NCJ Number
31918
Date Published
1975
Length
168 pages
Annotation
DOCTORAL THESIS STUDY WHICH EXPLORES ASSUMPTIONS OF THE LABELING THEORY OF DEVIANCE BY IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING THE EXPLANATORY POWER OF VARIABLES WHICH SHAPE THE PERSONAL RELEVANCE OF THE DELINQUENCY LABEL.
Abstract
A MAJOR ASSUMPTION OF THIS STUDY WAS THAT THE DELINQUENCY LABEL IS VARIABLE RATHER THAN UNIFORM IN ITS IMPACT ON SELF-CONCEPTSION, THAT THE LABEL WAS DIFFERENTIALLY RELEVANT AMONG DELINQUENTS, AND THAT SUCH RELEVANCE WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE DEGREE OF DELINQUENT IDENTIFICATION AND SELF-ESTEEM. THE FOUR FACTORS EXAMINED WERE THE FREQUENCY OF THE BOY'S CONTACT WITH THE POLICE, JUVENILE COURT, AND JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS; THE BOY'S PERCEPTION OF THE LAW AND CONTROL AGENTS; THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE INCARCERATED BOY IDENTIFIED WITH OTHER INCARCERATED YOUTH; AND THE LENGTH OF TIME A BOY HAD BEEN INCARCERATED. DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM TWO JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS IN OHIO BY MEANS OF GROUP ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE TOTAL SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 289 ADJUDICATED MALE DELINQUENTS. CORRELATION AND REGRESSION ANALYSIS GENERALLY SUPPORTED THE RELEVANCE OF THE HYPOTHESIZED FACTORS, ALTHOUGH THE RELATIONSHIPS WERE NOT STRONG. HOWEVER, NO SUPPORT WAS FOUND FOR THE RELEVANCE OF DURATION OF INCARCERATION. THE ANALYSIS ALSO LED TO THESE SPECIFIC FINDINGS: (1) POLICE CONTACTS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO THE DEGREE OF DELINQUENT IDENTIFICATION, WHILE AGE AT FIRST LEGAL INVOLVEMENT AND IDENTIFICATION WITH OTHER CLIENTS WERE RELATED TO SELF-ESTEEM. (2) DEGREE OF DELINQUENT IDENTIFICATION WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-ESTEEM. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE ASSUMED SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LABELING OCCUR GRADUALLY OVER TIME. MOREOVER, VARIATIONS IN SELF CONCEPTIONS WERE FOUND TO BE RELATED WITH BOTH THE EXPERIENCE OF INCARCERATION AS WELL AS FACTORS EXTERNAL TO THE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)