VALUE SYSTEMS AND DELINQUENCY - PARENTAL AND GENERATIONAL DISCREPANCIES IN VALUE SYSTEMS FOR DELINQUENT AND NON-DELINQUENT BOYS

• NCJ Number: 30719
• Journal: BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 14 Dated: (1975) Pages: 117-129
• Author(s): N T FEATHER; D G CROSS
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE VALUE SYSTEMS OF DELINQUENTS AND THE PERCEIVED VALUE SYSTEMS OF EACH OF THEIR PARENTS, AND COMPARED THESE RESULTS TO THOSE OF A CONTROL GROUP OF NON-DELINQUENT YOUTHS.

Abstract

A SAMPLE OF 82 DELINQUENT BOYS IN TWO INSTITUTIONS AND A MATCHED SAMPLE OF 82 NON-DELINQUENT BOYS FROM THREE SECONDARY SCHOOLS RANKED VALUES FROM THE ROKEACH VALUE SURVEY IN THEIR ORDER OF IMPORTANCE FOR SELF, MOTHER AND FATHER. ORDER OF RANKINGS WAS COUNTER-BALANCED. RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE SETS OF RANKINGS (VALUE SYSTEMS) WERE MORE DISCREPANT BETWEEN BOYS AND THEIR PARENTS AND BETWEEN THE PARENTS THEMSELVES IN THE DELINQUENT SAMPLE THAN IN THE NON-DELINQUENT SAMPLE, BUT ONLY IN REGARD TO THE SET OF TERMINAL VALUES. MARKED DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF PARTICULAR VALUES OCCURRED BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS BOTH IN RELATION TO RANKINGS FOR SELF AND FOR PARENTS, AND (FOR BOTH GROUPS) BETWEEN THE BOYS AND THEIR PARENTS (GENERATIONAL) AND BETWEEN MOTHER AND FATHER (PARENTAL). FAVORABILITY TOWARDS FATHER CORRELATED POSITIVELY WITH THE DEGREE OF VALUE SIMILARITY BETWEEN SONS AND FATHERS BUT ONLY FOR THE TERMINAL VALUES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)