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CHANGING SEX ROLES AND FEMALES' INVOLVEMENT IN DELINQUENCY

NCJ Number
48999
Author(s)
P C GIORDANO
Date Published
1976
Length
29 pages
Annotation
THE NATURE OF DELINQUENT INVOLVEMENT AMONG 108 FEMALES INCARCERATED IN A STATE INSTITUTION FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND 83 FEMALE STUDENTS AT AN URBAN HIGH SCHOOL IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE STUDY REPORT IS PRECEDED BY A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON FEMALE JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND A DISCUSSION OF CHANGES THAT MAY ACCOUNT FOR INCREASED DELINQUENT ACTIVITY BY FEMALES (INCREASED SITUATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, CHANGING FRIENDSHIP PATTERNS, LOOSENING OF THE NORMS THAT PROSCRIBE THE BEHAVIOR OF FEMALE ADOLESCENTS). THE SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY WERE LOWER-CLASS GIRLS RANGING IN AGE FROM 12 TO 19. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO DETERMINE THE SUBJECTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD FEMALE SEX ROLES, WHETHER THE YOUTHS WERE INVOLVED PRIMARILY IN STATUS OFFENSES (INCORRIGIBILITY, ETC.) AS REPORTED IN THE LITERATURE, AND WHETHER THERE WERE GIRLS WHO HAD BECOME INVOLVED IN CRIMES GENERALLY CONSIDERED 'MASCULINE.' LIBERATED SEX ROLE ATTITUDES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER DELINQUENCY AMONG WHITE GIRLS, BUT NOT AMONG BLACKS. FOR BOTH RACES, PEER GROUPS EXERTED STRONG DELINQUENT INFLUENCES, SIMILAR TO THE ASSOCIATIONS FOUND IN STUDIES OF MALE FRIENDSHIP PATTERNS. MOST GROUP SUPPORT FOR DELINQUENT ACTIVITIES CAME FROM OTHER GIRLFRIENDS, AND PERCEPTIONS OF APPROVAL FROM GIRLFRIENDS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH DELINQUENT INVOLVEMENT. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE GIRLS IN THE INSTITUTION HAD COMMITTED MANY OF THE TRADITIONAL 'FEMALE' OFFENSES (RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME, ETC.), THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT IN MORE SERIOUS CRIMES (STEALING, GANG FIGHTS, CARRYING A WEAPON, DRUG ABUSE, ETC.) AS WELL. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. A COPY OF THE STUDY INSTRUMENT IS NOT PROVIDED. (LKM)