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PATTERNS OF DELINQUENCY AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS

NCJ Number
53904
Journal
LAE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER-SPRING 1978) Pages: 61-70
Author(s)
C S STEWART; M M ZAENGLEIN-SENGER; A M VENER; L R KRUPKA
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY AMONG 2,025 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOUND THAT FEMALE DELINQUENCY IS MUCH MORE PREVALENT THAN USUALLY SUSPECTED, IS NOT LIMITED TO TYPICAL 'FEMALE' OFFENSES, BUT IS NOT GROUP ORIENTED.
Abstract
ALL STUDENTS ATTENDING THE PUBLIC JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS (GRADES 8-12) IN 1973 IN A MIDWESTERN, WHITE COMMUNITY OF 25,000 RESIDENTS NEAR AN URBAN AREA WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE AN EXTENSIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE. USABLE DATA WERE OBTAINED FOR 99 PERCENT, 1,088 GIRLS AND 937 BOYS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE COVERED 22 TYPES OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. WHILE THE RATIO OF MALE TO FEMALE DELINQUENT ACTIVITIES AMONG ADJUDICATED YOUTH IS AT LEAST 3 TO 1, THIS STUDY FOUND A RATIO OF ONLY 1.5 TO 1, PROVIDNG STRONG EVIDENCE OF THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN BOY AND GIRL INVOLVEMENT IN DEVIANT ACTIVITIES. THE GIRLS WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN A CLOSELY KNIT CONSTELLATION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIORS AND THEY DID NOT TEND TO HAVE PEER GROUP SUPPORT FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES. GIRLS REPORTED HAVING HAD ENGAGED IN EVERY ONE OF THE 22 DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS WITH ONLY 'HAVING USED A WEAPON' AND 'HAVING USED NARCOTICS' REPORTED BY LESS THAN 10 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS. MORE THAN HALF OF THE 22 BEHAVIORS WERE REPORTED BY MORE THAN 20 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS. THE STUDY DATA IS ANALYZED IN DETAIL WHILE TABLES PRESENT THE QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS. THIS STUDY FOUND VERY LOW ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS; HOWEVER, THIS NEEDS FURTHER STUDY. THE FACT THAT ILLICIT DRUG USE SHOWED THE HIGHEST AVERAGE CORRELATION WITH OTHER DEVIATIONS IS DISCUSSED AS AN EXAMPLE OF 'LOW PREVALENT-HIGH IMPACT' BEHAVIOR WHICH IS PREDICTIVE OF OTHER DELINQUENT ACTS. AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (GLR)

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