NCJ Number
51392
Date Published
1978
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A VALUE ORIENTATION THEORY TO EXPLAIN THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF DELINQUENCY IS DEVELOPED AS A SYNTHESIS OF THE PREVAILING STRUCTURAL AND CONTROL THEORIES OF DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
IT IS NOTED THAT TWO RELATIVELY DISTINCT THEORETICAL MODELS, STRUCTURAL THEORY AND CONTROL THEORY, TEND TO DOMINATE THE LITERATURE ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. STRUCTURAL THEORIES STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CLASS IN THE EVOLUTION OF DELINQUENCY. IN THESE THEORIES, LOWER CLASS ADOLESCENTS ARE VIEWED AS LACKING IN ACCESS TO SOCIALLY APPROVED AVENUES FOR ATTAINING STATUS AND WEALTH, SO THAT STATUS AND ACQUISITION OF POSSESSIONS ARE SOUGHT WITHIN THE NORMS OF THE SUBCULTURE OF DELINQUENCY. THE CONTROL THEORY, IN AN EFFORT TO ENCOMPASS THE CAUSES OF MIDDLE CLASS DELINQUENCY, VIEWS DELINQUENCY AS EMERGING FROM THE WEAKENING OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S INTERNALIZED COMMITMENT TO THE CONVENTIONAL VALUES OF EDUCATION, THE ATTAINMENT OF GOALS THROUGH WORK, AND DELAYED GRATIFICATION IN FAVOR OF A HEDONISTIC DISREGARD FOR DISCIPLINED BEHAVIOR. IN THE SYNTHESIS MODEL PROPOSED BY THE AUTHOR, SOCIAL CLASS IS PERCEIVED AS AFFECTING THE INDIVIDUAL'S CONDITIONED VIEW OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO HIM FOR REACHING CERTAIN GOALS, AND THIS VIEW IN TURN AFFECTS DEGREE OF COMMITMENT TO CONVENTIONAL VALUES, WHICH ARE SEEN AS BEING YOKED TO NORMATIVE SUCCESS GOALS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT COMMITMENT TO THESE CONVENTIONAL VALUES IS THE STRONGEST BULWARK AGAINST DELINQUENCY; A TENTATIVE INCORPORATION OF CONVENTIONAL VALUES IN BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS MAKES ONE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE APPEALS OF THE DELINQUENT SUBCULTURAL NORMS. THUS, DELINQUENCY IS PREVENTED BY SO STRUCTURING A CHILD'S AND YOUTH'S ENVIRONMENT THAT ADHERENCE TO CONVENTIONAL VALUES BRINGS SUFFICIENT IMMEDIATE REWARDS AND THE BELIEVABLE PROMISE THAT THE FOUNDATION IS BEING LAID FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE FUTURE. THE SCHOOL IS VIEWED AS BEING CRUCIAL IN SETTING SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW IT MIGHT DO THIS ARE OFFERED. (RCB)