TY - JOUR
T1 - Isolation and normlessness
T2 - Attitudinal comparisons of adolescent sex offenders, juvenile offenders, and nondelinquents
AU - Miner, Michael H.
AU - Munns, Rosemary
PY - 2005/10
Y1 - 2005/10
N2 - The authors explored attitudinal differences among adolescent male sex offenders, juvenile delinquents, and nondeliquent youth based on three variables drawn from integrated delinquency theory: conventional attitudes, normlessness, and social isolation. Consistent with previous juvenile delinquency studies, the results indicate no differences among the three groups on conventional attitudes. With respect to normlessness, both the sex offenders and juvenile delinquent groups demonstrated more school normlessness than did nondelinquent youths, and adolescent sex offenders showed greater peer normlessness than did either nondelinquent youths or juvenile delinquents. Examination of perceived social isolation among the three groups indicates that sex offenders consistently perceived themselves as more isolated than other youths with their families, in their school, and among their peers. These results suggest that interpersonal factors, in addition to a lack of social controls and normlessness, are associated with sexually inappropriate behavior.
AB - The authors explored attitudinal differences among adolescent male sex offenders, juvenile delinquents, and nondeliquent youth based on three variables drawn from integrated delinquency theory: conventional attitudes, normlessness, and social isolation. Consistent with previous juvenile delinquency studies, the results indicate no differences among the three groups on conventional attitudes. With respect to normlessness, both the sex offenders and juvenile delinquent groups demonstrated more school normlessness than did nondelinquent youths, and adolescent sex offenders showed greater peer normlessness than did either nondelinquent youths or juvenile delinquents. Examination of perceived social isolation among the three groups indicates that sex offenders consistently perceived themselves as more isolated than other youths with their families, in their school, and among their peers. These results suggest that interpersonal factors, in addition to a lack of social controls and normlessness, are associated with sexually inappropriate behavior.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Attitudes
KW - Isolation
KW - Juvenile delinquency
KW - Normlessness
KW - Sex offender
KW - Social control
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=24944565197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=24944565197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0306624X04274103
DO - 10.1177/0306624X04274103
M3 - Article
C2 - 16260479
AN - SCOPUS:24944565197
SN - 0306-624X
VL - 49
SP - 491
EP - 504
JO - International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
JF - International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
IS - 5
ER -