ADOLESCENT EXPERIENCE AND DELINQUENCY - SCHOOL VERSUS SUBCULTURAL EFFECTS

• NCJ Number: 46034
• Journal: Youth and Society Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1976) Pages: 27-44
• Author(s): G W NOBLIT
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH14806
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: THIS PAPER IS A REVISION OF ONE PRESENTED AT THE SOUTHERN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, APRIL 1974

Annotation

THIS STUDY OF 283 HIGH SCHOOL MALES IN NORTHWEST U. S. EXAMINES THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL CLASS ORIGINS, SCHOOL STATUS, AND DELINQUENT SUBCULTURAL INVOLVEMENT UPON DELINQUENCY.

Abstract

THE DATA FOR THIS INVESTIGATION WERE DRAWN FROM AN ONGOING LONGITUDINAL PANEL STUDY FROM INTERVIEWS WITH THE STUDENTS CONDUCTED IN 1967 COVERING DEMOGRAPHIC, SCHOOL, FAMILY, WORK, AND PEER VARIABLES, AND FROM SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS AND JUVENILE COURT RECORDS. THE COUNTY INVOLVED IS MEDIUM SIZED, NONMETROPOLITAN, AND 0.2 PERCENT BLACK. IT WAS FOUND THAT POLICE AND COURTS USE SCHOOL STATUS IN DETERMINING WHETHER JUVENILES SHOULD BE LABELED AS DELINQUENTS. THE INVOLVEMENT OF JUVENILES IN VARIOUS SUBCULTURES IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT. A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL STATUS AND DELINQUENT SUBCULTURAL INVOLVEMENT, IS APPARENT BUT DELINQUENCY IS SLIGHTLY BETTER EXPLAINED BY SCHOOL STATUS THAN BY DELINQUENT SUBCULTURAL INVOLVEMENT. ALTHOUGH DELINQUENCY IS SOMEWHAT RELATED TO SOCIAL CLASS, ADOLESCENT EXPERIENCES ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO INCREASED DEVIANCE AND SUBSEQUENT VULNERABILITY TO THE DELINQUENCY LABEL THAN IS THE SOCIAL CLASS IN WHICH ONE IS RAISED AND SOCIALIZED. SOCIAL CLASS IS IMPORTANT IN THAT SCHOOLS TEND TO ASSIGN SCHOOL STATUS ON THE BASIS OF THE STUDENT'S SOCIAL CLASS AND LOWER CLASS STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY PERCEIVED TO BE ACADEMICALLY WEAK. THIS LABELING CAN LEAD TO STUDENT'S INVOLVEMENT IN DELINQUENT GANGS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED INTO HOW THE INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS OF SOCIETY, PARTICULARLY SCHOOLS, LEADS TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. STATISTICAL TABLES, ENDNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)