NCJ Number
51460
Date Published
1976
Length
219 pages
Annotation
A MODEL TO EXPLAIN REBELLION AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED ADOLESCENTS IS DEVELOPED. ITS 6 PROPOSITIONS AND 24 HYPOTHESES ARE THEN TESTED ON A SAMPLE OF 310 MALES AND 137 FEMALES IN 2 STATE JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS.
Abstract
A DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO COLLECT DATA ON THE JUVENILES' ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS, THEIR OCCUPATIONAL GOALS, THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INSTITUTION, THEIR ADHERENCE TO THE INMATE PEER SYSTEM, THEIR EXPOSURE TO EITHER TRAINING ORIENTED OR TREATMENT ORIENTED GOALS, PRESSURES FOR SUCCESS, AND FEELINGS OF ALIENATION. THE REGRESSION ANALYSIS USED IS EXPLAINED IN DETAIL. CHARTS AND TABLES PRESENT THE RESEARCH DATA AND ILLUSTRATE THE MATHEMATICAL DISCUSSION. IN GENERAL, THE MODEL WAS SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. THERE WAS A STRONG POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN PERCEIVED INSTITUTIONAL INEFFECTIVENESS AND REBELLION AND BETWEEN OPPOSITION TO THE INSTITUTION AND REBELLION. THERE WAS MODERATE CORRELATION BETWEEN ADHERENCE TO THE INMATE NORMATIVE SYSTEM AND REBELLION. NO RELATIONSHIPS WERE FOUND BETWEEN EDUCATIONAL OR OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND REBELLION OR BETWEEN PRESSURES FOR SUCCESS AND REBELLION. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SLIGHT NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE INMATE'S PERCEPTION OF THE ATTAINABILITY OF OCCUPATIONAL GOALS AND REBELLION. INSTITUTIONAL GOALS HAD NO EFFECT ON REBELLION BUT THE INMATE'S PERCEPTION OF THE INSTITUTION'S RIGHT TO DETAIN THEM HAD A STRONG NEGATIVE CORRELATION. FEMALES EXPRESSED MORE HOSTILITY AND REBELLION THAN MALES AND CAUCASIANS MORE THAN NONCAUCASIANS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOR INSTITUTIONS ARE DISCUSSED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)