NCJ Number
42081
Journal
ANNALES DE VAUCRESSON Issue: 13 Dated: (1975) Pages: 87-91
Date Published
1975
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY THE FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOLESCENT RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR IN RELATION TO DEVIANT ACTS.
Abstract
A SAMPLE OF 108 JUVENILES JUDGED 'DELINQUENT' AND 152 JUVENILES JUDGED 'NON-DELINQUENT' DURING 1973 AND 1974 WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE QUESTIONNAIRES INDICATING HOW THEY WOULD REACT IN HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS. RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED FROM THREE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES: THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RISK ASSESSMENT, RISK TAKING, AND INTELLIGENCE; RISK ASSESSMENT, RISK TAKING, AND THE NATURE OF ANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES; AND RISK TAKING ON BEHALF OF ONESELF OR OTHERS IN INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP SITUATIONS. STUDY FINDINGS INDICATED THAT THE MORE INTELLIGENT RESPONDENTS IN BOTH THE DELINQUENT AND NON-DELINQUENT GROUPS TENDED TO ACCEPT LESS RISK AND TO BETTER ESTIMATE THE PROBABILITY OF RISK THAN DID THEIR LESS INTELLECTUAL COUNTERPARTS. SUBJECTS IN BOTH GROUPS ALSO DEMONSTRATED A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ACCEPTANCE OF RISK AND THE POSSIBLE REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS. THE MAJORITY OF DEVIANT ACTS WERE COMMITTED WITH FULL COGNIZANCE OF POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. THERE WAS ALSO A TENDENCY FOR THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF A DELINQUENT ACT TO BE OVERESTIMATED. IN ADDITION, CONTRARY TO WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED, THE RISKS ACCEPTED BY DELINQUENTS AND NON-DELINQUENTS WERE NEARLY IDENTICAL, WHETHER ACCEPTED ON BEHALF OF THEMSELVES OR OF OTHERS AND WHETHER THE SITUATION INVOLVED ONE PERSON OR A GROUP. --IN FRENCH...ELW