METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN DELINQUENCY RESEARCH - SOME ALTERNATIVE ANALYSES OF GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED DATA

• NCJ Number: 16192
• Journal: Social Forces Volume: 53 Issue: 1 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1974) Pages: 73-82
• Author(s): R CHILTON; J P J DUSSICH
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: University of North Carolina Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

INDICATES THAT CORRECTION OF PREVIOUS METHODOLOGICAL SHORTCOMINGS REQUIRES LITTLE MODIFICATION OF CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMIC, FAMILY, AND RACIAL FACTORS PRESENTED BY STUDIES PRIOR TO 1967.

Abstract

TO ASSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF METHODOLOGICAL INADEQUACIES IDENTIFIED IN A SERIES OF CRITIQUES OF DELINQUENCY AREA STUDIES, A REANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN USING DATA ANALYZED IN AN EARLIER STUDY. THE MODIFICATION OF FACTOR ANALYTIC PROCEDURES TO AVOID MISTAKES IDENTIFIED IN THESE CRITIQUES PRODUCED A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE FACTORS REFLECTED IN THE VARIABLES USED TO DESCRIBE 100 INDIANAPOLIS CENSUS TRACTS BUT ALSO NECESSITATED ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS OF CENSUS TRACT DELINQUENCY RATES. AN EXAMINATION OF RESULTS PRODUCED BY THESE TREATMENTS, WHICH INCLUDED A MODIFIED SOCIAL AREA ANALYSIS, A MODIFIED PREDICTIVE ATTRIBUTE ANALYSIS, AND AN ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN CONCLUSIONS DERIVED FROM THE METHODOLOGY CRITIQUED AS FAULTY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)