NCJ Number
44948
Date Published
1977
Length
20 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BASIC NORM VIOLATION AND NORM NEUTRALIZATION, ANOMIA, AND SELF-CONCEPT IS EXPLORED AMONG WHITE WORKING-CLASS SIXTH-GRADERS IN RURAL-URBAN (RURBAN) MARION COUNTY, W. VA.
Abstract
BASIC NORM VIOLATION, A FORM OF EMERGENT DELINQUENCY, REFERS TO BEHAVIOR CONTRARY TO FUNDAMENTAL NORMATIVE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON YOUTH WITH RESPECT TO DRIVING, DRINKING, THEFT, VANDALISM, TRUANCY, PARENTAL DEFIANCE, AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR. NORM NEUTRALIZATION INVOLVES THE APPLICATION OF CULTURALLY AVAILABLE EXCUSES TO NEUTRALIZE CULTURAL NORMS WITH REGARD TO CERTAIN ACTIVITIES. ANOMIA REFERS TO THE FEELING THAT LIFE IS FUTILE. BASIC NORM VIOLATION IS MEASURED BY THE NYE-SHORT SCALE. THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES ARE MEASURED BY THE ABRIDGED NEUTRALIZATION INVENTORY; ATTRIBUTED NEUTRALIZATION INVENTORY; SROLE SCALE; JUVENILE, FAMILY, AND SCHOOL ANOMIA INDEXES; AND SELF-CONCEPT INVENTORY. THE STUDY POPULATION INCLUDES 398 MALES AND 407 FEMALES ENROLLED IN THE PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OF A COUNTY CHARACTERIZED BY BOTH RURAL AND URBAN FEATURES. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CATEGORY OF PARENTAL DEFIANCE, MARION COUNTY BOYS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BASIC NORM VIOLATIONS THAN DID GIRLS. NORM NEUTRALIZATION AND ANOMIA SCORES ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AND ARE AS HIGH AS OR HIGHER THAN SIMILAR SCORES FOR SAMPLES OF INSTITUTIONALIZED DELINQUENT BOYS AND OLDER URBAN BOYS. SELF-CONCEPT, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT ACCOUNTS FOR THE APPARENT SIGNIFICANCE OF PERSONAL NEUTRALIZATION AMONG RURBAN BOYS AND FOR CERTAIN FORMS OF ANOMIA, APPEARS TO BE A MORE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN BASIC NORM VIOLATION THAN IS ANOMIA OR NEUTRALIZATION. OTHER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. FIVE TABLES AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.