Autonomy and Delinquency
- 1 April 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Sociological Perspectives
- Vol. 27 (2) , 219-240
- https://doi.org/10.2307/1389019
Abstract
A number of theorists argue that delinquency stems from the adolescent's need for autonomy. In particular, the systematic blockage of this need in the United States is said to lead to delinquency by reducing social control and increasing the adolescent's level of frustration and anger. This theory is tested by examining the effect of the need for autonomy on delinquency among a national sample of adolescent boys. Data support the theory, indicating that (1) the need for autonomy is able to explain individual and group variations in delinquency, and (2) the effect of the need for autonomy is explained largely by level of social control and frustration/anger.Keywords
This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Age and the Explanation of CrimeAmerican Journal of Sociology, 1983
- SOCIAL STATUS AND DEVIANCECriminology, 1980
- Reconciling Race and Class Differences in Self-Reported and Official Estimates of DelinquencyAmerican Sociological Review, 1980
- Analyzing Panel DataPublished by SAGE Publications ,1979
- Testing for Interaction in Multiple RegressionAmerican Journal of Sociology, 1977
- Delinquency and the age structure of societyCrime, Law, and Social Change, 1977
- Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Adolescent Independence in the United States and DenmarkJournal of Marriage and Family, 1969
- Adolescent Powerlessness and Delinquent BehaviorSocial Problems, 1966
- Undetected Delinquent BehaviorJournal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 1966
- Social Structure and AnomieAmerican Sociological Review, 1938