VALUE ORIENTATIONS AND DELINQUENCY INVOLVEMENT

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Abstract
Current theories of juvenile delinquency have produced a bifurcation of explanations based on supposed class‐linked differences among adolescents of various socioeconomic strata. The present study challenges many of the assumptions upon which current delinquency theory/research is based and suggests that future examinations of delinquency involvement be focused on the similarities in value orientations of delinquent adolescents across socioeconomic strata. Specifically, self‐report data obtained from a representative sample of 412 male high school students in a mid‐western SMSA indicate that (1) subscription to “conventional value orientations” inhibits involvement in delinquent activities. (2) adherence to “subterranean value orientations” serves to induce involvement in delinquent behavior patterns. and (3) these relationships remain significant when the effects of socioeconomic status and level of perceived legitimate opportunities are held constant.