MEASURED SELF-CONCEPT IN ADJUDICATED JUVENILE OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 67212
• Journal: Adolescence Volume: 15 Issue: 57 Dated: (SPRING 1980) Pages: 65-74
• Author(s): N L LUND; H M SALARY
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Libra Publishers, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SELF-CONCEPT SCORES ON THE TENNESSEE SELF-CONCEPT SCALE (TSCS) WERE COMPARED FOR A GROUP OF 43 ADJUDICATED JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND 40 NONOFFENDERS.

Abstract

THE SUBJECTS ARE ALL BETWEEN 14 AND 18 YEARS OF AGE AND ARE FROM 1 METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. MOST OF THE OFFENDERS HAVE A HISTORY OF VIOLATIONS RANGING FROM MISDEMEANORS TO FELONIES. THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THEIR PRESENT REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR 90 DAYS, LIVED AT HOME, AND CAME TO THE PROGRAM FACILITIES FOR MUTUALLY AGREED UPON ACTIVITIES. THE COMPARISON GROUP IS RANDOMLY CHOSEN FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND MATCHED WITH OFFENDERS ON SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND. AVERAGE SCORES FOR THE TWO GROUPS DO NOT DIFFER FOR EIGHT TSCS SCALES. NOTABLE MEAN DIFFERENCES ARE FOUND ON SEVERAL SCALES, HOWEVER. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE OFFENDERS HAVE WEAKER EGOS, AND POORER CONTROLS OVER THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR. THEY HAVE A GREATER TENDENCY TO ACT OUT CONFLICTS AND ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFLUENCE BY OTHERS. THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS' SCORING PATTERN ALSO INDICATES A STRONG TENDENCY TO OVERAFFIRM THEIR POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF A MORE DEFENSIVE POSTURE. OFFENDERS ALSO SHOW SUCH DIFFERENCES AS LESS PERSONALITY INTEGRATION, LOWER FEELINGS OF VALUE AS A FAMILY MEMBER, AND SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER MEAN TOTAL POSTIIVE SCORE. COMPARISONS WITH DATA IN THE TSCS MANUAL SHOW COMPARABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND A NORMATIVE GROUP AND NOTABLE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OFFENDERS AND A GROUP OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS. OVERALL PATTERNS SUGGEST NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE JUVENILE OFFENDER AND NONOFFENDER. RESULTS ALSO SUGGEST AREAS IN WHICH REHABILITATIVE COUNSELING AND PREVENTIVE ACTION MIGHT BE ESTABLISHED, THE POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF FOCUSING ON POSITIVE ASPECTS OF AN OFFENDER'S SELF-CONCEPT, AND THE NEED FOR PRIMARY CONCENTRATION ON SENSE OF FAMILY SELF, MORAL-ETHICAL SELF, BASIC PERSONAL IDENTITY, AND APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON PERSONAL REASONS UNDERLYING TEST RESULTS IS NEEDED. TABLES AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)