DELINQUENTS AND NONDELINQUENTS IN THE PUERTO RICAN SLUM CULTURE

• NCJ Number: 30414
• Author(s): F FERRACUTI; S DINITZ; E ACOSTA DE BRENES
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 265 pages
• Sale Source: Ohio State University Press
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EXAMINATION OF DELINQUENCY AS A CULTURAL PHENOMENON, SEEKING TO ISOLATE THOSE SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS, PERSONAL RESPONSE MECHANISMS, AND PERSONALITY TRAITS WHICH MAY DIFFERENTIATE DELINQUENTS FROM NON-DELINQUENTS.

Abstract

THE RESEARCH IS BASED ON STEPWISE MULTIDISCRIMINANT FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF DATA BASED ON SOCIAL HISTORIES, PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, AND PHYSICAL AND NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF OVER TWO HUNDRED TEST SUBJECTS LIVING IN SLUM AREAS OF PUERTO RICO. WHILE CORRELATION OF INDIVIDUAL VARIABLES TO DELINQUENCY WAS NOT FOUND TO BE STRONG, RETROSPECTIVE ERROR FREE CLASSIFICATION OF ALL SUBJECTS AS DELINQUENT OR NON-DELINQUENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE USE OF 13 VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT DELINQUENCY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS A SUSTAINED COURSE OF ACTION, OR WAY OF LIFE, IN WHICH A YOUNG PERSON SEEKS TO COPE WITH A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT CRITICALLY OVERTAXES HIS RESOURCES. BASED ON THEIR FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND FURTHER RESEARCH.