DETERRENCE AND GROUP DELINQUENCY

• NCJ Number: 65682
• Author(s): M C STAFFORD
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 216 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH22350; MH13327
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SPECIAL CHARGES FOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY FOUND THE DETERRENCE EFFICACY OF LEGAL PUNISHMENT TO BE UNAFFECTED BY INDIVIDUALS' PEER GROUP INVOLVEMENT.

Abstract

TWO QUESTIONS WERE SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINED: (1) DO GROUP VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW AND DO PEER GROUP PRESSURES REDUCE THE DETERRENT EFFICANCY OF LEGAL PUNISHMENT? (2) WHAT BEARING DO PEER GROUP VARIABLES HAVE ON THE RELATION BETWEEN SOCIAL (EXTRALEGAL) CONDEMNATION AND RATES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY? IN ADDITION, THE SOURCES OF VARIATION IN INDIVIDUALS' PERCEPTIONS OF PUNISHMENT CERTAINTY WERE EXPLORED THROUGH THE RELATION BETWEEN PEER GROUP VARIABLES AND PERCEIVED CERTAINTY. THE BEARING OF SOCIAL CONDEMNATION ON THE RELATION BETWEEN PERCEIVED CERTAINTY AND RATES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY WAS ANALYZED. CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, SURVEY DATA FROM 3,145 ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (FROM A QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED FURING THE 1974-75 SCHOOL YEAR) INDICATED NO EVIDENCE THAT THE RELATION BETWEEN THE PERCEIVED CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT AND LAW-BREAKING BEHAVIOR WAS CONTINGENT ON INDIVIDUALS' PEER GROUP INVOLVEMENTS. NOR WAS IT FOUND TO BE CONTINGENT OF WEAK TIES TO CONVENTIONAL PERSONS OR BELIEFS, STATUS CHARACTERISTICS, OR PERCEPTIONS OF THE PERSONAL COSTS OF PUNISHMENT. MOREOVER, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE DETERRENT EFFICACY OF LEGAL PUNISHMENT IS CONTINGENT ON THE DIFFERENTIAL SOCIAL CONDEMNATION OF OFFENSES. SOCIAL CONDEMNATION WAS MORE RELEVANT IN IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMMITTED A PARTICULAR TYPE OF OFFENSE THAN IN DISTINGUISHING AMONG INDIVIDUALS AS REGARDS THEIR FREQUENCY OF COMMISSIONS. PEER GROUP VARIABLES WERE, HOWEVER, FOUND TO AFFECT THE INDIVIDUALS' ESTIMATES OF PERCEIVED PERSONAL RISK. FINALLY, ONE VERY EFFECTIVE PREDICTOR OF THE FREQUENCY OF CRIMES AND DELINQUENCIES WAS BELIEF IN THE LEGITIMACY OF LAW. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED WITH REGARD TO A SYSTEMATIC THEORY OF THE SOURCES OF PERCEIVED PUNISHMENT CERTAINTY, AND HOW SUCH CERTAINTY MAY AFFECT PERCEPTIONS OF THE LEGITIMACY OF LAW. APPENDIXES PROVIDE THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, OTHER STUDY DATA, AND REFERENCES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MHP)