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JUVENILE THEFT - THE CAUSAL FACTORS

NCJ Number
30512
Author(s)
W A BELSON
Date Published
1975
Length
430 pages
Annotation
A DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN FROM 1967-1968 IN WHICH 1425 LONDON YOUTHS WERE INTERVIEWED TO DETERMINE THE TENABILITY OF 45 HYPOTHESES ABOUT CAUSAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUVENILE STEALING.
Abstract
THE PRINCIPLE METHOD ADOPTED IN THIS STUDY WAS THE 'HYPOTHETICO-DEDUCTIVE' METHOD, USED TO INVESTIGATE HYPOTHESES WHICH ARE NOT DIRECTLY TESTABLE. FOR EACH HYPOTHESIS, A SERIES OF TESTABLE PROPOSITIONS WAS DEVELOPED WHICH WOULD BE TRUE IF THE HYPOTHESIS WERE TRUE. IF THE PROPOSITIONS ARE VERIFIED, THEN THE PARENT HYPOTHESIS IS THERBY RENDERED MORE TENABLE. THE RESULTS OF A STEALING SELF REPORT INVENTORY USED IN THE STUDY INDICATED AN UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH RATE OF STEALING AMONG THE YOUTHS - VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE BOYS ADMITTED TO AT LEAST SOME STEALING. ONLY 13 PERCENT CLAIMED THEY HAD EVER BEEN CAUGHT BY POLICE. CAUSAL FACTORS FOUND TO BE MOST STRONGLY RELATED TO STEALING WERE FOUND TO BE PERMISSIVENESS ON THE PART OF THE BOY IN RELATION TO STEALING; ASSOCIATION WITH BOYS INVOLVED IN STEALING; A TENDENCY TO GO OUT LOOKING FOR FUN AND EXCITEMENT; TRUANCY FROM SCHOOL: AND A BELIEF ON THE PART OF THE BOY THAT THE POLICE WILL NOT CATCH HIM FOR STEALING (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)