NCJ Number
52651
Date Published
1978
Length
240 pages
Annotation
THE SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUVENILE AND DELINQUENT CAREERS OF 811 VIOLENT JUVENILES IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, AND THE RELATIONSHIP SUCH CHARACTERISTICS BEAR TO IDENTIFIABLE VIOLENT PATTERNS WERE STUDIED.
Abstract
THE STUDY EXAMINED THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS: (1) THE CHRONIC RECIDIVIST CONSTITUTES A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE DELINQUENT POPULATION, BUT THE GROUP HE OR SHE REPRESENTS ACCOUNTS FOR A VASTLY DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF SERIOUS OFFENSES; (2) THE EARLIER THE ONSET OF A DELINQUENT CAREER, THE LONGER AND MORE SEVERE IT WILL BE; (3) JUVENILE OFFENDERS BEGIN TRIVIAL VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW, SUCH AS THE STATUS OFFENSES--TRUANCY, CURFEW VIOLATION, AND RUNAWAYS--AND PROGRESS TO INCREASINGLY SERIOUS CRIMES; (4) THE DISINTEGRATION OF PARENTAL AND SCHOOL AUTHORITY AND THE CHAOS OF THE SLUMS HAVE CREATED VICIOUS AND SADISTIC YOUNG PEOPLE, OFTEN MEMBERS OF STREET GANGS, WHO COMMIT HORRIFYING CRIMES ON IMPULSE OR FOR DEPRAVED ENJOYMENT; AND (5) AS OFFENDERS GROW OLDER AND MORE MATURE, THEY COMMIT FEWER AND LESS VIOLENT CRIMES (DELINQUENT CAREERS TEND TO BE SELF-LIMITING AND TO TERMINATE WITH THE ACHIEVEMENT OF MATURITY). THE MAJOR VARIABLES IN THE COHORT ANALYSIS WERE SEX, RACE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AGE AT ONSET, TYPE OF VIOLENT OFFENSE, NUMBER OF ARRESTS, NUMBER OF VIOLENT ARRESTS, POSITION OF VIOLENT ARREST, SPACING OF ARRESTS, AND DISPOSITIONS. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUBJECTS BORN BETWEEN 1956 AND 1960 AND ARRESTED AT LEAST ONCE WERE COMPARED TO DESCRIBE THE TYPICAL VIOLENT JUVENILE AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER RELATIONSHIPS EXIST AMONG THE VARIABLES. TABULAR COMPARISONS ARE PROVIDED OF THE ASSORTED DATA AND IT IS CONCLUDED THAT: (1) JUVENILE VIOLENT OFFENDERS ARE A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF YOUTH IN COLUMBUS, WITH NOT MORE THAN 2 PERCENT OF THE CITY'S YOUTH COMMITTING VIOLENT OFFENSES; (2) JUVENILES DO NOT TYPICALLY PROGRESS FROM LESS SERIOUS TO MORE SERIOUS CRIMES; (3) STATUS OFFENDERS ARE NOT HEADED DOWN A SLOPE TOWARD CONFIRMED CRIMINALITY; (4) INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT IS A DISAPPOINTING MEASURE FOR PREVENTING DELINQUENCY AND REHABILITATING VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. A LIST OF OFFENSES BY CATEGORY, STUDY CODE SHEETS, COMPUTER DISPLAYS, AND ASSORTED OTHER DATA ARE APPENDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND INDEX ARE PROVIDED.