INQUIRY INTO THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RESPONDENTS' PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND JUVENILE COURT DISPOSITIONS

• NCJ Number: 31532
• Journal: William and Mary Law Review Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (FALL 1975) Pages: 61-83
• Author(s): C W THOMAS; W A FITCH
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA ON CASES PROCESSED BETWEEN JANUARY 1966 AND JULY 1973 WERE GATHERED FROM THE JUVENILE COURT RECORDS IN ONE VIRGINIA LOCALITY, AND ANALYZED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF JUVENILES' PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ON DISPOSITIONS.

Abstract

THE COURT RECORDS IN THIS SAMPLE WERE REVIEWED TO OBTAIN DATA ON THE SOURCE OF COMPLAINT, THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE, THE JUDGE WHO HEARD THE CASE, THE JUDICIAL DISPOSITION, AND THE PRIOR RECORD, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ETHNICITY, HOME SITUATION, AND SCHOOL ENROLLMENT OF THE JUVENILE. THESE DATA WERE THEN SUBDIVIDED TO ENABLE MORE PRECISE ANALYSIS. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES OF THE DATA WERE PERFORMED. WHEN TYPE OFFENSE AND PRIOR OFFENSES WERE HELD CONSTANT, IT WAS FOUND THAT PERSONAL FACTORS SUCH AS RACE, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, SOURCE OF COMPLAINT, AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND DID AFFECT DISPOSITION OUTCOMES.