LDS delinquents who lived with their mothers only to accurately discriminate between recidivists and nonrecidivists at various 6-month intervals (up to 18 months) from 77.5 to 92.5 percent of the time. These findings especially reveal the potential ability of certain sociopsychological variables to identify the high-risk delinquent and underscore the need for and value of an empirically based early identification program for use in the juvenile system as a whole. Tables, study instruments, and about 85 references are supplied. (Author abstract modified)