ASSESSING 'DRIFT' AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED FEMALE DELINQUENTS

• NCJ Number: 63261
• Journal: LAE (LAMBDA ALPHA EPSILON) JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION Volume: 42 Issue: NOS 1 AND 2 Dated: (WINTER/ SPRING 1979) Pages: 47-55
• Author(s): R M REGOLI; E D POOLE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: American Criminal Justice Association
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PREVIOUS DRAFT PRESENTED AT THE 1978 AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION MEETINGS

Annotation

IN VIEW OF THE DEBATE BETWEEN CONTROL AND STRAIN THEORIES, THIS STUDY EXAMINES WHETHER DELINQUENT AND NONDELINQUENT FEMALES ADHERE TO THE SAME OR OPPOSING VALUE SYSTEMS.

Abstract

STRAIN THEORISTS CONTEND THAT DELINQUENTS REPLACE CONVENTIONAL VALUES WITH OPPOSITIONAL ONES. CONTROL THEORISTS COUNTER THAT DELINQUENTS ACCEPT CONVENTIONAL VALUES EVEN WHILE ENGAGING IN DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED BEHAVIOR. THIS IS THE FIRST RESEARCH TO EXAMINE THIS ISSUE AMONG FEMALES. DATA WERE DERIVED FROM QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES OF 96 INSTITUTIONALIZED FEMALES FROM TWO JUVENILE REFORMATORIES. RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO RECORD HOW OFTEN IN THE 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION THEY HAD ENGAGED IN A SPECIFIC SET OF ACTIVITIES, AND TO INDICATE THEIR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF EACH OF THESE BEHAVIORS. EACH ACTIVITY WAS ANALYZED SEPARATELY, AND RESPONDENTS WERE DICHOTOMIZED INTO 'DELINQUENT' AND 'NONDELINQUENT' GROUPINGS. SIMILARLY, THE APPROVAL SCORES OF EACH ACTIVITY WERE DICHOTOMIZED AS INDICATING EITHER 'APPROVAL' OR 'DISAPPROVAL.' THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL THEORISTS. THE NINE DELINQUENT ACTIVITIES THAT SHOWED SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DELINQUENT INVOLVEMENT AND APPROVAL OF THAT ACT INVOLVED LESS SERIOUS OFFENSES. NO RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN APPROVAL OF THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES AND EXTENT OF DELINQUENT INVOLVEMENT. THUS, THE ASSUMPTION OF SUBCULTURAL THEORISTS THAT DELINQUENTS HAVE VALUES DIFFERENT FROM NONDELINQUENTS REMAINS UNSUPPORTED. IN ADDITION, THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE ARGUMENT THAT DELINQUENTS 'DRIFT' INTO AND OUT OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. MOREOVER, THE 'SUBTERRANEAN VALUE' NOTION THAT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR REFLECTS THE VALUE HELD BY THE LEISURE CLASS IS ALSO SUPPORTED, SINCE A SEARCH FOR 'KICKS' OR 'THRILLS' CHARACTERIZED DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR CORRELATING WITH APPROVAL. THE DATA ARE CONSONANT WITH THE NOTION THAT THE SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE AND EXCITEMENT EXISTS ALONG WITH THE MORE CONVENTIONAL VALUES. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)