Citation

Bynum EG, Weiner RI. Psychol. Rep. 2002; 90(2): 477-486.

Affiliation

American University, Department of Sociology, Washington, DC 20016, USA. Evita.Bynum@american.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12061587

Abstract

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.

Language: en