DELINQUENCY CAUSATION - A TYPOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF PATH MODELS

• NCJ Number: 58760
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 70 Issue: 2 Dated: (SUMMER 1979) Pages: 152-163
• Author(s): M G AULTMAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University; Williams and Wilkins Co
• Sale Source: Williams and Wilkins Co; Institute for Scientific Information
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE ABILITY OF THREE THEORETICAL MODELS TO EXPLAIN DIFFERENT TYPES OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IS ASSESSED BY APPLYING THE MODELS TO SELF-REPORT DATA FROM 1,500 STUDENTS (GRADES 6-12) IN TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

Abstract

THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MODEL PROPOSES THAT BOTH LIMITED ACCESS TO DESIRABLE SOCIAL ROLES (ANOMIE) AND NEGATIVE LABELING PROCESSES RESULT IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR BOTH INDIRECTLY (THROUGH THE INTERVENING VARIABLE OF ALIENATION) AND DIRECTLY. HIRSCHI'S SOCIAL CONTROL MODEL THEORIZES THAT DELINQUENCY RESULTS WHEN SOCIAL BONDS (ATTACHMENT TO MEANINGFUL PERSONS, COMMITMENT TO CONVENTIONAL GOALS, INVOLVEMENT IN NONDELINQUENT ACTIVITIES, BELIEF IN THE VALIDITY OF SOCIAL RULES) ARE LOOSENED. THE INTERPERSONAL CONTROL MODEL EMPHASIZES THE WAYS IN WHICH CONTROLS FROM OTHER PERSONS INFLUENCE WHETHER A YOUTH BECOMES DELINQUENT. THIS MODEL ASSUMES THAT A LACK OF CONTROLS FROM OTHERS COULD RESULT IN DELINQUENCY EITHER INDIRECTLY (BY LOWERING SELF-ESTEEM OR PRODUCING AN INFORMAL LABELING EFFECT OR DIRECTLY. PATH ANALYSIS IS USED TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH MODEL PREDICTS FIVE CATEGORIES OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR (STATUS, PETTY, PROPERTY, VIOLENT, AND DRUG OFFENSES) REPORTED BY TALLAHASSEE YOUTHS. ALL THREE OF THE TESTED MODELS WORK BEST WHEN APPLIED TO STATUS AND PETTY OFFENSES. THE TYPES OF BEHAVIOR OF GREATEST INTEREST IN PREDICTION AND TREATMENT (PROPERTY AND VIOLENT OFFENSES) ARE LESS WELL EXPLAINED BY THE MODELS. CONTROL MODELS CONSISTENTLY EXPLAIN MORE VARIANCE IN EACH TYPE OF DELINQUENCY THAN DOES THE NATIONAL STRATEGY MODEL, IN WHICH THE CONTROL VARIABLE IS ABSENT. THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF CONTROL IN TERMS OF PARENTAL REGULATION AND PEER PRESSURE, IMPLICIT IN BOTH THE HIRSCHI AND INTERPERSONAL CONTROL MODELS, APPEARS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLES YET DEVELOPED FOR EXPLAINING DELINQUENCY. DIAGRAMS OF THE MODELS, DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS, AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)