NCJ Number
17325
Date Published
1974
Length
67 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A SOCIAL SURVEY OF ADOLESCENT INMATES CONDUCTED DURING OCTOBER 1973 IN WYOMING'S THREE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS FOR HANDLING YOUTH PROBLEMS.
Abstract
THE THREE INSITUTIONS SURVEYED IN THIS STUDY WERE THE WYOMING GIRLS' SCHOOL, THE WYOMING INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE, AND THE WYOMING STATE HOSPITAL. THE NUMBER OF ADOLESCENTS IN THE SURVEY WAS 117 AND REPRESENTED ALL YOUTH INSTITUTIONALIZED AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY. THE RESULTS OF THE INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTH IN THE SURVEY ARE COMPARED IN THIS REPORT TO THE RESULTS FROM A SIMILAR SURVEY CONDUCTED DURING THE SPRING OF 1973 AMONG A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 4,247 NON-INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTH LIVING IN WYOMING. THE GENERAL FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE INFLUENCE OF THE FAMILY (ESPECIALLY THAT OF THE FATHER) WAS NOT AS STRONG FOR INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTH. IN ADDITION, THESE YOUTH DIDNOT HAVE AS STRONG AN ORIENTATION TOWARD EDUCATION AS NON-INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTH. INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTH ALSO WERE SHOWN TO BE MORE NEGATIVE OR AMBIVALENT TOWARDS THE POLICE. AND WHILE BOTH GROUPS GENERALLY APPROVED OF ALCOHOL USE, INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUTH DRANK WITH GREATER FREQUENCY, BECAME DRUNK MORE OFTEN, AND USED MARIJUANA AND OTHER DRUGS IN LARGER AMOUNTS THAN NON-INSTITUTIONAL YOUTH. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AN IMPORTANT VARIABLE IN REDUCING DELINQUENCY IN WYOMING COULD BE THE ROLE OF THE FATHER IN THE FAMILY. DATA ON THE ANSWERS TO SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES IS PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)