Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 227-232). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2000. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Title on thesis acceptance page: Individual, family, and social characteristics of adolescent child molesters. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-116). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ67927.

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

In 1969, Travis Hirschi set out to explain why individuals do not commit crime. Unlike previous criminologists, he emphasized why individuals conform, rather than deviate. In his theory, involvement in law breaking acts is determined by the presence, absence, or strength of four bonds, i.e. attachment, commitment, involvement and belief. To consolidate his propositions, he published the book called “Causes of Delinquency”. We set out to test Hirschi’s Social Bonding Theory in our research study of juvenile delinquents in Hong Kong. We interviewed a total of ten youngsters who had law-breaking experience. Our main findings suggest that Hirschi’s Social Bonding Theory has some relevance to the local context in explaining why young people with weaker bonds commit crimes and why their subsequent development of stronger bonds helped them become law abiding citizens. However, we also identified a number of other specific characteristics that helped shape young people’s behaviour, including the family and social structures in post-colonial Hong Kong. Our study therefore highlights the importance of contextualizing Hirschi’s theory in terms of the structural and cultural conditions and everyday experiences of male and female juveniles in Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

No description available.

No description available.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1961.

A description and analysis of the outcomes of an experiment with Kohlberg's Just Community Approach in the development of moral judgements of francophone delinquents is examined. Data were collected from 12 adolescents ranging in age from 17 to 18 years and from 8 adult educators involved in the Just Community Program at Boscoville Center (Montreal, Qc.) which was implemented between October 1987-October 1988. / Kohlberg's Structural Issue Moral Judgement Interview and several questionnaires were administered and journals kept by the educators and the researcher. Analysis of these data allowed us to describe how the program was implemented and showed that the intervention appreciably increased the stage of moral judgement of participants and improved the "moral atmosphere" of the program. In comparison to previous evaluations of the Just Community Approach, this program had more impact on these outcomes. It is suggested that the effects of the program could be strengthened by more intensive training of educators.

<p>Although deficits in object relations patterns have been identified in populations of violent offenders, few studies have examined the object relations of male juveniles incarcerated for violent crimes. The present study examined four dimensions of object relations, as measured by the Thematic Apperception Test and Westen's Social Cognitions and Object Relations Scale with a sample of eight male juvenile offenders incarcerated for violent crimes as De Novo and Eureka Youth Care Centres. These dimensions are complexity of object representations, affect tone of relationship paradigms, capacity for emotional investment in relationships and understanding of social causality.</p>

The study's findings support the hypothesis that Moffitt's taxonomy of life-course and adolescent-limited delinquents applies in a Black, developing, semi rural population in South Africa, using a qualitative life-story research design. While the research design did not allow for conclusive proof of early psychoneurological deficits, difficult temperament and conduct disorders, features in the infant and childhood phases of the life-course offender, support for Moffitt's taxonomy arose from many other sources. These were the earlier onset and more violent antisocial behaviour, poorer school performance and peer relationships, greater impulsivity, ineffective goal setting, retarded moral development and lower social esteem of the life-course, relative to the adolescent-limited, offender research groups. Group cognitive difference found by Moffitt did not emerge. Suggestions for a local South African pilot intervention based on Moffitt's principles were made. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.