NCJ Number
32304
Date Published
1973
Length
268 pages
Annotation
THIS DOCTORAL THESIS EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF DELINQUENT LABELING PRODUCED BY POLICE INTERVENTION ON THE DEVIANT SELF-IDENTITY OF THE JUVENILE SUBJECT.
Abstract
ALSO INVESTIGATED ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE SEVERITY AND FREQUENCY OF POLICE INTERVENTION, THE SUBJECT'S PREVIOUS INVOLVEMENT IN BEHAVIOR GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS 'DELINQUENT,' AND MEDIATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE DELINQUENT LABEL BY SIGNIFICANT OTHERS. BASED ON POLICE RECORDS, A SAMPLE OF 72 OFFICIALLY DEFINED DELINQUENTS AND 73 OFFICIALLY DEFINED NON-DELINQUENTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES. DATA ARE ALSO OBTAINED FROM PARENTS, TEACHERS AND FRIENDS OF THE SUBJECTS. FIVE DISTINCT MEASURES OF IMPACT UPON THE ACTOR ARE OPERATIONALIZED: DELINQUENT IDENTIFICATION, SELF-SATISFACTION, COMMITMENT TO FUTURE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, COMMITMENT TO DELINQUENT OTHERS, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE. STUDY DATA INDICATED THAT NEITHER OFFICIAL INTERVENTION NOR THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL CONTACTS (FREQUENCY OF INTERVENTION) HAS ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE SUBJECT OR HIS SIGNIFICANT OTHERS. THE SUBJECT'S PREVIOUS DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR WAS THE MOST CONSISTENT FACTOR AFFECTING SELF-IDENTIFICATION AS DELINQUENT, NO BASIS WAS FOUND FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SIGNIFICANT OTHERS MEDIATE THE IMPACT UPON THE SUBJECT. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT THE DATA SERIOUSLY CHALLENGES THE VALIDITY OF THE LABELING THEORY. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRES AND TABULAR DATA ON QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES. A NINE-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)