NCJ Number
87569
Date Published
1979
Length
123 pages
Annotation
This study explored the feasibility of using data from the Seattle and Denver Income Maintenance Experiments (SIME/DIME) combined with data from other sources to study delinquency in the low-income sample included in the experiments.
Abstract
It studied 1,411 juveniles from the SIME/DIME population who would enter the most delinquency-prone ages during the experiment. The sample included blacks and whites of both sexes. Police records were checked for recorded police contacts with any of the juveniles in the sample or any of their family members. Police record data and the SIME/DIME data were merged and analyzed to investigate any experimental impact on delinquency and to investigate the correlates of delinquency in the sample. Little evidence was apparent of an experimental effect on delinquency. The mother being employed increased the commission of status offenses by males. The higher the mother's educational aspirations and expectations for their children, the less likely that their children would be delinquent. The report discusses the selection of the sample for police records data collection, the data collection procedures used, and the evaluations of alternative data sources. It describes the definitions of delinquency used in the analysis of police records and focuses on the impact of the experiment on delinquency. In addition, the report evaluates the study and gives recommendations for further research. Tables, figures, 15 references, appendixes giving more information about the income maintenance experiments and the police records data collection are supplied. (Author summary modified)