Self-concept and violent delinquency in urban African-American adolescent males.
African-American adolescent males experience a disproportionate rate of victimization associated with and arrest for violent crime. This study examined the between self-concept and violent delinquency within a group of 155 urban African-American adolescent males. Walter Reckless's 1967 containment theory, which suggest that a positive self-concept will insulate a juvenile from delinquency and crime, served as the theoretical frame of reference. The participants included 155 African-American males aged 13 to 19 years who completed the Adolescent Life Survey, developed by the investigators, and the Tennessee Self-concept Scale. Quantitative measurments of self-concept and delinquency were obtained. In general, the findings did not support containment theory. However, the study does present new data regarding serious violent delinquency.
Bynum
Evita G
EG
American University, Department of Sociology, Washington, DC 20016, USA. Evita.Bynum@american.edu
Weiner
Ronald I
RI
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*