NCJ Number
32719
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1976) Pages: 1-7
Date Published
1976
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY SURVEYED 63 JUVENILE DELINQUENTS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OFFICIAL CONTACT WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY CAUSES ADOPTION OF A NEGATIVE SELF PERCEPTION AND WHETHER THIS NEGATIVE VIEW USUALLY LEADS TO FURTHER DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT A JUVENILE DELINQUENCY TREATMENT CENTER IN A MIDWESTERN STATE. ALL THE BOYS WHO RESIDED IN THE INSTITUTION FROM 1961 TO 1973 WERE INCLUDED AS POTENTIAL SUBJECTS. OF THESE, ONLY 63 COULD BE CONTACTED. SURVEYS WHICH QUESTIONED THE SUBJECTS' DEVIANT SELF PERCEPTION, THE WAY THEY THOUGHT OTHERS PERCEIVED THEM, AND WHETHER THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD BEEN DENIED EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE OF A PAST RECORDS. OTHER INDICES AND SCALES WERE ALSO UTILIZED TO OBTAIN POSTRELEASE INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECTS WHICH SERVES AS AN OVERALL ADJUSTMENT MEASURE. THESE INDICES MEASURED CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT, JOB ADJUSTMENT, AND SELF DEVELOPMENT. THE DATA SHOWED THAT MOST OF THOSE SURVEYED DID NOT DEVELOP NEGATIVE SELF IDENTITIES, AND THAT THE OFFENSE RATE FOR THOSE WITH DELINQUENT SELF PERCEPTIONS WAS NOT HIGHER THAN THE RATES FOR THOSE WITHOUT DELINQUENT SELF CONCEPTS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENDERS, THOSE WHO WERE RECOMMITTED FOR LONGER TERMS, WERE NOT THOSE WHO DEVELOPED NEGATIVE SELF PERCEPTIONS AS A RESULT OF LABELING, BUT THOSE WHO WERE NOT AFFECTED BY THE LABELING PROCESS. IN LIGHT OF THESE FINDINGS, THE AUTHOR PROPOSES A REVISION OF THE TRADITIONAL LABELING HYPOTHESIS.