Criminology Research Council grant ; (5/75)
A sample of 220 identified delinquents and a similar number of non-delinquent adolescents in Perth were given many sociological, semantic differential and skills questionnaires in order to test the hypotheses that delinquents have greater opportunities for committing offences and lower levels of survival skills. The results confirmed these hypotheses. Opportunities for youths to engage in socially unacceptable behaviour were found to be closely related to impoverished family situations. The youths also showed lower levels of skill in using community resources such as banks, post offices, employment agencies and shops. Other aspects of this research included a close study of the over-represented Aboriginal group in the delinquent sample and an examination of adolescents' knowledge of the law. Eight papers to be submitted for publication in academic and professional journals have been completed in this project.