Continuities in the Study of Delinquent Types John W
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Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume 53 Article 4 Issue 3 September Fall 1962 Continuities in the Study of Delinquent Types John W. Kinch Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/jclc Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Criminology Commons, and the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons Recommended Citation John W. Kinch, Continuities in the Study of Delinquent Types, 53 J. Crim. L. Criminology & Police Sci. 323 (1962) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology by an authorized editor of Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. CONTINUITIES IN THE STUDY OF DELINQUENT TYPES JOHN W. KINCH* The author is Assistant Professor of Sociology in San Francisco State College. He previously served on the faculty of the University of Washington, where he obtained his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. The great interest shown by criminologists in the study of typologies in recent years is evidenced by the number of articles on the subject published in this Journalalone. In the following paper, Professor Kinch analyzes the nature of previous typological analyses of juvenile delinquents and points out the need for a synthesis of typological theory. He proposes a method by which these previous studies can be collated and compared and outlines the factors which must be explored in order to develop a syste- matic typological theory of juvenile delinquency.-EDIoTR. One prominent theme in delinquency study in have been assembled, the paper will suggest some the past decade has been the daim that delin- of the considerations which are involved in any quency consists of a number of fundamentally attempt to develop a systematic and inclusive different types of behavior, and that no single typological theory of delinquency. This paper is explanation can satisfactorily deal with all of this not a statement of such a theory, but instead varied behavior. This view comes from a variety represents some of the groundwork which precedes of sources-sociologists, psychiatrists, social systematic theory. The paper does suggest some of workers, and others. Yet, even with the sizeable the concepts which could be fruitfully applied in a store of speculative and research literature that typological theory. has accumulated in recent years, very few attempts Some sophisticated and provocative work is now have been made to take this typological orientation going on in the area of typological theory. Cohen 2 3 are further than a briefly-articulated viewpoint. and Short,' Cloward and Ohlin, and others of gang General arguments have been advanced that presently involved in clarifying the nature delinquency is comprised of types, without speci- delinquency. In fact, this work is particularly in other fying the nature of these types. Or, in some noticeable by contrast to the inactivity both instances, cryptic, anecdotal, and ambiguous areas of etiological analysis, in the case of subcultural typological schemes have been suggested. juvenile and adult offenders. However, not exhaust the Perhaps the stage is set for some advances in analysis of gang delinquency does One of the typological analysis. This paper is an attempt to full range of problems of explanation. is to show that point some directions for typological theory. The purposes of the present discussion cry out paper does two things. First, it sets out a specific there are other forms of delinquency which logic by means of which the typologies which have for explanation. collated. The appeared in the literature can be A LOGIC FOR COLLATING EXISTING TYPOLOGiES purpose in this section is to determine the extent It is not uncommon today for writers in the field to which the diverse typological statements in the of delinquency to talk in terms of a few outstanding existing literature overlap-to what extent do of delinquents. These types when exam- different observers appear to be talking about "types" ined in detail seem to be defined as dusters of many similar delinquent behavior patterns? This section different attributes. There are at least fifteen represents the first stage of mature typological of typological statements in the literature analysis, in which the range of behavior patterns instances types has been ad- be accounted for in a typological theory is in which a set of delinquent to 4 indicated. vanced. In a number of these the defining attri- After the existing typologies of delinquency I E.g., Cohen & Short, Research in Delinquent Sub- * The author is especially obligated to Don C. Gib- cultures, 14 J. SOCIAL IssUEs 20 (1958). helpful suggestions pervade the entire 2 CLOWARD & OHLIN, DELINQUENCY AND OPPOR- bons, whose TUNITY (1960). paper. I am also indebted to Clarence C. Schrag, as a Generating Milieu Stanton Wheeler, Peter G. Garabedian, and Walter 3 Miller, Lower-Class Culture on an earlier of Gang Delinquency, 14 J. SOCIAL Issuxs 5 (1958). Gerson for reading and commenting 4 