NCJ Number
48565
Journal
Adolescence Volume: 13 Issue: 50 Dated: (SUMMER 1978) Pages: 365-369
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
TO COMPARE ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS OF DELINQUENT AND NONDELINQUENT SUBURBAN, MIDDLE-CLASS MALE ADOLESCENTS, A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 25 HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS AND A MATCHED GROUP OF INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTHS.
Abstract
BOTH GROUPS OF ADOLESCENTS CAME FROM THE SAME TWO-COUNTY AREA, ALL SUBJECTS WERE WHITE. THE QUESTIONNAIRE CONSISTED OF 18 ITEMS IN AN AGREE/DISAGREE FORMAT INDICATIVE OF FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS. ON THE OVERALL ATTITUDE SCALE, DELINQUENTS HAD A MEAN SCORE OF 15.8 AS COMPARED TO A MEAN SCORE OF 4.04 FOR NONDELINQUENTS. THIS INDICATES THAT DELINQUENTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR PARENTS THAN THE NONDELINQUENTS. RESULTS OF THE SUBSCALES REVEAL SIMILAR HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, WITH DELINQUENTS BEING IN SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER AGREEMENT THAN NONDELINQUENTS WITH THE STATEMENTS 'THE WAY MY PARENTS THINK DOESN'T MAKE SENSE,' 'MY PARENTS DON'T UNDERSTAND ME' AND 'MY PARENTS DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND ME.' WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES OF DELINQUENTS MAY BE A RESULT OF INCARCERATION, THE FINDINGS ARE NONETHELESS HIGHLY CONSISTENT WITH A NUMBER OF ACCEPTED PRINCIPLES SUGGESTING THAT NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS ARE CONTRIBUTORY TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS ARE GENERALIZED TO MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS, TO LAWS, AND TO SOCIETY IN GENERAL. ADDITIONAL FINDINGS HAVE SHOWN THAT NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS ARE RELATED TO MORE EXTENSIVE PEER GROUP INVOLVEMENT. THUS, IF THE PEER GROUP IS ANTISOCIAL RATHER THAN PROSOCIAL THEIR INVOLVEMENT WOULD LIKELY BRING THEM INTO CONFLICT WITH THE LAW. REFERENCES ARE ALSO PROVIDED. (JAP)