DISREGARDED DELINQUENCY - A STUDY OF SELF REPORTED MIDDLE CLASS FEMALE DELINQUENCY IN A SUBURB

• NCJ Number: 7258
• Author(s): N J BARTON
• Date Published: 1965
• Length: 295 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATION

Annotation

STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCES IN TYPE AND INCIDENCE OF MALE AND FEMALE DELINQUENCY EXIST IN THE MIDDLE-CLASS TEEN-AGE POPULATION.

Abstract

A SELF REPORT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO ALL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS IN AN UPPERMIDDLE CLASS SUBURBAN COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY. SOURCES OTHER THAN OFFICIAL RECORDS WERE USED IN AN EFFORT TO DEMONSTRATE THE NATURE OF DISTORTION IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AFFECTING FEMALE JUVENILE DELINQUENCY RATES. WHITE MIDDLE-CLASS DELINQUENCY WAS FOUND TO BE PREDOMINANTLY HEDONISTIC IN NATURE WITH A CONCENTRATION ON ALCOHOL, DRIVING AND SEX OFFENSES, BUT TO INCLUDE MORE THEFT THAN EXPECTED. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY INDICATE THAT THE ACTS MOST FREQUENTLY COMMITTED BY BOYS AND GIRLS ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL, BUT THERE IS DIFFERENCE IN THEIR ORDER OF POPULARITY. ASSAULT AND VANDALISM RANK HIGHER WITH BOYS, WHILE SEX OFFENSES AND THEFT RANK HIGHER WITH GIRLS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT MORE MIDDLE-CLASS BOYS COMMIT DELINQUENT OFFENSES AND REPEAT THEIR DELINQUENCIES WITH GREATER FREQUENCY THAN DO GIRLS. THIS SELF REPORT DATA INDICATES, HOWEVER, THAT THE RATIO OF MIDDLE CLASS GIRL DELINQUENTS TO BOY DELINQUENTS IS LARGER THAN REPORTED IN OFFICIAL STATISTICS. BIBLIOGRAPHY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)