DELINQUENT AND NON-DELINQUENT MALES' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FATHERS

• NCJ Number: 47414
• Journal: Adolescence Volume: 13 Issue: 49 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 21-28
• Author(s): R M SMITH; J WALTERS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Libra Publishers, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FATHERS BY DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS AND THE RELATION BETWEEN THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND SELECTED BACKGROUND AND FAMILY VARIABLES.

Abstract

THE STUDY GROUP CONSISTED OF 118 DELINQUENT BOYS IN AN OKLAHOMA BOYS' SCHOOL AND 212 NONDELINQUENTS ENROLLED IN TWO OKLAHOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BOTH GROUPS RANGED IN AGE FROM 14 TO 18 YEARS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 16.5 YEARS. THE MAJORITY OF THE BOYS WERE IN LOWER MIDDLE CLASS OR LOWER CLASS SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE GROUPS IN THEIR RESPONSES TO ITKIN'S 'ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTS' TEST. THE KRUSKAL-WALLIS ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TEST AND THE MANN-WHITNEY U TEST FOUND THAT BOTH GROUPS HAD MORE FAVORABLE PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FATHERS WHEN THE FATHERS WERE FELT TO BE MASCULINE, WHEN THE SON RECEIVED LESS SEVERE PUNISHMENT, WHEN THE SONS FELT CLOSE TO THEIR FATHERS, FELT THE FATHER LOVED THEM, SPENT TIME WITH THE FATHER, AND HAD PARENTS WHO SHARED IN DISCIPLINE AND GUIDING THE FAMILY, THAN IN FAMILIES WHERE THE MOTHER WAS THE DOMINANT FIGURE. A CHI SQUARE TEST FOUND SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NONDELINQUENTS FOUND THEIR FATHERS MORE MASCULINE (P EQUAL 0.001), MORE LOVING (P EQUAL 0.01). MORE LIKELY TO INFLUENCE THEM, MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN GUIDING THE FAMILY, AND PARTICIPATING IN DISCIPLINE, NONDELINQUENTS ALSO REPORTED HAPPIER CHILDHOODS AND FEWER CAME FROM BROKEN HOMES. BLACK DELINQUENTS REFLECTED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS FAVORABLE PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FATHERS THAN NONBLACKS. WHILE RACE WAS NOT A FACTOR AMONG NONDELINQUENTS. YOUNGER DELINQUENTS PERCEIVED THEIR FATHERS MORE FAVORABLY THAN OLDER DELINQUENTS, WHILE AGE WAS NOT A FACTOR AMONG NONDELINQUENTS. OVERALL, DELINQUENCY WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LACK OF A WARM, LOVING, SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER; MINIMAL PATERNAL INVOLVEMENT WITH CHILDREN; HIGH MATERNAL INVOLVEMENT WITH DISCIPLINE AD DIRECTION; BROKEN HOMES; AND FEELINGS OF ANOMIE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)