SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS AND AREA AS CORRELATES OF ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR AMONG JUVENILES (FROM CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, A READER, 1970 BY CARL A BERSANI - SEE NCJ-06248)

• NCJ Number: 10199
• Author(s): J P CLARK; E P WENNINGER
• Date Published: 1962
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Macmillan
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW, V 27, N 6 (DECEMBER 1962), P 826-834

Annotation

ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE THE FACTOR OF SOCIAL CLASS AND TO ELIMINATE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF CLASS BIAS IN RATE OF WHICH JUVENILE MISBEHAVIOR IS REFERRED TO COURT.

Abstract

THE AUTHORS ASSEMBLED AN INVENTORY OF THIRTY SIX OFFENSES AND ASKED A SAMPLE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RURAL FARM, LOWER URBAN, INDUSTRIAL CITIES, AND UPPER URBAN AREAS, TO INDICATE IF THEY HAD COMMITIED EACH OF THESE OFFENSES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THE RESULT SUGGEST THAT 'WHEN THE RATES OF JUVENILE MISCONDUCT ARE COMPARED ON INDIVIDUAL OFFENSES AMONG COMMUNITIES, IT APPEARS THAT AS ONE MOVES FROM RURAL FARM TO UPPER URBAN TO INDUSTRIAL CITY AND LOWER URBAN, THE INCIDENCE OF MOST OFFENSES BECOMES GREATER, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES AND IN THOSE OFFENSES USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL STRUCTURES WITH CONSIDERABLE TOLERANCE FOR ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR.' THE FINDINGS ALSO INDICATE THAT 'THE PATTERN OF ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR WITHIN SMALL COMMUNITIES OR WITHIN STATUS AREAS OF A LARGE METROPOLITAN CENTER IS DETERMINED BY THE PREDOMINANT CLASS OF THAT AREA. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THERE ARE COMMUNITY-WIDE NORMS WHICH ARE RELATED TO ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR AND TO WHICH JUVENILES ADHERE REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIAL CLASS ORIGINS.' (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)