NCJ Number
31492
Date Published
1974
Length
109 pages
Annotation
DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES, COURTS AND LEGAL PROCEDURES AND DISPOSITIONS, AND DEFINITIONS OF CRIMES AND THEIR SERIOUSNESS.
Abstract
THE RELATIONSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE TO DETERRENCE WAS ALSO STUDIED THROUGH A SURVEY OF EXISTING LITERATURE. OVER 500 HAMILTON AND DISTRICT, ONTARIO, STUDENTS, GRADES EIGHT THROUGH ELEVEN, WERE ADMININSTERED THE QUESTIONNAIRE. THE SURVEY RESPONSES OF 275 TEACHERS' COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE USED FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS ARE ANALYZED BY GRADE, SEX, AND SCHOOL. NOTICEABLE GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE WERE FOUND AT ALL GRADE LEVELS, ALTHOUGH PERFORMANCE ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE IMPROVED FROM ONE GRADE LEVEL TO THE NEXT HIGHER ONE. THE PERFORMANCE OF MALES WAS SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THAT OF FEMALES AT ALL GRADE LEVELS. FEMALES, HOWEVER, TENDED TO PERFORM EQUALLY OR BETTER ON QUESTIONS ABOUT LEGAL AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURES. STUDY RESULTS ALSO SHOWED A DISTINCT WEAKNESS IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT JUVENILE LAW, AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON ITEMS RELATED TO DEFINITION OF CRIMES AND THEIR SERIOUSNESS TENDED TO BE BETTER THAN PERFORMANCE ON ITEMS RELATED TO RIGHTS AND DUTIES OR TO COURT AND LEGAL PROCEDURES AND DISPOSITIONS. THE LITERATURE SURVEY REVEALED THAT INTERNALIZED AND SHARED VALUES WERE SEEN AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE CRIME DETERRENTS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAMS ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SCHOOLS, ALONG WITH SPECIFIC CURRICULA ON THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF CITIZENS AND THE OPERATIONS OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE APPENDIXES INCLUDE THE QUESTIONNAIRE USED AND SOME TABLES OF CORRECTIONS OF RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE.