NCJ Number
19252
Journal
Criminology Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1975) Pages: 402-412
Date Published
1975
Length
11 pages
Annotation
LIKERT SCALING PROCEDURES WERE USED TO MEASURE THREE COMPONENTS OF CHANGE OCCURRING IN 93 FAMILIES SUBSEQUENT TO THE INCARCERATION OF THE FAMILY HEAD.
Abstract
THE MEASURES USED WERE CHANGE IN SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE, CHANGE IN ECONOMIC STATUS, AND CHANGE IN THE DEGREE OF SEXUAL AND EMOTIONAL FRUSTRATION OF THE WIFE. THE STUDY SUBJECTS WERE THE FAMILIES OF MEN INCARCERATED IN A MEDIUM SECURITY DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRISON. ALL INMATES HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES FOR FIVE YEARS OR LESS AND ALL WIVES HAD BEEN LIVING WITH THEIR HUSBANDS AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST AND CONVICTION. PRISONERS' WIVES WERE ASKED TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE THAT HAD OCCURRED IN SPECIFIC AREAS AFTER THE INCARCERATION IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A TYPE OF BEFORE AND AFTER INCARCERATION MEASUREMENT OF FAMILY CONDITIONS. STUDY FINDINGS INDICATED THAT FINANCES AND SEXUAL-EMOTIONAL FRUSTRATIONS UNDERWENT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AND BECAME PROBLEMATIC FOR A MAJORITY OF FAMILIES. CHANGES IN SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE FAMILIES WERE NEITHER SIGNIFICANT NOR PROBLEMATIC EXCEPT FOR A SMALL MINORITY. NINETEEN VARIABLES WERE ALSO TESTED FOR THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SCORES ON THE FAMILY CHANGE AND ITS SUBSCALES AND ONLY TWO WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANT. FAMILIES OF COMMON-LAW WIVES EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER NEGATIVE SEXUAL AND EMOTIONAL CHANGES THAN DID FAMILIES OF CIVILLY MARRIED WIVES, AND HAPPIER MARRIED WIVES TENDED TO BE MORE FAITHFUL TO THEIR HUSBANDS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.