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Delinquency, Control Maintenance, and the Negation of Fatalism

NCJ Number
185748
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2000 Pages: 779-807
Author(s)
Timothy Brezina Ph.D.
Editor(s)
Finn-Aage Esbensen
Date Published
December 2000
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This study empirically evaluated the claim of some theorists that delinquency represents a functional device or maneuver that enables young people to maintain a sense of personal control in the face of adult constraints.
Abstract
Three hypotheses were tested: (1) adult constraints on autonomy, such as demands and controls of parents and teachers, would generate a sense of fatalism among adolescents; (2) fatalism would increase the likelihood of delinquent involvement; and (3) delinquency would allow young people to avoid or to alleviate the experience of fatalism. Longitudinal ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted using data from the Youth in Transition (YIT) survey, a multi-wave panel survey based on a nationwide sample of male public high school students. The initial wave of data collection took place in 1966. Personal interview and questionnaire data were obtained from 2,213 young males as they were entering their sophomore year. The second wave of data was collected from 1,886 respondents in the spring of their junior year, while the third wave of data was collected from 1,799 respondents in the spring of their senior year. The YIT survey contained a 26-item scale measuring the extent of self-reported delinquent involvement during the past year. Findings were largely consistent with the control maintenance hypotheses. Data indicated male adolescents tended to respond to adult constraints with a diminished sense of personal control or fatalism. Delinquent involvement, however, negated the effect of adult constraints. Implications for criminological theory, delinquency control, and future research are discussed. Appendixes contain additional information on measures of theoretical constructs and a correlation matrix. 77 references and 5 tables