AbstractsEducation Research & Administration

Purpose of the Study: The purposes of this investigation were threefold: 1. To determine the areas of commonality existing in known juvenile delinquents in Umatilla and Union Counties of Oregon. 2. To devise a test that would aid in identifying delinquency tendencies in preadolescent children on the basis of areas of commonality found to be present in delinquents in Umatilla and Union Counties of Oregon. 3. To evaluate the test, determining the correlation between the original test and teacher recommendation toward delinquency-proneness in preadolescent children. Securing and Treating of Data: The study utilized three levels of the California Test of Personality and three levels of the California Behavior Preference Record. Other information was obtained from 107 known delinquents, 31 juvenile workers, 30 teachers, and 430 fifth and sixth grade pupils. Findings: 1. The low areas of commonality of known delinquents in Umatilla and Union Counties of Oregon as shown by the California Test of Personality and the California Behavior Preference Record were: 1. Anti-social Tendencies 2. Withdrawing Tendencies 3. Family Relations 4. School Relations 5. Cooperation 6. Friendliness 7. Integrity 8. Leadership 9. Responsibility 2. It is possible to identify delinquent tendencies in young children. The factors that must be considered in this identification are: hereditary, emotional, environmental, socio-economic, physiological, and psychological. 3. The test which was developed had a correlation coefficient of .834 with teacher recommendation toward delinquency-proneness. Scoring on the test indicated the following: 75-100 Problems exist, Definite tendencies toward delinquency. 26-74 Average group. No marked tendencies in either direction. 0-25 Reasonably definite indication that few delinquency-prone tendencies exist. Not likely to become delinquent. 4. The poll of teachers revealed that they considered the items below as most important in identifying the potential delinquent: 1. A poor home situation; 2. The characteristics of anomie, unwantedness, or a lack of love; 3. Poor attitude toward, and in school; 4. Belligerence; 5. Withdrawing tendencies; 6. Inability to relate to others; 7. Lack of respect for authority. 5. Ample evidence was revealed that schools help to produce delinquency in the promulgation of frustration, lack of success and the lack of individualized instruction. 6. The delinquent child is a person with a basic unsatisfied need or needs. If these needs can be discovered early and met, delinquency-proneness can be reduced. 7. People who work with delinquents agree that research in the area of early discovery of delinquent tendencies in young children is necessary and vital. They agree that tests designed to this end should be developed. Recommendations: 1. Adequate testing programs for the early identification of delinquency in preadolescent children should be a high-priority part of every school program. 2. Counseling and guidance programs should…