6. draft of this paper. See infra, note JOHN W. KINCH [Vol. 53 butes of the types are not specifically indicated. TABLE I Also, the underlying theories, usually implicit, on BASIS FOR A CLASSIFICATION OF which these are based are not dear. As a result, DELINQUENT TYPOLOGIES collation of these typologies might initially appear to be either impossible, or if possible, of dubious Re ference Groups value. Name of Type Larger Delnquent However, it may be that these fifteen typologies Society Groups are less diverse than first appearances might sug- gest. It is the contention of this author that these L Pro-social delinquent ......... + - classifications share at least one defining attribute II.Anti-social delinquent ....... + Ill. A-social delinquent .......... in common. Examination of these typologies sug- gests that one element used to differentiate + indicates orientation towards the reference groups. delinquents into types has to do with the offender's - indicates lack of orientation towards the refer- orientation to the larger society and to delinquent ence groups. groups as major reference groups. For example, one category of delinquent types consists of those of the larger society, but use delinquent groups as delinquents who have attenuated loyalty to the their reference groups; and "a-social delinquents," norms of the larger society, but who are oriented who fail to use either kind of reference group as a to delinquent peers. The types in this category are source of their values and attitudes. labeled variously as, for example, the subcultural deviant, pseudo-social boyj, and the gang delin- Consistency in the Literature quent. Systematically, the variations of delinquent Examination of the literature reveals the possi- patterns defined in these terms are indicated in bility of classifying most of the typologies ac- 5 Table I. This should not be thought of as a cording to the scheme in Table I. In light of the typology in itself, but rather a means by which the variant theoretical frameworks used in these existing typologies can be classified. studies it is rather surprising to find the number of In applying this classification, two questions are reports that can be successfully classified. One is concerned. First, to what extent are the delin- impressed with the number of independent studies quents involved in a delinquent group, i.e., do they which seem to be dealing with the same or very adhere to the norms which can be identified as similar typologies. Table I16 presents the classifica- delinquent? Second, are the delinquents relatively 4 Following are the references to the citations in integrated members of the larger society, i.e., do Table II: ABRAHAimEN, WHO ARE - Gumyn? (1952); they identify with "middle class" conventional Argow, A Proposed Functional Classifiation of Criminal Behavior, 4 J. CmmNAL PSYcHOPATHOLOGY 687 (1943); values? There are three categories of delinquents BLOcK & FLYNN, DEL NQuENcY: TE JuvENILE Or- that result from this classification scheme: "pro- FENDER IN AMERICA TODAY (1956); EDEISToN, THE social delinquents," who identify with the larger EARuEST STAGE OF DELINQUENCY (1952); Esman, Diagnostic Categories of Delinquency, 1 NPPA J. 113 society; "anti-social delinquents," who fail to (1955); FRIEDLANDER, TaE PSYcO-ANALyICAL A- identify with the relevant parts of the value system PROACH TO JuvENILE DELINQUENCY (1947); Gibbons & Garrity, The Sociology of Delinquent Behavior (un- 6The scheme utilizes two assumptions that are open published manuscript); Hirschberg, The Socialized to attack. First, it is assumed that the individual who Delinquent, 6 NERvOUS Cnnm 447 (1947); (Richard L. uses one kind of reference group is excluded from using Jenkins has published his work with several authors, the other kind. This assumption can be defended only and the next six references all pertain to his contribu- when it is understood that the scheme refers to the tions) JENEINS, BREAmING PATTERNS OF DEFEAT relevant parts of the value system-those parts (1954); HEwrrr & JENEms, FUNDA NTAL PArIERS within which the delinquent norms contradict the norms OF MALADJUSTMENT (1936); Jenkins & Glickman, of the larger society. At this point it becomes a matter Patternsof PersonalityOrganization Among Ddinquents, of definition-an important matter, but outside the 6 NERvous CH= 329 (1947), and Common Syndromes scope of this paper. in Child Psychiatry, 16 Ame. J. ORTnOPSYCHIATRY 244 The second assumption that deserves consideration (1946); Jenkins & Hewitt, Types of Personality Struc- is the contention that what might appear to be a tures Encountered in Child Guidance Clinics, 14 Am. J. continuous variable-use of a reference group-can be ORTHOPSYCATRY 84 (1944); Lorr & Jenkins, Pat- meaningfully dichotomized. It could be argued that all terns of Maladjustment in Children, 51 J. CLINICAL delinquents use both kinds of reference groups to some PSYCHOLOGY 16 (1953); Mueller, An Objective Ap- extent and that the concern is with the degree to which proach to a Behavioral Classification of Juvenile either kind is used.